French

Aims and objectives

In our school we teach French as part of the normal school curriculum from Year 3 to Year 6. We do this for several reasons. Firstly, we believe that many children really enjoy learning to speak another language. Secondly, we believe that the earlier a child is exposed to a foreign language, the faster the language in question is acquired. We also believe that it is a good idea to introduce a new language to children when they are at primary school as they tend to be less self-conscious about speaking aloud at this stage of their development. It is widely believed that the early acquisition of a foreign language facilitates the learning of other foreign languages later in life.

The main objective of teaching a modern foreign language in primary school is to promote the early development of a child's linguistic competence. We also want to:

• foster an interest in learning other languages;
• introduce young children to another language in a way that is enjoyable;
• make young children aware that language has structure, and that the structure differs from one language to another;
• help children develop their awareness of cultural differences in other countries;
• develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, and 
• lay the foundations for future study.

Click on the links below to read the 2014 National Curriculum in MFL and the Combe Down MFL 2014 Programme of Study.

2014 National Curriculum in MFL

Combe Down MFL 2014 Programme of Study