At SMSP we are keen to promote the study of a foreign language. Our focus language is French and all children in Years 3-6 learn the language through structured lessons to help them acquire both conversational skills and an introduction to the written form.
Through the delivery of regular French lessons, we aim to build children’s confidence as they learn to understand and speak another language and we want them to see that acquiring a language can be fun.
Children at SMSP are taught a broad range of topics ranging from numbers and colours to hobbies, food and drink, shopping and travel and transport, amongst others. This programme of study enables children to progress through 3 strands of learning; oracy, literacy and inter-cultural understanding.
Our French curriculum has a strong focus on vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. Children are taught to make links between how words are written in French and how they sound. They are encouraged to make observations about how European languages share similarities. A range of exciting resources are used to enhance learning, including animation clips, games, songs, age-related French dictionaries and stories. Each year, teaching students from France visit our school giving the children a chance to improve their listening and speaking skills as well as learning first-hand about French culture.
In addition to teaching French as part of the curriculum, we also run French and Spanish clubs during lunchtimes and after school.