Modern Foreign Languages - Spanish - at Belmont

How we teach Spanish (MFL) at Belmont School

Intent 
Spanish learning at Belmont School is based on practical communication and instilling a passion for language learning. Learning a new language is key to becoming part of the global community, and we ensure that our pupils have a solid foundation for this journey.  By the time pupils leave Belmont School, they will have mastered a range of skills that will support their future development:

• To be good communicators – language will be modelled daily to encourage speaking and listening including in Spanish. Pupils will develop the vocabulary they need to converse with other cultures as well as conversing in their home language.
• To be enthusiastic, lifelong learners with a passion for other cultures and languages.
• To understand how to keep themselves safe and be respectful in their communities by being educated on different cultures around the world and different languages spoken
• To develop their talents by being creative in learning a new language
• To be independent, resilient learners who enjoy challenges faced when learning a new language.

Implementation 

Pupils are introduced to Spanish from the EYFS and receive a weekly 30-minute lesson, throughout their time in Year 1. This enables the pupils to develop early language acquisition skills that facilitate their understanding of the patterns of language and how these differ from, or are similar to, English. In KS2, each class has a timetabled Spanish lesson of 45 minutes.

Lessons are sequenced so that prior learning is considered and opportunities for revision of language and grammatical concepts are built into lessons. Our lessons and resources help children to build on prior knowledge alongside the introduction of new skills. A series of lessons are suggested, providing structure and context as well as offering an insight into the culture of Spanish-speaking countries and communities. The introduction and revision of key vocabulary and grammatical structures is built into each lesson. This vocabulary is then included in display materials and additional resources so that children have opportunities to repeat and revise their learning.

Lessons across the Key Stages support the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing: 

• Children are taught to listen attentively to spoken language and respond, joining in with songs, rhymes and games. 
• Children have access to the Spanish website where they can find all the resources like video, songs, activities and games. 
• Children develop an appreciation of a variety of stories, songs, poems and rhymes in Spanish that are delivered through the curriculum content as well as by native Spanish speakers within the wider school community. 
• Hispanic Week enables the whole school to be immersed in the inclusion of the culture and use the language meaningfully in context. 

Impact 
Through the high quality first teaching of Modern Foreign Languages taking place, we will see the impact of the subject in different ways:

• Children will be provided with opportunities to communicate with each other in Spanish.
• Children will be given the opportunity to look at other languages – particularly if children are bilingual.
• Children will learn how language skills can be applied to a range of languages.
• Children will become aware that language has structure, and that the structure differs from one language to another.
• Children will develop their language through development of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Children will enrich their language learning by developing an understanding of the Spanish culture. Our MFL curriculum ensures that children develop their knowledge of where different languages, including the range of home languages spoken by the families of the school, as well as Spanish, are spoken in the world.