MFL (modern foreign languages)

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.  If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." Nelson Mandela

Why do we teach a different language?

There are many good reasons for learning a second language; research has proven the cognitive benefits, such as memory improvement and longer attention span.  Also, learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures and a high quality language education will help to foster pupils' curiosity; deepen their understanding of the world and develop their respect for people from different cultures, lifestyles and customs.  The world is forever changing and learning a second language could potentially improve an individual's employment prospects. More companies than ever are managing business in several countries around the world, but they are unable to do this without hiring globally-minded people able to speak at least one foreign language. If an individual makes the effort to learn another language, rather than expecting the world to accommodate their own language, then it shows the ability of that individual to adapt and cope to different situations as well as to have a wider interest about things.

At St Michael's, we have chosen Spanish as the modern foreign language that we teach in Key Stage 2.  Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world and it is the native language for 460 million people in the world.  With Spain being a popular destination when travelling, it makes it a relevant language to learn for the children growing up in Britain.  It will also allow them a head start in Secondary School.  In addition to Spanish, the children in Reception to Year 6 are also exposed to the foreign language of Italian, as we have a teacher from the Italian Embassy visiting the school once a week. 

What do we teach?

Spanish:

At St Michael's we use quality resources to support the teachers with the teaching and delivery of lessons. We do our best for the lessons to be enjoyable and fun,  so that the children develop a positive attitude to learning a Foreign Language.

Italian:

We have an Italian teacher, from the Italian Embassy, exposing our younger children (Reception and Key Stage 1) to Italian.

Our expectations (Impact)

Teachers assess children's progress informally during the lessons.  They evaluate progress against the national attainment targets of:

1. Listening & responding

2. Speaking; Reading & responding

3. Writing