At Northwick we aim to inspire our budding linguists to be ambitious and develop self-confidence to be brave enough to communicate in another language.  

Languages are taught best through reviewing and consolidating knowledge, understanding key phrases and vocabulary, recognising where this prior knowledge can be applied to acquire ambitious new skills. In order for our language learners to be the linguists of the future, the curriculum offers opportunities to experience the diverse world we live in and celebrate equality in all forms.  

It is of paramount importance that language learners have opportunities to listen, speak, read and write in that order to ensure there is a natural progression. We constantly review, question, sequence, model and practise in order to achieve end composite goals. Each lesson offers the opportunity to review previous knowledge and embed our key phrases and grammatical features of the language. This then probes the children’s learning more deeply, in turn stretching and challenging them.  

Grammar underpins the core values of language learning, children are taught in small steps, scaffolding all the time to allow a deep and secure subject knowledge. The repetition of key phrases fosters independence in using them for real purpose with confidence and securely. It is imperative that unit words are not taught in isolation, they become part of the grammar and full sentences. Children then have the power to use them in real life situations.  

Language learners should acquire and achieve a deep body of knowledge and in turn this is committed to their long-term memory. We constantly review what we have leant unit to unit. What do we already know? How have we used this before? How can we apply this to a new unit of work? How can we become confident linguists with the ambition to communicate in the new language? 

The children develop their skill set in order to communicate in the target language. The skill set is accumulative and progressive. Through Languages children make stronger connections with their English lessons, they clarify how their own language works. This gives them the power to communicate more accurately and therefore have a higher sense of achievement.