How We Teach Spanish

Intent

Learning a foreign language is a necessary part of being a member of a multi-cultural society and provides an opening to other cultures. Our aim is to offer a broad and vibrant foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and motivate our children. In addition, to develop an interest and curiosity about foreign languages, offering the opportunity to explore relationships with language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them.

Implementation

Our Spanish curriculum implementation is founded on a well-sequenced, progressive approach that builds year on year. We provide detailed medium and long-term planning to support staff in delivering coherent lessons. Regular CPD enhances staff subject knowledge and confidence. Each lesson incorporates recall of previously taught material, enabling children to expand their schemata. Our inclusive classrooms ensure all children have opportunities to succeed through adaptive and responsive teaching. We emphasise cross-curricular links, developing literacy skills in English as well as the target language and exploring historical, geographical, artistic, musical, and cultural concepts through a Spanish lens. This comprehensive approach fosters a deep appreciation for language learning and cultural diversity, preparing our pupils for an interconnected world.

Key Aims

Our KS2 Spanish curriculum aims to develop pupils’ language proficiency through core linguistic skills: receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing). We focus on teaching how phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary interplay to build understanding and production of increasingly complex language. Key objectives include helping pupils to:

• develop strong retrieval skills for vocabulary retention.
• understand and apply grammatical structures.
• listen and read for gist in a variety of authentic sources, enabling students to grasp main ideas in Spanish texts and conversations.
• recognise and accurately use phonetics to improve pronunciation.
• speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions.

Ultimately, our goal is to foster successful communication skills, empowering pupils to express themselves confidently in various meaningful contexts. This comprehensive approach ensures a solid foundation for future language learning and cultural appreciation.

Linguistic Strands

These building blocks of language, the disciplinary knowledge, contribute to give children the tools to be able to communicate confidently in Spanish.

Assessment

Assessment includes regular book looks, pupil voice interviews, and drop-ins to oversee KS2 progression and support staff. Teachers continuously assess pupils’ ability to recall and apply phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary through core linguistic skills. They ensure students can communicate effectively in Spanish aligning with the planned curriculum objectives. Additionally, teachers evaluate pupils’ attitudes towards learning Spanish, assessing enjoyment and perceived value. This comprehensive approach ensures a well-rounded assessment of both academic progress and engagement in Spanish language acquisition.

Spanish in our timetable

In lower KS2, children receive a 30-minute weekly Spanish lesson. This is taught by one ‘expert’ class teacher who teaches all classes in the year group. In upper KS2, Spanish is taught by the class teacher in a one-hour lesson in alternating half terms (Autumn 2, Spring 2 and Summer 2). In Autumn 1, Spring 1 and Summer 1, pupils in upper KS2 have a weekly 10-minute long-term retrieval activity focussing on speaking and listening skills.

Much language learning can be taught informally and incidentally through using the language for real purposes e.g. greetings, taking the register, choosing their dinner, classroom commands, numbers, celebrating achievements and birthdays.  With the addition of this informal teaching time, the recommended one hour per week for the Key Stage 2 MFL framework is met.

Children receive a MFL book at the commencement of Year 3 and this book stays with them throughout their KS2 education.

In the Summer term, we traditionally celebrate a ‘Spanish Fun Day’ for the whole school. Each phase looks at developing children’s knowledge of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries and their culture and promoting the Spanish language. Activities include learning about different landmarks in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, Spanish food tasting, Spanish music and dance as well as creating work showcasing new embedded language.