Speaking and listening is a fundamental part of learning as children engage with the world around them by sharing their thoughts and listening to others. However, it could be easy in day-to-day life for children to forget that the English language is only one of many and that studying and working exist as an opportunity for them beyond their hometown, county and country. At Holne Chase, we aim for our children to be aware of other cultures and how widening their knowledge of languages can benefit future endeavours.
Therefore, we choose to start our children immersing themselves in the Spanish language right from the start in Reception, as this has been shown by studies to have a positive impact on a child’s ability to understand and retain new language forms. It builds excitement and passion for modern foreign languages that will carry them through primary and beyond. Spanish continues as part of our fun and creative curriculum through to Year 6, with the aim that our children develop an ability to learn a new language, be aware of the inter-connectivity of today’s world and build a foundation for learning further languages.
The children learn Spanish from a language specialist throughout their time at the school. The lessons will progress year on year to ensure they are exposed to a range of vocabulary, themes and content. The children’s Spanish lessons will be fun, interactive and accessible to all whilst boosting their self-confidence, self-esteem and enhancing their natural creativity and curiosity. Furthermore, to help transfer the children’s lessons to their long-term memory, there is an opportunity for them to access a language app that allows them to continue practising their language skills outside the classroom. Our Spanish specialist also offers lunchtime clubs within the school to encourage budding language enthusiasts!
During their lessons, there is a focus for the children to develop their confidence and enthusiasm for speaking, listening, reading and writing in a new language. Throughout this curriculum, they will have the opportunity to:
- listen, speak, and demonstrate understanding by joining in and responding
- explore the language through songs and rhymes
- engage in conversations and role plays
- understand basic language structures
- appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in a different language
- read, write and complete grammar exercises
Each element will build throughout the school, year on year, to ensure unnecessary repetition and misconceptions are avoided and that knowledge is varied and skills are progressive.
The progressive nature of our curriculum, alongside the ability for our children to carry on their language, studies out of school via the language app and the after school clubs will ensure that our children have the foundations of understanding another language. Ultimately, our ambition is that the impact of the curriculum will enable our children to be linguistically confident, passionate about other languages and well prepared to approach the range of languages taught in Y7 and beyond.
