Modern Foreign Languages
Modern Foreign Languages – The Whiteoak Way
‘You live a new life for every language you speak. If you only know one language, you only live once.’
Czech proverb (in Mary Myatt 2018 p. 178)
At the Whiteoak Academies, we believe that foreign language learning not only develops knowledge of a new language, but also fosters confidence and a sense of achievement, as well as inspiring curiosity about the wider world.
We provide opportunities for children to explore the patterns and sounds of the French language and to compare it to their own language. Children test out and play with the language through games, songs and role plays, as well as appreciating authentic French literature and songs.
As a family of schools, we recognise the role of language learning in developing children’s cultural understanding. By learning about French-speaking people, and working with songs, poems, rhymes and stories from French-speaking countries and communities, they gain a window into the wider world and an insight into the similarities and differences between other cultures and their own.
Our aim is that children leave our family of schools as happy, engaged language learners with an excitement about foreign language learning.
Our Aims for Modern Foreign Languages
At the Whiteoak Academies, we have developed our own curriculum to help ensure that each and every child thrives by becoming:
- Knowledgeable & Curious
- Respectful & Compassionate
- Independent & Fulfilled
In support of our curriculum vision and aims, we have crafted our own Whiteoak Way for Modern Foreign Languages which is carefully and thoughtfully planned to inspire curiosity and fascination about other countries and their languages and people that we hope will remain with our children for the rest of their lives.
As a family of schools, we aim to ensure:
- There are opportunities for children to experience authentic examples of our chosen Modern Foreign Language (French) through literature and songs.
- A range of activities (such as games, songs and role play) enable all children to experiment with new language in a comfortable, enjoyable environment.
- Carefully chosen activities enable children to develop their skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing French.
- Exploration of French and its grammatical structures, patterns and sounds enables children to consolidate their understanding of English through the comparisons they make.
- An exciting Modern Foreign Languages curriculum provides children with a window into other cultures, inspiring curiosity about the wider world.
Our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum has also been designed and developed using the National Curriculum which aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
- Can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
- Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
Languages in the National Curriculum
