“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”

Frank Smith

At St Elizabeth's, we believe that learning a language is important for the social and economic future of all pupils.  In order to form confident and enthusiastic language learners from a young age, our Modern Foreign Language (MFL) curriculum is founded on a combination of both linguistic and cultural components, which ensures that all pupils have a well-rounded knowledge of France and the French language.

We believe that immersing pupils in the French language is the most effective method of language learning.  Repeated practice during weekly lessons with a specialist French teacher ensures that the language is heard and spoken regularly, consolidating children's learning and increasing their confidence.  Learning through songs and stories, as well as celebrating key cultural, historical and religious events, maintains pupils’ excitement and curiosity towards language acquisition.  The addition of higher-level vocabulary, more complex grammar and the refining of pronunciation constantly encourages pupils to master the language to the best of their abilities.

St Elizabeth’s follows our own scheme of work based upon the aims of the National Curriculum for Languages which is adapted to meet the needs of our own pupils:

• In Year 3, pupils learn how to confidently introduce themselves and how to express basic information in the form of questions and answers, paying close attention to pronunciation.

• In Year 4, pupils consolidate and expand upon the previous year’s knowledge through the use of higher-level vocabulary and extended knowledge of adjectives.  They learn to advance their conversational skills whilst developing their confidence in spoken French.

• In Year 5, written and translation skills are developed, with pupils paying attention to the difference between literal and every day spoken French.  Pupils’ knowledge of French culture extends to cover key moments in French history such as the Norman Conquest and the Bayeux Tapestry.

• In Year 6, children showcase the progress they have made in KS2 through a recorded presentation, allowing pupils to express themselves confidently in a key subject area.  

As our pupils grow up to become global citizens, St Elizabeth’s attaches great importance to ensuring pupils promote the importance of tolerance and understanding of different cultures and languages in addition to their own.  Our French curriculum’s focus on France’s historical, cultural and linguistic links with us and other countries plays a key role in encouraging and ensuring this endeavour.

Click here for more information on the Languages National Curriculum.