MFL | St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Lytham

Modern Foreign Languages

“To learn a new language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.” - Chinese proverb

It is our intent at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School to provide all of our children with a high-quality education in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), which develops their love of learning about other languages and cultures and deepens their understanding of the world. In developing their ability to communicate in another language, we aim to foster their curiosity and provide a new way of thinking - a new window from which to look at the world.

Our current MFL taught is French, however we strive to provide children with opportunities to experience a range of other languages. Through this, we help to improve understanding between people here and in the wider world, breaking down barriers between cultures and providing insight into other traditions. It is through the learning of another language and culture that children are able to gain insightful knowledge into their own language and culture.

It is our intention to ensure that by the end of our children’s primary education, they have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French, confidence to speak in French with others, and they know how important other languages can be in their future.

MFL at St Peter’s:

• provides pupils with a wider understanding of the world;

• allows children to develop their speaking and listening skills;

• helps children to understand that different languages use different grammatical structures, and enables them to write at varying length using these;

• engages children to have an interest in, and find enjoyment in, learning another language;

develops an understanding of cultural differences between people and cultures.

Kapow French Curriculum

French is taught to all pupils in Key Stage 2 and is delivered weekly by the class teacher. The ‘Kapow’ program is used to support the teacher in lesson delivery and the teacher ensures regular consolidation of learning following the lesson. French lessons are interactive and engaging and children are encouraged to practice their pronunciation throughout. Throughout each lesson, links are made with the English language, and children are explicitly taught aspects of French grammar. Children are taught to ‘Think as a Linguist’ throughout their French lessons.

When we Think as a Linguist, we focus on:

Reading and Writing Fluently: Recognising key vocabulary and phrase and using these to write ideas.
Speaking and Pronouncing Confidently: Using key vocabulary and phrases to verbally communicate ideas.
Listening Attentively: Recognising blends of sounds and following the sequence.
Understanding the culture: Developing background knowledge and cultural capital needed to infer meaning from interactions.