Welcome to our MFL (Modern Foreign Language) curriculum page where you will find a range of information about foreign language teaching at Endeavour Academy.
Our subject leader for MFL is Mrs. Millward.
INTENT:
As linguists at Endeavour Academy, we want our pupils to understand how learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures whilst at the same time fostering their curiosity and deepening their awareness and understanding of the world. Learners will be able to express their ideas and thoughts in Spanish and understand and respond to its speakers both in speech and in writing. They will develop confidence and fluency in communicating in Spanish, continually improving their pronunciation and intonation. Through opportunities provided for them to communicate for practical purposes, they will learn new ways of thinking, master a variety of grammatical structures and develop an appreciation of a range of Spanish writing. Language teaching at Endeavour will provide the foundation for further language learning in turn preparing pupils for the next stage of their education and learning.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LINGUIST AT ENDEAVOUR ACADEMY
- The confidence to speak with good intonation and pronunciation.
- Fluency in reading.
- Fluency and imagination in writing.
- A strong awareness of the culture of the countries where the language is spoken.
- A passion for languages and a commitment to the subject.
- The ability to use language creatively and spontaneously.
- An independence in their studies and the ability to draw upon a wide range of resources
IMPLEMENTATION:
Spanish is taught throughout KS2 via a discrete session each week. We selected Spanish as our chosen foreign language to study since many of our learners visit Spanish speaking countries for example, on holiday. Our main feeder high schools also teach Spanish as their chosen language in KS3 providing our pupils with the opportunity to build on their previous learning.
At Endeavour we follow the National Curriculum for Languages with teaching and learning in Spanish guided by the Primary Language Network scheme of work (PLN). The PLN scheme was selected because it provides opportunities for pupils to consolidate their learning through revisiting and recapping taught language; ensures pronunciation of words is clear and correct through opportunities to listen to Spanish speakers and fosters a curiosity about Spanish culture through opportunities to listen to stories and take virtual tours of different parts of Spain. Our Spanish curriculum is designed and sequenced in order to ensure learning is developed and not repeated over time. Our whole school overview of learning can be viewed here.
Spanish Overview
Teaching and learning in Spanish is organised around school identified key concepts that we refer to as ‘big ideas’. These big ideas enable us to focus our attention on the most meaningful content which for Spanish we have identified as:
Knowledge, skills and understanding in Spanish is developed around these same ideas and built progressively year on year. Our school progression documents illustrate how this is mapped out across KS2 and is used by staff to reinforce, build upon and make links between prior learning in turn supporting pupils to know more and remember more on their journey through school.
Spanish Progression
At Endeavour Academy we are committed to using opportunities within Spanish teaching and learning to educate our pupils to be the best versions of themselves in order to become valuable and fully rounded members of society. Our Spanish curriculum is designed to encompass meaningful SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) development and promote British Values through a variety of engaging learning experiences. You can read more about our integrated approach to personal development through Spanish below:
Spanish SMSC
IMPACT
The Spanish subject leader, supported by the Headteacher and Senior Leaders, takes responsibility for ensuring children are progressing as expected in Spanish. They regularly monitor planning and children’s work to evaluate curriculum delivery and standards. Teachers complete Spanish assessments termly and this data is used by the Spanish leader to inform curriculum developments. Pupils are also regularly asked to reflect on their learning. Some examples of this can be seen below.
“I enjoy learning a new language. It is interesting and fun because we play games and listen to stories that I am beginning to understand.” (Year 3 Pupil)
“We learn a different language as it can help us to speak to other people like if we go to a Spanish speaking country or a Spanish person comes here.” (Year 6 Pupil)
“I was able to say hello and ask some questions to XXX when he joined our class. He couldn’t speak English and I couldn’t speak Bengali but we both knew Spanish. I think it helped him feel more welcome.” (Year 6 Pupil)
“Being able to speak another language gives us a chance to get a job in another country or even be a translator.” (Year 5 Pupil)
“Teachers let me know how I am doing by showing me how to say words correctly, so I can get it right next time.” (Year 4 Pupil)
ASPIRATIONS
As part of our commitment to raising aspirations for pupils we want to develop an understanding in our pupils of how learning Spanish can be useful to them in their everyday lives (see pupil voice above) or in their future careers. Here are some jobs pupils can aspire to as linguists:
- Field Reseacher
- Pilot
- Medical translator
- Doctor or Nurse
- You tuber or podcaster
- Police translator
- Holiday rep
- Blogger
- Book writer
More ideas to further spark interest can be found here on the First Careers website.
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD WITH SPANISH AT HOME:
1. Take an interest, and learn with your child
Learn alongside them: find out the language they are learning and get them to teach you some key words and phrases. They might like to make a simple poster illustrating key words and phrases, or use sticky notes to label everyday objects in a foreign language. Another good idea is to create a ‘new words’ dictionary for them to record all the new things that they have been learning. You may want to invest in a bilingual dictionary for them to look up further words — there are a great many ‘child-friendly’ versions of these available.
2. Make it multimedia
Why not find books, films or songs in the language they’re learning? These can be a wonderful way to learn a language without even realising it. Early-readers or lift-the-flap books are brilliant for learning a new language. The Internet is perfect for bringing some cultural learning into your home, allowing as it does access to videos, radio/audio and images from all around the globe. It has never been easier to expand your child’s horizons. Little Red Languages is a website providing free languages resources and activities and the Duolingo website provides a fun and effective way to learn language.
3. Take a trip
If you are lucky enough, perhaps you might like to plan a family holiday to a country where the language is spoken. This is not always possible for many families, but any way for your child to meet native speakers can be a wonderful experience such as the option of visiting a Spanish restaurant
4. Make it fun
Play simple games (such as ‘Snap’, ‘Guess Who’, ‘Snakes and Ladders’) and add in an element of another language such as counting, colours or even just answering yes or no.