Modern Foreign Language – Spanish

Spanish at Sandhurst

At Sandhurst, we hope to instil a curiosity and passion for learning another language. We believe that language learning provides an opening to other cultures and deepens our understanding of the world.

From years 3 – 6 pupils at Sandhurst learn to speak Spanish. The curriculum is led by Ms Beatriz Vidal, who speaks Spanish as her first language, and is a very experienced teacher, who works across the whole school. Our curriculum aims to provide children with a broad understanding of how to communicate ideas and thoughts in another language through listening, reading, speaking/singing and writing. Spanish lessons at Sandhurst are active, fun and creative

Children are introduced to the Spanish language basics such as numbers, colours, days of the week and how to introduce themselves. As their confidence grows, topics include our family, animals, weather, parts of the body, sports and food and drink. When appropriate, Spanish language learning is linked to year group themes and topics.

We use a variety of teaching techniques and strategies to encourage children to engage actively in learning Spanish: these include games, role-play, songs and rhymes (particularly action songs). We may use videos, sound recordings and songs to demonstrate the language and for the pupils to hear more than one voice speaking Spanish.

We further support Spanish learning with the use of Linguafun, an online language programme.

In Key Stage 2 all children have a timetabled 30 minute Spanish lesson every week

Spanish teaching and learning aims to ensure that children are taught to:

• listen attentively to the spoken language and show understanding by joining in/responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of the language through songs and stories
• engage in conversations, asking and answering questions and expressing opinions
• speak in sentences using familiar language, phrases and structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation
• broaden their vocabulary
• understand basic grammar
• write phrases from memory and adapt these to express their own ideas in writing

We hope, in this way, to provide our children with the enthusiasm and foundation for further language learning at secondary school and beyond.