Creating a Sustainable Programme of MFL Teaching in Primary Schools Trevor Davies Hardenhuish School

“Music is an accepted part of the primary curriculum, but nobody expects primary teachers to be specialist musicians”

Aims When starting to teach MFL in your school you should aim to; o Start sustainable and independent MFL teaching in your primary schools o Develop pupil’s oral confidence o Encourage good pronunciation o Create enthusiasm for learning a language o Provide basic vocabulary with which to communicate

Where to Start Be realistic about what you can achieve o With an enthusiastic member of staff, though not necessarily an expert o With realistic expectations of progress o Without overstretching o With as young a class as possible

Key factors to Success o Supportive Headteacher o Enthusiastic members of staff o Regular practice throughout the week o Integration with the curriculum o Making time to meet and discuss o Involving the whole school

Benefits to Pupils o Researched and proven benefits to literacy skills and oral confidence o Significant success with SEN pupils o Interactive, fun activities o Links well with other curriculum areas o Cultural benefits

Support for Primary Schools o Sarah Sharpe, AST o Local Secondary School or Specialist School o CILT o Comenius Centre, Bristol o Native Speaking parents o QCA schemes of work (voluntary) o Commercial materials o Internet

Year on Year Development Once you have started, the following issues will need thought and planning o The effect of mixed year classes o Keeping the aims in mind, avoiding vocabulary repetition o Continuity within the teaching staff o Widening the project within the school, to other staff and classes o Making MFL an accepted part of the primary curriculum

Future Developments The following areas are currently being developed and will provide support in the future o National Languages Strategy o KS2 Framework for MFL o ITT in MFL o Languages Ladder

Useful support sites for Primary French o o MFL schemes of work for KS2 at o Useful links for pedagogy o Useful information and guidance o Government Languages Strategy at

Useful sites with activities for Primary French o Interactive activities for KS2 at o Some useful activities at o o French games and activities on all sorts of topics at o French games and activities on all sorts of topics at o French games and quizzes for a variety of ages, but quite text based at o o French puzzles and games at