Being a Linguist at Gomeldon Primary School

Intent

At Gomeldon Primary School, we are committed to a high-quality, enquiry-based modern foreign languages curriculum that will foster within pupils, in particular our most disadvantaged learners, curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.   It should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in French and understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing.  Enquiry-based learning equips pupils to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language.  Language teaching provides the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.

How does being a Linguist link with our school values:

Reflection: Pupils will reflect on what it means to be a linguist and the key knowledge and skills required to do this successfully.  Pupils will understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources.

Resourcefulness: Pupils will be encouraged to 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.

Resilience: Pupils will develop resilience by writing at varying lengths, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.

Relationships: Pupils will work collaboratively as linguists to develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.  Pupils will be supportive of each other and respectful as they communicate and celebrate each other’s successes.

Implementation

At Gomeldon Primary School, the Language Angels scheme of work and resources are used to ensure that we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils will be expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning - the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning. 

Children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

Impact:

Pupils will be provided with termly opportunities to showcase their learning and linguist skills in French, evidencing the impact of quality first teaching in the subject. 

Pupil voice will provide evidence that pupils are able to talk with confidence and enthusiasm about what they have learnt in French using subject specific vocabulary. Pupil voice will also demonstrate that many pupils enjoy being a linguist and are able to recall their learning over time – they will be encouraged to make connections with prior learning.

Book scrutinies will demonstrate that French is being taught at an age-appropriate standard across each year group with some opportunities planned in for pupils working at greater depth and appropriate support for those pupils with additional needs. Work will be good quality and demonstrate pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary in an appropriate sequence.  Assessment and book scrutinies will evidence that pupils can demonstrate knowledge and understanding, use key vocabulary and cover all skills in the progression document.

Overtime:

• Pupils will become increasingly fluent within French, developing some of the skills required in KS3.
• Pupils will retain prior learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning.  

• Where applicable, pupils will have encountered or participated in high-quality visits/visitors to further appreciate the impact of being a linguist – it is hoped this will foster a life-long enthusiasm for languages.  We aim to stimulate ambitions so some pupils recognise career possibilities and grow up wanting to enter linguistically focussed careers such as translators and interpreters, teachers, journalists and aid/development workers.