FRENCH AT ST LEO S AND SOUTHMEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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1 FRENCH AT ST LEO S AND SOUTHMEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL If you talk to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his language, it goes to his heart. (N. Mandela) Learning to speak a different language is such a wonderful life skill. The experience of learning another language broadens the minds of our children and their future experiences in life. The skills involved help them to also develop in other curriculum areas, for example Mathematics, English, Geography, P.S.H.E. and Music to name only a few! In our school we focus on the culture and language of France. As a country we are very close to France and it is therefore a place that your child can aim to visit; spend time there or even live there in the future! We have French Theme days when the children experience the differences and similarities that our two countries have! We bring France to the children they even make a passport! We have links with a Teacher who qualified at Oxford University at degree level in French and German who is now teaching in a Senior School in London. We also have links with St Edmund Arrowsmith Senior School and staff from there come into our school to teach Years 5 and 6 additional French lessons. All classes in Key Stage Two (Years 3 6) are taught French for one hour per week. We also teach French from Nursery to Year 2 by providing Continuous Provision and having French resources available for the children to play with. We grasp opportunities to teach, play and sing! The children are never too young to learn a language and it is a known fact that once you have become fluent in speaking one different language then it is much easier to learn other languages e.g. Spanish, which has many similarities. Learning French in our school is fun and memorable as one parent recently wrote:- We were so impressed and really surprised at how lovely the Reception children sang to us in French at their recent Christmas drama Performance! Thank you! We have enclosed further information about the French that we teach throughout the school, using the National Curriculum as guidance and then enhancing it and adding to it. This will help you to help your child and you never know you might decide to book a holiday in France and be amazed at just how much your child will know and say! Thank you Mrs J Grundy Headteacher

2 Apprendre le français à St Leo s and Southmead Primary School Si vous parlez à un homme dans une langue qu il comprend, vous parlez à sa tête. Si vous lui parlez dans sa langue, vous parlez à son coeur. (N. Mandela) Apprendre une langue étrangère, c est une connaissance pour la vie et une expérience qui ouvre l esprit des enfants en leur ouvrant également des possibilités nouvelles pour l avenir. Ils acquièrent des compétences qui peuvent être utiles dans les autres matières, telles que les mathématiques, l anglais, la géographie, l éducation civique et la musique, pour n en citer que quelques-unes! Dans notre école, nous travaillons beaucoup sur la langue et la culture françaises. Notre pays se trouve juste à côté de la France et c est pour cela que votre enfant peut bien y aller, y passer du temps ou même y habiter à l avenir! Nous proposons des journées françaises où les enfants peuvent profiter des différences et des similarités entre nos deux pays! Nous leur offrons une expérience française - ils peuvent même créer un passeport français! Nous avons des liens avec une professeur de français et allemand qui a effectué ses études à l Université d Oxford. Nous avons également des liens avec des professeurs de St Edmund Arrowsmith Senior School qui viennent en classe avec nos élèves de Year 5 et Year 6. Tous les élèves de Key Stage 2 (les enfants âgés de 7 à 11 ans) ont une heure de français par semaine. Nous proposons aussi des classes pour les élèves de Nursery (l'école maternelle) jusqu'à Year 2 en utilisant des nouvelles ressources et des jeux. Nous saisissons les occasions pour enseigner, pour jouer et pour chanter! Personne n'est trop jeune pour apprendre une langue et il est bien connu que la maîtrise d'une langue peut faciliter l'apprentissage d'autres langues, notamment l'espagnol qui partage des racines communes avec le français. L'apprentissage du français est une expérience amusante et mémorable dans notre école: "on était très impressionnés par les enfants de Reception qui ont chanté en français pour nous dans le spectacle de Noël! Merci!" écrit un parent. Vous trouverez ci-joint de plus amples informations sur nos cours de français pour toutes les classes qui suivent les conseils du programme national. Cela vous aidera à aider votre enfant et vous pourriez décider de réserver un séjour en France, on ne sait jamais! Vous serez étonné de voir leur niveau! Je vous remercie. Madame J. Grundy, directrice.

3 THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM PURPOSE Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. AIMS Understand and respond Speak confidently Discover and develop Write CONTENT IN KEY STAGE 2 Teaching should provide an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and should lay the foundations for further foreign language teaching at key stage 3. It should enable pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary. PUPILS WIL BE TAUGHT TO:- Listen and respond Explore songs and rhymes to link to spelling and meaning of words. Engage Speak Develop pronunciation Present ideas Read Experience stories, poems, songs Develop vocabulary Memorise phrases Describe people, places and things Understand basic grammar. If you would like to read the complete version of any subject in the National Curriculum including French, type into Google National Curriculum in England and it should be available for you to view in detail.

4 This is how we implement and teach French in St Leo s and Southmead School, using the above as guidance and teaching through themes. We use an interactive scheme called Language nut. It makes learning French fun for the children by using French songs; French stories, French games. It is designed to be interactive on a website. It focuses upon Listening; Speaking; Reading and Writing. Children also have their own log in as well as the teachers. Every class in key stage two will:- - Learn to sing French songs - Listen to and read French stories - Take part in individual, group and class competitions - Will answer questions in French - Will build up their vocabulary via Flash cards and the Scheme. All of the above is differentiated to match the children s age and level. ASSESSMENT We use Chris Quigley Essentials for Progress to help us to assess the steps, Milestones that the children have to make. Although they are not specific to a particular age group, as development and confidence can be completed over time, we have used the Milestones to link to our year groups as follows:-

5 Aim Year 3 Year 4 Years 5 & 6 To read fluently Read out loud words and phrases Use phonic knowledge to read words Read and understand short written phrases Read out loud familiar words and phrases Use books or glossaries to find out the meanings of new words Read and understand the main points in short written texts Read short texts independently Use a translation dictionary or glossary to look up new words Read and understand the main points and some of the detail in short written texts Use the context of a sentence or a translation dictionary to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words Read and understand the main points and opinions in written texts from various contexts, including present, past or future events Show confidence in reading aloud, and in using reference materials To write imaginatively Write or copy everyday words Label items and choose appropriate words to complete short sentences Write one or two short sentences Write short phrases used in every day conversations correctly Write a few short sentences using familiar expressions Express personal experiences and responses Write short phrases from memory with spelling that is readily understandable Write short texts on familiar topics Use knowledge of grammar (or pitch in Mandarin) to enhance or change the meaning of phrases Use dictionaries or glossaries to check words Refer to recent experiences or future plans, as well as to everyday activities Include imaginative and adventurous word choices Convey meaning

6 HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD AT HOME? Please do not think that if you cannot speak French that you cannot help your child YOU CAN! Here are a few helpful tips:- 1. Look at the Curriculum Map for French and have a look at the themes that your child will be doing in his/her year group. 2. Ask your child to tell you about what he/she has been learning. 3. Using the back of cereal boxes make some flash cards with French words on and get your child to draw pictures on them. Use the cards to play games. Label your child s room in French use a French dictionary. 4. Visit the library and find French books for children e.g. Usborne Publishers have many and look at the books together. 5. Look on the Internet for ideas and games to do with your child. 6. Encourage your child to login to language nut and play the fun games. Have fun learning French together.