At Firs Primary School, children speak over 50 different languages. We see this linguistic diversity as a strength and a valuable resource for learning.

Our MFL curriculum celebrates and builds on the rich linguistic heritage of our school community. We want every child to develop a love of language learning and to see languages as exciting, achievable and relevant to their lives.

Through progressive teaching, pupils develop their skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, while also learning to make connections between languages. Alongside language knowledge, we develop pupils' curiosity, language awareness, cultural understanding and respect for linguistic diversity.

 

Why do we use a multilingual approach?

At Firs, we believe children should learn about languages as well as learn languages.

Children come to school with a wealth of linguistic knowledge. We value this knowledge and use it as a resource for learning. By comparing languages, pupils can identify patterns in sounds, vocabulary, grammar and writing systems, helping them to understand how languages work and develop strategies for approaching unfamiliar language.

Research suggests that language-awareness and multilingual approaches can support pupils' metalinguistic awareness, helping them to make connections between languages and develop strategies for future language learning (Busse et al., 2019; Veerman et al., 2025).

Our approach encourages children to:

• notice patterns and make connections between languages;
• use what they already know to work out unfamiliar language;
• become curious and confident language learners;
• develop an understanding of how languages work;
• appreciate and respect linguistic and cultural diversity.

We want children to recognise that the languages they already speak, hear and encounter are valuable and can help them become successful language learners.

 

Discovering Language

In Key Stage 2, we use the Discovering Language approach developed by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).

Rather than following a traditional single-language model, pupils are introduced to a range of languages and language families. They become language detectives, learning to listen, investigate, compare and make connections.

The approach is based on the language-awareness vision of Professor Eric Hawkins, who advocated an early stage of educational language learning in which children develop an understanding of how language works alongside learning languages.

Children explore:

SOUNDS → WORDS → WRITING → GRAMMAR → MEANING → CULTURE

Pupils explore both language-specific and non-language-specific aspects of language. They learn about language families, spelling and sound patterns, grammar, language development, similarities and differences, word origins and the cultures associated with the languages they encounter.

The approach is particularly well suited to Firs because it develops transferable language-learning skills through making connections across languages, while reflecting and valuing the multilingualism of our school community.

 

What does MFL look like at Firs?

Whole school

We celebrate our school's linguistic diversity throughout the year.

Our Young Interpreters programme gives pupils opportunities to use their language skills to welcome and support children who are new to English.

We also celebrate events such as European Day of Languages and International Mother Language Day, helping children to appreciate the richness of the world's languages and cultures.

EYFS and Key Stage 1

Although MFL is not statutory in EYFS and Key Stage 1, we believe that children can begin developing a positive awareness of languages from an early age.

Children experience songs, rhymes, games and greetings in a range of languages. These activities sometimes link to wider topics and provide opportunities to hear different sounds, encounter new words and develop curiosity about the languages spoken around them.

Key Stage 2

All pupils follow our multilingual MFL curriculum through a two-year cycle.

Years 3 and 4: German and Latin
Years 5 and 6: Spanish and Russian

Before and alongside language-specific learning, pupils explore language families, grammar, spelling and sound patterns, similarities and differences between languages, language development and culture.

Lessons are interactive and accessible, using a range of approaches including:

• visual resources;
• partner and collaborative work;
• sentence stems;
• word banks;
• substitution tables;
• songs and rhymes;
• film and multimedia;
• supported speaking activities.

Our aim is for children to use language purposefully, rather than simply memorising lists of vocabulary.

 

Why do we teach these languages?

The languages in our curriculum have been chosen carefully to provide pupils with a broad and varied language-learning experience, while reflecting our school community, curriculum links, local context and opportunities for future learning.

German

German is studied in lower Key Stage 2. As a Germanic language, it provides opportunities for pupils to identify connections with English and explore vocabulary and word origins.

Latin

Latin is studied in lower Key Stage 2 and provides opportunities to explore word origins and etymology, supporting pupils' understanding of English vocabulary and spelling. It also creates meaningful links with our history curriculum when pupils study the Romans and classical civilisation.

Spanish

Spanish is studied in upper Key Stage 2, providing pupils with a foundation for further language learning at secondary school. Spanish is taught at several local secondary schools, so our curriculum gives pupils prior experience of a language they may have the opportunity to continue studying.

Russian

Russian is studied in greater depth in upper Key Stage 2. It gives pupils the opportunity to experience a language with a different alphabet and linguistic structure, while also reflecting one of the languages represented within our local school community. Russian is taught with the support of a Russian-speaking teaching assistant who holds a recognised Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language (TRFL) qualification.