Modern Foreign Languages

Intent:

Many of our pupils have Autism and  cognitive learning needs. We feel that MFL goes hand in hand with our subjects like LLfl and RE in allowing them even more opportunities to understand the world around them. 

• We want our children to have a love of languages by experiencing three modern foreign languages. We want them to enjoy being immersed in other languages. 
• We want our children with Autism to have even more opportunities to develop flexible thinking outside of their current experience. 
• We want our pupils to understand how the world is wider than themselves and their own family. 
• We want them to make sense of their world starting with themselves, their own family culture/community, their local culture/ community, then wider culture nationally and internationally. 
• We want them to understand where they currently belong and opportunities to belong elsewhere at other times in their life.
• We want them to understand that there are many similarities as well as differences between their lives and the lives of others.
• We want them to be tolerant and respectful of others who have different lives.  
• We want them to know colours, numbers, greetings, introducing themselves, weather and animals. 
• A high-quality languages education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. 

Implementation: 

Our MFL curriculum is a progressive and sequential approach to all 3 languages, French, Spanish and Italian. We have made the decision to focus on the listening and speaking elements of the languages.  We have developed the curriculum with an opportunity for all 3 languages to be taught twice a year to allow for spaced practice. 

Although not compulsory until Key Stage 2, we understand our children will require more retrieval practice and overlearning to make the language stick. Therefore all children will have 15 minutes of MFL per week, all year once they are accessing the curriculum at KS1 early stages.  Our children in the Early Stages of the Longcause Curriculum will experience languages through song and story. 

Impact:

Pupils will:

• Have a love of languages 
• Be better prepared to experience differences in language and culture locally, at school and when they leave Longcause; in education,socially  or in the work place. 
• Be better prepared to respond to the difference they experience appropriately and positively
• Be better equipped for potential travel and horizon widening experiences. 
• Be more confident and competent  in unfamiliar situations.