Subject Leader: Mrs V Dare
Statement of Intent for MFL:
At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary school, we aim for all children to broaden their understanding and appreciation for other cultures and languages. We want them to learn the language of Italian through speaking, reading and writing. We want them to embrace the Italian culture and look at similarities and differences between their way of living and that of their own including links in both languages.
Rationale
Since 2014 it has been a statutory requirement to teach a modern foreign language at Key Stage 2. From improving literacy skills, to developing self-esteem and widening cultural awareness, introducing a language at an early age has many benefits.
At St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School we teach the modern foreign language of Italian to children in KS2. This should be a useful foundation for the children when they move to secondary school
We believe:
Aims and objectives
The aims and objectives of learning a modern foreign language in St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School are:
Organisation
We teach Italian to children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 for a 30 minutes lesson each week. The lesson is taught by a professional Italian speaking teacher. The children learn speaking and listening and reading skills in the language but also have a book to record written work.
Teaching and The Curriculum:
We use a variety of techniques to encourage the children to engage actively in the modern foreign language: these include games, role-play and songs (particularly action songs). Initially we place more emphasis on listening and speaking skills than on reading and writing skills. We also 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. We build children’s confidence through constant praise for any contribution they make in the foreign language, however tentative.
Our curriculum is based on the guidance given in the revised National Curriculum. We apply the four attainment targets for MFL to Key Stage 2. These are:
We teach the children to know and understand how to:
Policy: Modern Foreign Languages – March 2024