Languages

Diversity of languages and cultures is celebrated at Dunston Hill. Here, our children develop a curiosity and interest in learning another language (Spanish) in an enjoyable and exciting way. We nurture and develop confidence and enthusiasm to learn another language and to explore new cultures. Through high-quality and a well-structured, cyclical curriculum, children develop the core language skills of phonics, speaking, listening, reading and writing, as well as their independence and resilience in a new language. We support and enable children to use and apply their learning of the Spanish language in a range of contexts. We aim to develop children’s cultural awareness and understanding to notice similarities and differences with their own lives. We hope that learning a new language will equip and inspire our children to study or work in other countries one day, and, in a rapidly-changing, international society, to have transferable skills that will support them no matter what they choose to do.  

The Spanish curriculum at Dunston Hill is designed with progression in skills at the forefront. Teachers across Key Stage 2 teach stimulating lessons to inspire and enthuse children. Lessons follow three main topics relevant to the children, and build upon the depth of each topic year on year. By using Kapow and adapting to the needs of our children, they are taught to use and apply their language skills with increasing independence. We use a sequenced structure to teach the three building blocks of a language system; phonics, vocabulary and grammar. Children connect these building blocks of knowledge to create meaning in a variety of contexts, allowing them to develop their skills in language comprehension (listening and reading) and language production (speaking and writing). Phonics is taught to develop an understanding of the different sounds in Spanish using mouth mechanics videos to ensure correct formation. Skills in speaking and listening are taught and supported through conversation practice, role play activities, listening to native speakers, videos, songs and games. Reading and writing skills are developed through looking at texts in Spanish, including authentic texts, and a range of reading and writing activities. Children use jotters to keep a log of vocabulary and support with phonetical pronunciation. In each session, our children have the opportunity to recall previous learning from the prior lesson, unit and/or term. Through retrieval activities, children are supported in developing strong recall of Spanish phonics, grammar and vocabulary. Throughout the school day, children are encouraged to engage with classroom commands given in Spanish and respond appropriately. Spanish is taught in a whole-class setting, with adaptations in place to meet the individual needs of children, as well as acknowledging varying experiences and strengths of different children. 

At Dunston Hill, our children are enthusiastic to learn Spanish. Our teaching lays foundations for their future language learning. Children recognise the importance and wonder of diversity in languages and cultures, and the role they play in respecting and understanding others. Children are given ample opportunities to self and peer assess when practicing their speaking and listening skills. Spanish is monitored continuously through formative assessment to ensure a strong understanding of each unit before progressing. At Dunston Hill, our children leave us with a love of languages, and the confidence to achieve and succeed. By the end of Year 6, children are ready to experience KS3 language learning with a solid foundation of basic phonics, vocabulary and grammar understanding. At this stage, children should be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of spoken language by listening and responding appropriately.
• Speak and read aloud with confidence and accuracy in pronunciation.
• Apply their understanding of Spanish phonics to make increasingly accurate attempts to read unfamiliar words, phrases and short texts.
• Engage in purposeful dialogue in practical situations (e.g. introducing themselves, ordering in a cafe, following directions) and express an opinion.
• Identify word classes in a sentence and apply grammatical rules they have learnt.
• Have developed a range of language detective skills to tackle unfamiliar words in Spanish, English and begin to transfer this to other similarly structured languages.
• Use a bilingual dictionary to support their language learning. Be able to construct short texts on familiar topics.
• Develop a greater awareness of the wider world and an appreciation for the role of language learning in promoting cross-cultural understanding.