Spanish

At our school, we learn Spanish

News and Events
Year 6 have been busy writing their letters to their penpals at CEIP Léon Felipe in Madrid. We look forward to hearing back from our friends when they have read our letters. In the Summer Term, we will video call them in their school so we can 'meet' our new friends!

Spanish at Burpham

At Burpham, we teach Spanish to all classes across the school (Rec - Year 6) using The Language Angels programme of study which provides an opportunity for children to learn a foreign language in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating. We believe it is important to begin the language learning journey at a young age which is why we have decided to teach Spanish across all age groups.  

Our Spanish curriculum is designed to progressively develop children’s skills in the language through regular taught lessons. Children acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary organised around topics which include: numbers, colours, animals, food and drink, the classroom and at the cafe.

It is intended that when children leave Burpham Primary School they will have a natural curiosity and confidence to explore other countries, cultures and languages, accepting that in a multi-lingual society it is a valuable skill to be able to communicate effectively with others in another language.  We strive to embed the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing necessary to enable children to use and apply their Spanish learning in a variety of contexts and lay the foundations for future language learning. 

“Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world.” ― Rumi

“Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.” National Curriculum

Intent:

Language is all around us. We experience it every day, with every human interaction. It is a vital means of communication with the world. Throughout a child’s time at Burpham Primary School, we intend that they receive a fully rounded experience of learning Spanish that enables them to:

•  develop solid foundations in key language learning skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) that will lay the foundation for future language learning
• develop linguistic competence, extend their knowledge of how language works and explore differences and similarities between the foreign language and English
• apply their Spanish learning in a variety of contexts
• develop an awareness of the multi-cultural society in which we live and give children an insight into their own culture and those of others.
• gain a natural curiosity and confidence to explore other countries, cultures and languages, accepting that, in a multi-lingual society, it is a valuable skill to be able to communicate effectively with others in another language

Our goal is for all children to be passionate, curious and confident about their own foreign language learning abilities when they finish the primary school phase of their education.

Implementation:

• All children from Reception to Year 6 have a weekly Spanish lesson
• We follow the Language Angels programme of study which progressively builds on the children’s knowledge as they move through the school
• Each year, we review the units being taught as children grow in confidence and ability in their Spanish learning
• Children are taught the key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing
• Children are taught phonics to support the skills of reading and speaking
• Sound files demonstrating correct pronunciation are embedded in the lessons so all children hear pronunciation from a native speaker
• Grammar rules and patterns will be taught by level of challenge:
• Early Learning units start with nouns and articles and 1st person singular of high frequency verbs
• Intermediate units move on to the use of the possessive, the concept of adjectives, use of the negative form, conjunctions/connectives and introduce the concept of whole regular verb conjugation
• Progressive units end with opinions and introduce the concept of whole high frequency irregular verb conjugation
• Year 6 children take part in a pen pal exchange with children at a school in Madrid; at the end of the year, Year 6 children also take part in a Zoom conversation with their pen pals
• Spanish vocabulary is displayed in each classroom to support the teaching of each unit

Impact:

• Children enjoy learning a foreign language and opt to continue learning the language at secondary school
• Children are confident to ‘have a go’ in Spanish and share their learning with others
• Children are able to use the four key skills in Spanish to hold conversations and create short pieces of writing

Supporting your child with Spanish

You don't have to be fluent to help your child with Spanish at home! There are many ways that you can instill a love of other languages and cultures.

You could:

• watch films or TV programmes in Spanish or about Spanish or South American culture (Coco!)
• listen to music in Spanish - find a playlist on a music streaming service and just press play
• cook and eat some typical Spanish or South American food
• watch Spanish or South American football matches with commentary in Spanish
• play games on Language Angels, the website that we use to teach Spanish in school: Home (languageangels.com)
• sign up to DuoLingo or another language learning app to learn alongside your child: Duolingo - The world's best way to learn a language 

The possibilities are endless! ¡Esperamos que disfruten su aventura Española!

Useful links

Home (languageangels.com)

Duolingo - The world's best way to learn a language

Spanish - BBC Bitesize

Learning Spanish – Videos for Kids and Children | Rockalingua A site with some videos and free songs for your child to listen and sing along to.

20 best Spanish foods in Latin America and Spain • Spanish4Kiddos Some inspiration for those Spanish and Latin American cooking sessions!