French

In today’s world, speaking one foreign language is not enough. Students who speak several languages will increase their chances of finding a job, whether at home or abroad. Learning another language enriches the mind and opens up new horizons, both personal and professional. For this reason, SMM is also preparing students for a better job opportunity in the outside world.

KEY STAGE 2

French language teachings aims to enable pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary.

Pupils are taught to:

  • Listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
  • Explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
  • Engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
  • Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
  • Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
  • Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
  • Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
  • Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
  • Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
  • Write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
  • Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing Languages – key stage 2 3
  • Understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.

KEY STAGE 3: FRENCH 

French Language teaching in KS3 aims to build on the foundations of language learning laid at key stage 2. Teaching focuses on developing the breadth and depth of pupils’ competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing, based on a sound foundation of core grammar and vocabulary. It aims to enable pupils to understand and communicate personal and factual information that goes beyond their immediate needs and interests, developing and justifying points of view in speech and writing, with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy. It should provide suitable preparation for further study.

Students are taught to:

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

  • Identify and use tenses or other structures which convey the present, past, and future as appropriate to the language being studied
  • Use and manipulate a variety of key grammatical structures and patterns, including voices and moods, as appropriate
  • Develop and use a wide-ranging and deepening vocabulary that goes beyond their immediate needs and interests, allowing them to give and justify opinions and take part in discussion about wider issues
  • Use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Linguistic competence
  • Listen to a variety of forms of spoken language to obtain information and respond appropriately
  • Transcribe words and short sentences that they hear with increasing accuracy
  • Initiate and develop conversations, coping with unfamiliar language and unexpected responses, making use of important social conventions such as formal modes of address
  • Express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing
  • Speak coherently and confidently, with increasingly accurate pronunciation and intonation
  • Read and show comprehension of original and adapted materials from a range of different sources, understanding the purpose, important ideas and details, and provide an accurate English translation of short, suitable material
  • Read literary texts in the language [such as stories, songs, poems and letters], to stimulate ideas, develop creative expression and expand understanding of the language and culture
  • Write prose using an increasingly wide range of grammar and vocabulary, write creatively to express their own ideas and opinions, and translate short written text accurately into the foreign language.