Intention

The principle aim of French at St Thomas’ is to foster the children’s interest and enthusiasm for learning other languages by providing them with the linguistic knowledge and skills needed to communicate confidently in French.

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that knowledge, skills and vocabulary are taught in a fun, progressive and structured manner. We also incorporate the interests of our children by providing them with opportunities to learn through real-life contexts as this allows them to practice speaking French with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity.

Through our teaching, we endeavour to deepen the children’s understanding of the culture in France and other French speaking nations. By learning French, our children are better prepared for their transition into secondary school, and will have developed valuable skills for living in an increasingly multicultural society.

Implementation

• During lessons, we use resources such as, video clips, stories, songs and games to create an authentic context for our pupils to acquire and practise French.
• Pupils listen to their teacher and join in with exploring different sounds and patterns of the language
• We plan opportunities for pupils to speak and write in French for different audiences and purposes.
• Pupils are encouraged to write and speak from memory about people, places, preferences, things and actions.
• Weekly practice allows pupils to broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words. We encourage pupils to use familiar written material (worksheets) and dictionaries.
• Throughout the week, teachers incorporate French through other subjects and activities where possible and appropriate. This gives our children further opportunities to practise what the have learned in their French lessons.

Impact

At St Thomas’, staff and pupils show enthusiasm, appreciation, curiosity and excitement for our French curriculum. Pupils begin to make connections between French and their native languages and their knowledge of English grammatical structures is also reinforced. By learning French, pupils are initiating a journey that not only allows them to communicate with others, but also to understand and celebrate other cultures as well as develop an awareness of the world around them. It provides pupils with the foundation for learning and enjoying other languages and encourages them to learn and work in industries  in other countries throughout their adult lives.