Languages are for life. 

The study of a modern foreign language is seen as an important part of our children’s education as languages are part of the cultural richness of our society and the world in which we live and work. Learning languages contributes to mutual understanding, a sense of global citizenship and personal fulfilment. Children learn to appreciate different countries, cultures, communities and people. The ability to understand and communicate in another language is a lifelong skill for education, employment and leisure in this country and throughout the world. 

We therefore teach French as our main language in Key Stage 2 and learning Japanese is one of our Claygate Charter enrichment blocks for Y1-Y6. Through these opportunities our children will develop an awareness of cultural differences with an appreciation of, and a tolerance for, diversity within our society 

At Claygate, the French curriculum has been designed with the aim to provide children with the basic vocabulary to converse confidently in French on a range of topics relevant to their age and interests so that they can understand and be understood by French people.  
 
We believe that the best way to get children involved in learning a language is to make it fun, and to cater for different learning styles. The majority of each lesson is speaking and listening based - a variety of games and songs are used to make the lessons interactive and to help the children learn the vocabulary or concepts concerned - with reading and writing activities generally in the last third of the lesson to practise and consolidate new vocabulary. 
 
We use a software package called ‘Rigolo’, which includes cartoon and video presentations and a native French speaker to introduce new vocabulary. In addition to this, a range of other resources are used to complement and enrich the National Curriculum approved scheme of work that Rigolo provides.