Foreign Language  

At Grange Valley, we believe that the learning of a language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils.  It helps them to develop communication skills, including key skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

We believe that it is very important to engage children with language learning as early as possible. The best way to do this is by delivering lessons that are fun and inspiring. My aim is to support teachers, to enable them to teach Spanish in an exciting way that captures the children’s curiosity and leaves them wanting to learn more. Pupils will learn how to read and write basic sentences and gain confidence in speaking and listening in a new language through a wide range of songs, games and cultural activities related to Spain.

The children’s knowledge of how language works will be developed and extended.  Lessons will enable pupils to make substantial progress in one language. The linguistic skills gained will assist and lay foundations for further language learning. It will provide pupils with the confidence and independence to explore and be able to attempt manipulation of the structure of language. Learning another language gives children a new and broader perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others.

What the National Curriculum requires in foreign language at KS2

Pupils should be taught to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help*
• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases*
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences*
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
• describe people, places, things and actions orally* and in writing
• understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English