To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world. – Chinese Proverb
At Moorfield, we recognise the vital importance of good communication skills and believe that children learn to appreciate, respect and accept other cultures by learning a foreign language. Learning languages fosters children’s curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world. Therefore, from Form Two onwards our pupils study French and Spanish weekly and they are given opportunities to express their ideas and thoughts in both languages. Every class is taught by a specialist teacher and by teaching our pupils more than one language, we broaden the children’s linguistic skills and enable them to see similarities and differences between the two.
In Form Two children enjoy learning languages through video clips, games, songs, actions and stories. They learn basic vocabulary such as colours, numbers and animals, but also start to form sentences and think about grammar in an accessible way. In Forms 3 – Senior 6 the children further develop their existing vocabulary and language skills, whilst taking a more structured approach to understanding simple grammar. Some written work is introduced from year 3, however the lessons retain plenty of songs, rhymes and videos to make language learning enjoyable and fun!
When pupils leave Moorfield School, we hope they will take with them a love of languages and the confidence to communicate in a foreign language on topics covered. They will have a curiosity to explore other countries, cultures and languages and be enthusiastic to continue their language learning at secondary school.