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Curriculum & Enrichment

MFL (Modern Foreign Languages)

Changes to MFL

This year we have chosen to teach French. Our MFL curriculum has been re-written, and we will be kick-starting our new language with our 'French Friday' event. 

Our curriculum and other relevant information will be updated to reflect this.

Vision and intent for MFL 

Our aim at Temple Meadow is to make teaching and learning as enjoyable as we can. To that end we package learning in a way that allows us to create memorable and adaptable learning experiences which include all National Curriculum requirements.

In KS2 we have MFL lessons in which we are learning Spanish. This language has been chosen as it is often regarded as one of the most spoken languages in the world (currently around 480 million speakers – more than English) which gives our children cultural capital and opportunities. It is also relevant to our children as our local secondary school also teaches Spanish therefore our children will have a good starting point ready to build on when it comes to learning Languages at secondary school.

MFL at Temple Meadow has a curriculum which has been designed in school to suit the needs of our pupils. It is designed in order for all children to be able to access the curriculum and make progress. All children access language learning in MFL. The skills taught match the national curriculum which is shown on the planning.

We ensure pupils gain a clear understanding of often complex concepts by ensuring we allow for concrete and hands on learning as a means to develop abstract understanding.

Oracy is a school approach which is particularly useful when teaching MFL. This technique allows children to rehearse their pronunciation and practise their sentences, gaining confidence before writing and reading. Children then develop a love for language and can use and retrieve this when needed.

 Some oracy examples are as follows:

  • I say, you say.
  • Copy the word in a (robot, baby, whisper, shout, man’s, woman’s, etc.) voice.
  • Say the word to (partner, the ceiling, a person, an item in the classroom).
  • Walk around the room and freeze then say the word to the person next to you.
  • One person per table changes table and says the word to another table
  • Hot and cold game where children repeat the word until the word is found in the classroom

Cultural capital considerations for MFL

Given our context linked to high levels of deprivation, we are aware of the high need to support development of Temple Meadow pupils’ cultural capital. This is key to their future success in their next stage of education and in future life. We plan to ensure that the experiences we provide through our MFL curriculum and by connecting learning across subjects, gives them confidence and the capacity to succeed in the future and to support a long term aspiration of all UK pupils achieving in society.

As in Vision and Intent, our chosen language links to increasing children’s cultural capital. It gives them transferrable language skills to be able to use in later life and a better understanding of the world and its languages. We do this through Continuous Provision  whereby children experience a range of other cultures and languages and also through the MFL taught lessons which happen weekly.

Implementation of MFL

We ensure pupils gain a clear understanding of often complex concepts by ensuring we allow for concrete and hands on learning as a means to develop abstract understanding.

Oracy is a school approach which is particularly useful when teaching MFL. This technique allows children to rehearse their pronunciation and practise their sentences, gaining confidence before writing and reading. Children then develop a love for language and can use and retrieve this when needed.

 Some oracy examples are as follows:

  • I say, you say.
  • Copy the word in a (robot, baby, whisper, shout, man’s, woman’s, etc.) voice.
  • Say the word to (partner, the ceiling, a person, an item in the classroom).
  • Walk around the room and freeze then say the word to the person next to you.
  • One person per table changes table and says the word to another table
  • Hot and cold game where children repeat the word until the word is found in the classroom

 

National Curriculum coverage

We implement all NC expectations for MFL. At Temple Meadow we use a variety of oracy techniques to support children’s pronunciation and sentence structure.

MFL is a compulsory subject in KS2, and we ensure that we teach all objectives as set out in the National Curriculum.

Although MFL is non-compulsory for children in KS1 and EYFS, at Temple Meadow we do endeavour to provide all children with opportunities whereby they can learn a new language and engage in multicultural activities such as International Language Day and continuous provision.  

Strands and Long Term Plan

We have a Long Term Plan (LTP) which maps the areas that are being taught for MFL. As mentioned in the vision, it follows a progressive approach and a whole-school approach whereby everyone is teaching the oracy and language first before implanting that into reading and writing.

