Becoming Linguists

Some of us are from Crete and Arabia – yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that God has done!

Acts 2:11

Modern Foreign Languages at Whitegate.

At Whitegate CE Primary School we aim to inspire in pupils a restless curiosity and fascination about the world and its various languages, giving them a sense of culture and pride in the world to prepare them for life in all its fullness.

At Whitegate School, we instil Modern Foreign Languages in a very practical and enthusiastic way, and value it not only in its own right but also for its cross-curricular links. Exciting topics and themes inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the intricacies of languages and develop the skills necessary to aid in triangulation of English to French and vice versa.  

Topics are informed by the national curriculum and are sensitive to children’s interests, as well as the context of French culture and its impact on language.

The aims of teaching French in our school are to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help*
• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases*
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences*
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing

If you have any questions about our MFL curriculum, please contact Mr Thomas (subject lead) via the school office.

Thank you