MFL

‘One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.’ Frank Smith

MFL is led by Tammi Milsom

We tell the children that MFL lessons allow us to communicate in another language.

MFL Intent

At Nursteed, our aim in MFL (modern foreign language) is to provide pupils with well-rounded knowledge in the basics of French.  We want to teach pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts, and feelings through speaking, listening, reading, and writing French.

MFL Implementation

French is taught once a week during a 30-minute interactive, multimedia lesson using a language learning scheme called Language Angels.  As the teaching and learning of French at Nursteed is a new subject for us (we previously taught Spanish) all KS2 year groups are working at the beginning of the process, and we are therefore following a unit planner that initially changes yearly. The unit planner starts with the assumption that all KS2 children have limited exposure to French and then year on year builds on the growing proportion of children who have had “some” and then “good” exposure to the language.   In the weekly lessons we will help the children develop and demonstrate progress in the 5 key language skills necessary for learning French: Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing and Grammar. We believe our language lessons will lay the foundations for foreign language teaching at Key Stage 3.  

From Year 3 to Year 6 there is a clear progression of skills which involves new learning and recapping on previous teaching, building vocabulary and language.   At Nursteed, we use a wide range of resources to support our teaching of French including games, language immersion days, written activities, songs, rhymes, and stories.

In this academic year, we are introducing the Language Angels App so that children, at home, can access games linked to their current or previous learning to support their language journey. 

 

MFL Impact

Pupils are made aware of their own learning goals at the beginning of each of their learning units and are offered self-assessment grids at the end of each unit too. Nursteed has a key knowledge and skills learning document which enables the class teacher to assess the children’s learning. The information is monitored by the MFL lead teacher.

At Nursteed we aim to prepare our children to successfully transfer to KS3 equipped with the knowledge and skills required to further develop their language skills.

SMSC in MFL

Spiritual

Students are taught to accept and embrace other languages and cultures through the teaching of MFL. Students are encouraged to be empathetic to the cultures, beliefs and traditions of others.

Moral

Students are encouraged to show empathy and understanding to others. Stereotypes and intolerance are challenged through the teaching of language and culture.

Social

Students are encouraged to experiment with language both orally and aurally.  For the children to feel ‘brave’ enough to practise French both with and in front of their peers they must have a sound degree of trust between them.  They are encouraged to use each other as learning tools and work closely in groups to further develop their understanding of French.

Cultural

Cultural development and awareness are fundamental in language learning at Nursteed.  Exploration of language and culture is key to language learning.  Students are encouraged to embrace ‘difference’ at all stages of their linguistic development and accept ideas which may be ‘alien’ to them, as culturally significant.

British Values: Democracy, The Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and Tolerance

MFL supports children to build their understanding of British Values, particularly those of mutual respect and tolerance, as pupils are continuously encouraged to show empathy and understanding of people from different backgrounds.