We are linguists

Intent

At Asquith, we want children to leave our school as confident, curious linguists who are excited about communicating with others and exploring the wider world. Our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum is based around Language Angels and is designed to give children a strong foundation in language learning, enabling them to listen, speak, read and write with increasing confidence and accuracy. We believe learning a language opens doors, broadens horizons and helps children to understand and appreciate different cultures, traditions and ways of life.

Our MFL curriculum is carefully sequenced to build progressively on prior learning. Children are introduced to language learning through songs, stories, games and spoken language, developing their confidence and enthusiasm before gradually applying their knowledge to reading and writing. Vocabulary and structures are revisited and built upon so that children can know more and remember more over time. We choose themes that are relevant, engaging and meaningful for our children, helping them make connections between language, culture and real life.

Our MFL curriculum aims to deliver the National Curriculum ensuring all pupils:

• develop a love of language learning and a curiosity about other cultures
• acquire a growing bank of vocabulary and simple grammatical structures
• listen attentively and respond with increasing accuracy
• speak with confidence, fluency and clear pronunciation
• read and understand words, phrases and short texts
• write simple sentences using familiar language

Key MFL themes and concepts

Our curriculum is built around meaningful and familiar themes, including:

• Identity and relationships (family, friends, feelings)
• Everyday life (food, school, routines)
• The wider world (countries, cultures, celebrations)
• Communication (listening, speaking, reading and writing)

Curriculum Drivers

We aim to promote Wonderful Words by:

• explicitly teaching and revisiting high-frequency vocabulary and key phrases
• encouraging accurate pronunciation and confident use of language

We aim to develop Readers for Life by:

• exposing children to written language through songs, stories, rhymes and simple texts
• helping children recognise patterns between spoken and written language

We aim to provide Opportunities by:

• allowing children to explore different cultures and traditions
• giving them the confidence to communicate with others beyond their immediate community

We aim to encourage children to Dream Big by:

• showing them that learning languages can open doors to travel, future careers and global connections

Rooted in Our School Values

Through the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages, we embed our core school values:

• Respect – valuing other cultures, languages and ways of life
• Understanding – developing empathy and cultural awareness
• Cooperation – practising language through pair and group work
• Determination – persevering with pronunciation and new vocabulary
• Responsibility – taking pride in learning and using language accurately
• Honesty – having the confidence to try, make mistakes and improve

Implementation

Key themes and concepts run through our MFL curriculum, including identity, everyday life, culture and communication. These themes are revisited across year groups so that children can make connections and build their understanding over time.

Lessons and units are carefully sequenced to ensure learning builds progressively. Children begin by hearing and repeating language orally before moving on to reading and writing. Vocabulary and sentence structures are revisited frequently through retrieval activities, songs and games so that learning is embedded and retained. Prior learning is explicitly referred to and built upon within and across units.

Vocabulary is a central focus of MFL teaching. Key words and phrases are explicitly taught, modelled and practised regularly. Children are encouraged to use language accurately and confidently, with opportunities to revisit and rehearse pronunciation and meaning.

Teaching is supported through a range of strategies and resources, including songs, rhymes, stories, visuals, actions, games and dual-coded materials. These approaches support engagement, memory and understanding, particularly for younger learners, SEND pupils and EAL learners.

Regular review is built into lessons to support children to know more and remember more. Retrieval practice, recap activities and opportunities to apply previously learned language are used consistently to strengthen long-term memory.

By embedding their language knowledge and skills, children will be able to understand and communicate simple ideas in another language, express themselves with increasing confidence and develop an awareness of how language works.

All MFL lessons take into consideration the needs of all learners. Adaptations are made for SEND and EAL children through scaffolding, visual support, repetition, modelling and opportunities for overlearning, ensuring all children can access and succeed in language learning.

Impact

Through our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum, children will develop into confident, enthusiastic linguists. They will have a secure foundation in listening, speaking, reading and writing in a foreign language and an understanding of key vocabulary and structures.

Children will demonstrate curiosity and respect for other cultures and languages and will be able to make links between language learning and the wider world. They will show resilience when learning new language, confidence in speaking aloud and pride in their achievements.

Children will leave Asquith prepared for further language learning, with the skills and attitudes needed to succeed in Key Stage 3 and beyond. They will understand that learning a language is a valuable life skill that opens opportunities and helps them to communicate and connect with others.

Assessment

The impact of our MFL curriculum is assessed through:

• Assessment for learning within lessons, including focused questioning, observation of speaking and listening, retrieval activities and review tasks
• Independent tasks, such as short written responses or paired speaking activities
• Low-stakes quizzes and recap activities to revisit prior learning

Each unit includes focus objectives which outline the key vocabulary, language structures and skills children are expected to know and use. These objectives are assessed at the end of each unit and inform future planning, ensuring misconceptions are addressed and learning is built upon.