Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)

MFL – French Curriculum

Our chosen modern foreign language is French. We work with an external, specialist French Teacher in order to ensure the teaching of French is of a consistently high –quality. Children begin learning French in Year 3 and follow the programme up through Key Stage Two. We teach the children how to: ask and answer questions; use correct pronunciation and intonation; memorise words; interpret meaning; understand basic grammar; use dictionaries; work in pairs and groups, and communicate in the other language and look at life in another culture.

We use a variety of techniques to encourage the children to actively engage in the modern foreign language: these include games, role-play and songs (particularly action songs). We use digital and online resources to allow children to see and hear French spoken by native speakers and encourage children to use this to help them develop their confidence to have a go at speaking French in pairs and groups. We emphasise the listening and speaking skills over the reading and writing skills and so use a multi-sensory and kinaesthetic approach to teaching, i.e. we try to introduce a physical element into some of the games, as we believe that this serves to reinforce memory. We make the lessons as entertaining and enjoyable as possible, as we realise that this approach serves to develop a positive attitude in the children to the learning of modern foreign languages.

Overviews of the French coverage in each of our Key Stage Two classes can be seen below.

French – Progression of Knowledge and Skills

To see our overview outlining progression in French, please see below. Each image can be clicked to open as a pdf file.

French – Progression of Skills: Listening & Speaking; Reading & Writing/Literacy; Grammar

To see our overview outlining progression in French – please click here.