Teacher view of the importance of MFL

Knowledge organisers

Our aim is for  quality delivery and clarity of definitions throughout the school, supporting progression of knowledge and skills. Therefore supporting each strand and for use in each learning episode there are agreed knowledge organisers. These are designed to benefit the teacher as they give information for that lesson, providing the teacher with vocularly and helpful websites and tips. In MFL these are based on the strands of the curriculum

  • Cultural
  • Grammar
  • Opinions
  • Sentences and conversations
  • Vocabularly

These can be found on the s-drive, curriculum design, MFL, Knowledge organisers.

Timetabling

MFL is taught discreetly and there is a clear timetable slot in all terms. Sessions last 20 minutes on a weekly basis in Autumn1, Autumn2, Spring1, Spring2 and Summer2. In Summer term, we have an international language celebration where another language is taught throughout the term.

Learning episodes

The MFL lead, plans all the MFL lessons. The language taught at Temple Meadow is Spanish. Our plans consist of a MFLLI, main activity, vocabulary, resources that may be needed, if music/songs/poems are relevant to that lesson and the link to the national curriculum. Each Year group has been given their own copy of the lesson plans and can use/adapt these as they see fit. Teachers will often use the MFLLI but may adapt the main activity to fit the needs of children. Teachers are encouraged to use Lightbulb Languages to edit their planning and add to as per their children.

Retrieval practice

The planning allows for retrieval practice. The MFLLI's are designed to build progression. For example, in Year 3, children will learn numbers up to 10 and will practise this throughout the year. Then in Year 4, children will learn numbers up to 20 (including numbers 1-10 learnt in Year 3). This allows for practise of previously taught vocabulary and progression.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary has high focus and children are expected to develop a secure understanding of the topics taught. We make smart links to morphology (structure of words) and etymology (the origin of words). Teachers use a variety of games and oracy techniques for children to practice the pronunciation of the new words, for example, saying the words in different voices and playing games such as hot and cold to get children to repeat the vocabulary.

The key vocabulary can be found on the knowledge organisers to help teaching of the lessons.

Resources

All pupils will have access to a wide range of resources in lessons.  These will be used frequently in learning episodes to foster reading, writing and speaking skills and to further engage every style of learner. Lots of electronic resources are saved in the MFL folder  for teachers to access whenever they require.

There are bilingual dictionaries in the library which are used to support children in lessons. KS2 classes have labels in the classroom to use daily, such as; computer, door, window, chair, table etc.

Inclusion

Teachers are always mindful of inclusion and differentiation. Learning must meet the needs of all pupils.

Making connections to other subjects 

We make smart links to other subjects through continuous provision. We have a whole school day of ‘International Languages Day’ where languages are incorporated into the normal lessons of the day, for example, teaching shapes in Maths but using the German names, or creating a play script in English but writing in French.  

Each year group starts off with a geography link to a cultural lesson where children can apply their geography skills to understand Spanish-speaking countries.

Continuous Provision supports making connections.

Continuous Provision

We always ensure we have slots to support Continuous Provision. For example something significant may be happening in Spain or there may be an event in school which lends itself to using the Spanish language (e.g. international food days at lunchtime). Teachers are encouraged to use Spanish in their everyday school life, for example, to answer the register, use the names of items in the classroom in Spanish to aid progression.

We have Language Ambassadors (one child per class) which help to support continuous provision, for example, they may be nominated that week to say the register in Spanish, or count down in Spanish before break etc. This aids retrieval of vocabulary and keeps Spanish live.

Enabling learning environments

There is no requirement for a MFL display in each classroom, however, if teachers make resources with vocabulary on, these can be displayed around the classroom to support retrieval and encouragement to use in daily life.

Showcase of work

     

 

Contact Us

Temple Meadow Primary School
Wrights Lane
Cradley Heath
West Midlands
B64 6RH

01384 569 021