Language, Oracy and Literacy
English
English enables children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and allows them to communicate effectively with others. At Marlborough it also helps children to reach an understanding of their cultural heritage and tradition and to value and celebrate diversity in culture and language.
Good English skills are the cornerstone of everything that we do in school and beyond. A command of language is a basic life skill that gives children access to the world around them and allows them to contribute to their future success and well-being. It consists of three main strands:
- Reading – word recognition; decoding; understanding and interpreting texts; engaging with and responding to texts; accessing and absorbing information
- Writing – handwriting; word structure and spelling; presenting ideas and arguments; telling stories; creating organising and shaping texts; understanding sentence structure, and punctuation and grammar; editing and word-processing.
- Speaking, Listening and Responding – including presenting and speaking to audiences; group discussion and drama
We use Letters and Sounds as a backbone for phonics and support children’s learning of reading within a range of teaching resources and strategies. In addition to the teaching of phonics, spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting, children’s use and experience of their language is enriched and extended through a full range of imaginative play, drama, poetry and song, story and factual material, listening, reading and creative writing. Much language and literacy learning takes place through other subjects as children access information books to develop research and interpretation skills and present their own ideas in books, displays, role-play and computer programmes.
Other Languages
By giving children an experiencing of foreign languages, we open up a means of communicating to non-English speaking peoples whether for pleasure, to support and extend learning or, in later life, for business. Foreign language teaching provides an aspect of global learning by giving a window into other cultures and countries and thereby encouraging and promoting a broader understanding of our world.
We teach Modern Foreign Languages:
- to develop children’s understanding of their global position
- to develop tolerance, diversity and inclusion
- to challenge stereotypes
- to extend children’s ability to communicate
- because it is fun and interesting
- to underpin understanding of their first language
- to explore and understand other cultures
- to provide a survival skill when travelling
It is also easier to learn a language before neural language pathways close in adolescence, so we introduce children to three other languages during their time at Marlborough:
- y1 and y2 Cornish – In years 1 and 2, we use Will Coleman’s Tales from Porth books and resources as a base to introduce children to a language which, whilst not ‘foreign’ does have an unfamiliar word order in speech as well as different vocabulary. Some words can be recognized from place names and cultural signage so this serves as a good introduction to the idea of language learning in general. Throughout later years, children will enjoy reminders of their infant Cornish lessons and pick up new vocabulary and phrases through Fab Fridays and some class topic experiences.
- y3 and y4 Chinese – In the lower Juniors we introduce Mandarin Chinese to the classes. Teaching is provide by a native speaker based in Beijing via a visual internet link. In year 4 this language teaching is supported by further studies of Chines life, culture and history.
- y5 and y6 – French – French is taught to the upper juniors as we move to extend children’s understanding of foreign languages through basic reading and writing alongside their spoken word skills. As we visit Paris and the Western Front in year 6 children ae given the opportunity to use their French skills properly and this helps to make sense of their learning.