French & Spanish
From Nursery to Year 6, the children of West Lodge School learn how to speak French and have the wonderful opportunity to copy a genuine French accent.
Fun and engaging activities encourage and enable them to assimilate the language in a progressive manner, ranging from songs and rhymes, short exchanges of conversation and role-plays, reading and writing activities such as studying a pancake recipe or a French fable, interactive games, listening to and watching authentic audio and video material.
They also gain an awareness of French culture and festivals; every year, for example, they learn about the tradition of the Cake of Kings (la galette des rois) and taste a slice; they find out about French markets, shops and regions and discover a French-speaking country.
Whether it be being able to greet someone, asking for an ice-cream or their way around town, these short exchanges of conversation are built upon to give them a wide range of vocabulary and develop their confidence, giving them a sound base and a head start for languages in secondary school.
The School Journey provides children in years 5 and 6 the opportunity to travel to France and use their French skills in context - they are challenged to order crêpes and ice cream.
Learning Spanish at West Lodge in the Curriculum is a fantastic new initiative offered to Year 5 and 6 children alongside their study of French. This will give them a taster as well as some knowledge of vocabulary and Spanish customs should they choose to study that language in secondary school. Pupils will learn with fun and engaging role-play situations, singing, listening to and watching authentic podcasts and videos. There will be lots of repetitions, focusing on the different sounds of the new language and the children will have the opportunity to consolidate heir knowledge with interactive games on the iPad in class.
