Modern Foreign Languages ´MFL´
From September 2009, every child at KS2 will be entitled to one hour a week studying a Modern Foreign Language. Current research is showing that children who are learning a foreign language tend to do better in other curriculum areas.
At Oughtibridge Primary School, along with many other Primary Schools in the city, we have started early! Since September 2005 every Y3,Y4,Y5 and Y6 child has had a weekly French lesson, lasting about half an hour.
The emphasis is very much on listening and speaking, followed by reading short familiar words and phrases. It is the intention that the lessons are fun: games, songs and rhymes, and interacting with each other are key features. Very occasionally the children engage in an activity which is recorded in their books. So as you can see, their books in no way reflect the full range of activities which they have engaged in.
All of our KS2 children are fully included in the French lessons, regardless of their ability in other areas of the curriculum: so far this is proving very successful, and the lessons are very popular.
In September 2006 we introduced Spanish to our younger children, through a scheme designed specifically for Foundation and Key Stage 1. We will be continuing this is 2008/9.
It is our aim that by the time our children leave Oughtibridge Primary School, they will have had a good introduction to the basics of French and some Spanish. We hope that they will be enthusiastic and confident and have a flying start to learning Modern Foreign Languages at secondary school.