French

"Teaching may be of any modern or ancient foreign language and should focus on enabling pupils to make substantial progress in one language. The teaching should provide an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and should lay the foundations for further foreign language teaching at key stage 3. It should enable pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary. The focus of study in modern languages will be on practical communication."  (National Curriculum)

At St. Jude’s the children in Key Stage 2 learn French. We aim to help the children feel confident and excited about learning a second language. The children are introduced to the spoken language through a range of activities. They are encouraged to join in conversations and respond to questions in order to develop their confidence. They learn vocabulary and phrases about a range of familiar topics, allowing them to engage in conversations with one another. This also enables them to present their opinions and ideas to the class. As their learning progresses, they develop more accurate pronunciation which encourages them to explore the patterns and sounds of the language. Throughout Key Stage 2 the children progress from conversation to reading French, recognising vocabulary within simple stories and being confident in their knowledge to compose simple sentences.

Whilst learning the language, we believe it is also important to develop an understanding of the traditions and culture of France and other French speaking countries. Lessons are also dedicated to the French way of life and familiar festivals and the way in which they are celebrated.