French at Gordonbrock

At Gordonbrock, we believe that learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures and deepens our understanding of the world. Through our teaching of French, we aim to provide children with a broad understanding of what it entails to communicate ideas and thoughts in another language. A strong emphasis is placed on the importance of communication for practical purposes. Using Kagan structures the children are familiar with and other learning strategies, children develop their knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures. In the first instance, children are introduced to the basics such as numbers, colours, days of the week and how to introduce themselves. Then, as their confidence grows, we move onto topics such as family, animals, weather, parts of the body and food and drink. In Key Stage 2 all children have a timetabled 30 minute French lesson every week and their own French workbook which they work on independently with their class teacher.

Through all stages of their learning, children are taught to:

• listen attentively to the spoken language and show understanding by joining in/responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of the language through songs and stories
• engage in conversations, asking and answering questions and expressing opinions
• speak in sentences using familiar language, phrases and structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation
• broaden their vocabulary
• understand basic grammar
• write phrases from memory and adapt these to express their own ideas in writing

We hope, in this way, to provide our children with the enthusiasm and foundation for further language learning at secondary school and beyond.

Claire Gilmore, French Co-Ordinator