Italian

Modern Foreign Languages Curriculum

Subject Leader: Mr Collins

'You live a new life for every language you speak. if you only know one language, you only live once.'

Czech proverb

Intent - What are we trying to achieve? 

We currently teach Italian in KS2. Our intent is to:

• Learn a foreign language to be a part of a strong multicultural society.
• Promote curiosity about other cultures and languages in our school and around the world.
• Provide opportunities for children to communicate in Italian for practical purposes.
• Establish a foundation for learning other languages at primary age or later on.
• Understand and respond to spoken and written language in Italian.
• Speak with increasing confidence and fluency which becomes progressively more difficult over the years of study.
• Write at varying length for an audience and discover a love of writing in Italian.

Implementation - How is the curriculum being delivered? 

In line with the National Curriculum for MFL, by the end of KS2 pupils are taught to:  

• Listen attentively to spoken Italian language and show understanding by joining in and responding.
• Explore the patterns and sounds of the Italian language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words.
• Engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help.
• Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures. 
• Present ideas and information orally.
• Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing.
• Appreciate stories, songs, and rhymes in the language.
• Write phrases from memory and adapt these to create new sentences.
• Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing.
• Understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.
• Develop confidence and autonomy to access new and unfamiliar language through the use of decoding skills brought about by the teaching of phonics and sound patterns. 

This is achieved through a weekly Italian lesson, taught by a native Italian teacher, across KS2.

Impact - What difference is the curriculum making? 

At this Primary School, our pupils will: 

• Become confident and more fluent speakers of Italian.
• Enrich their language learning by developing an understanding of wider Italian culture.
• Be aware that a language has a structure, and that the structure differs from one language to another by linking it to their own.
• Develop their language through development of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. 
• Transfer to KS3 effectively and successfully and will be well prepared to continue and develop their language skills.
• Become aware that the world is a small place and that language skills can be very useful for travelling and conducting business across a global market.

If you visited an Italian lesson at St Michael’s you would see: 

An outstanding learning environment that looks across the curriculum implementation as a whole. The pupils are on a cross curricular learning journey that includes regular teaching of MFL.

Pupil Voice ( KS2 only)

“Learning Italian is one of the best parts of the week, I think it’s great” – Year 4 pupil

“Italian is probably one of my favourite lessons because it teaches us a whole other language.” - Year 6 pupil
“Our Italian teacher is really nice and she makes our lessons fun too!” – Year 3 pupil

How do the pupils at St Michael and St Martin Catholic Primary School develop the school ‘STRIVE’ values through Art and Design and Technology?

In our school, we believe that learning Italian contributes to spiritual growth by fostering an appreciation for different cultures and languages, promoting empathy and understanding.

Furthermore, the fantastic thinking taking place in our Italian language learning encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, enriching students' cognitive abilities.

The resilience demonstrated by both teachers and staff in learning and using Italian empowers students to persevere through challenges, instilling a growth mindset and a sense of determination.

As pupils embark on their Italian language journey, they demonstrate independence by actively engaging in language activities, taking ownership of their learning, and embracing linguistic diversity.

We strive to ensure that our varied additional language speakers feel valued and included, creating an inclusive environment where linguistic diversity is celebrated and respected.

Moreover, through our Italian language program, pupils are taught to be empathetic towards others' cultures and languages, fostering global citizenship and a sense of interconnectedness in an increasingly multicultural city.