Modern Foreign Language
At Fowlmere Primary School we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It helps them to develop communication skills including key skills of speaking and listening and extends their knowledge of how language works. Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others.
Fowlmere Primary School provides age-appropriate Primary Languages learning opportunities for all children in Key Stage 2. The focus language taught in our school is Spanish.
The aims of Primary Languages teaching at Fowlmere Primary School are to
- foster an interest in language learning by introducing children to other languages in a way that is enjoyable and accessible to all pupils;
- stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language and creativity in experimenting with it;
- support oracy and literacy, and in particular develop speaking and listening skills;
- help children develop their awareness of cultural similarities and differences;
- lay the foundations for future language study by pupils;
- provide an added perspective on first language teaching and learning;
- give an extra dimension to teaching and learning across the curriculum.
Speaking and Listening
The children will learn to
- listen carefully and recognise sounds and combinations of sounds which are similar to, or different from, those of English;
- understand and respond with increasing competence, accuracy and confidence in a range of situations;
- join in songs, rhymes, raps and stories which enable them to practise the sounds of the language in an enjoyable and non-threatening way;
- take part in conversations at an appropriate level, reacting to instructions and questions and expressing opinions and feelings;
- memorise and recite short texts, and prepare and give a talk on a familiar subject confidently and with regard for the audience.
Reading and Writing
The children will learn to
- remember grapheme-phoneme correspondences and vocabulary directly taught and reinforced through word games and similar activities;
- read stories and rhymes for enjoyment and to gain awareness of the structure of the written language;
- read, copy and write independently familiar words and simple phrases in context e.g. classroom items, display labels, weather chart, date;
- write sentences and short texts independently and from memory.
Intercultural understanding
The children will learn to
- describe the life of children in the countries where the language is spoken;
- identify similarities and differences in everyday life, social conventions, traditional stories and celebrations;
- recognise how symbols, products and objects can represent the culture of a country, and how aspects of the culture of different countries become incorporated in the daily life of others;
- recognise and mistrust stereotypes, and understand and respect cultural diversity.