Why teach a foreign language at primary school?

• It's fun!

Games and activities lend themselves naturally to language learning. Games such as Simon Says and Chinese Whispers are all ideal and the children love it! By showing children that language learning can be fun, pupils will approach secondary school language lessons with greater enthusiasm and anticipation.

• The earlier the better

Primary pupils are very receptive to learning a new language. They are willing and able to mimic pronounciation without the inhibitions and self-consciousness of older students. They are like sponges and can pick up on and duplicate tricky sounds that adults, and even adolescents, often stumble over. Through studying a foreign language, grammatical concepts and rules in English become clearer.

• Develops self-confidence and mental development

Children gain a great sense of accomplishment from learning to say something in a foreign language – it’s like learning to crack a code! Language learning also provides frequent opportunities to perform before an audience. This can only have benefits for pupils’ self-esteem and developing strong interpersonal skills. International studies have shown that learning a foreign language actually increases the density of ‘grey matter’ in the brain and the number of synapses, that interconnect parts of the brain.

• Broadens children’s horizons

Language learning is more than just learning to speak and write in a different language. Learning about festivals and traditions from countries where the language is spoken helps children appreciate other cultures so that they can take a place in our global society- either on holidays or in future careers.

The Curriculum

     Currently Spanish is taught for approximately three terms of the year, delivering the following objectives:

Modern Languages in Years 3 and 4

• Listen & engage
• Ask & answer questions
• Speak in sentences using familiar vocabulary
• Develop appropriate pronunciation
• Show understanding of words & phrases
• Appreciate stories, songs, poems & rhymes
• Broaden vocabulary

Modern Languages in Years 5 and 6

• Listen & engage
• Engage in conversations, expressing opinions
• Speak in simple language & be understood
• Develop appropriate pronunciation
• Present ideas & information orally
• Show understanding in simple reading
• Adapt known language to create new ideas
• Describe people, places & things
• Understand basic grammar, e.g. gender

Extra-curricular language activities

Throughout the year we offer lunchtime and/or after school clubs in French, Spanish, and Japanese.

We are excited to be able to offer our children a new Japanese after school club this year with the help of a grant from The Japan Foundation.

For more information of their work to promote Japanese language and culture in the UK please visit  https://www.jpf.org.uk/.

 We have also held a Spanish day in January 2019, involving cooking, painting in the style of Picasso, singing and more. See latest news for pictures and a write up of the day itself. http://www.seftonparkschools.co.uk/stream/news/full/1/-//

Useful Websites

You can explore modern languages further by visiting these websites:

• www.duolingo.com 
• www.mamalisa.com 

Subject Lead

Elena Smith, Year 3 class teacher, is our Modern Foreign Languages Coordinator. Elena spent a number of years teaching in Madrid before taking up her teaching role at Sefton Park.