Spanish

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. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.

Source: National Curriculum, 2014

Intent

The core language taught at Ash Primary School is Spanish. Our MFL curriculum intends to expose our pupils to a new language, in order to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and prepare them for KS3. It is our intention that children have a positive attitude towards languages and are developing the confidence to explore and experiment with unfamiliar foreign vocabulary and pronunciation. We value the importance of understanding the wider world and our curriculum helps children develop an awareness of cultural differences in other countries.

Implementation

During Foundation Stage and KS1, children experience other languages through music and the use of incidental language. We teach Spanish across Key Stage 2. The school uses the "Primary Language Network" scheme of work to support the teaching and learning of Spanish. This provides clear progression for the development of speaking and listening and vocabulary acquisition. There are resources to support the teaching and learning opportunities for pupils.

They use a variety of the following techniques to encourage children to have an active engagement with Spanish:

• Games – in order to develop vocabulary through repetition, reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
• Role-play – these should relate to the situations the children may find themselves in the future.
• Action songs and rhymes – to develop phonetic skills, memory skills and to further vocabulary.
• Reading and writing quality materials.
• We build children’s confidence through praise for any contribution they make in the foreign language, however tentative.

Impact

On their journey through KS2, children will become more confident when listening to, speaking, reading and writing Spanish. They will become aware that language has a structure and that the structure differs from one language to another. Children will enrich their language learning by developing an understanding of the Spanish culture. They will transfer to KS3 effectively and successfully and will be well prepared to continue and develop their language skills.