Emerging from the Ensemble languages project

KS2 Languages Progression and Assessment

Contents

• Introduction
• The progression framework for KS2 languages
• Assessment opportunities as a normal part of teaching and learning languages
• Effective feedback

• Year 3 Languages Progression Overview

• Year 3 Assessment opportunities
• Year 4 Languages Progression Overview
• Year 4 Assessment opportunities
• Year 5 Languages Progression Overview
• Year 5 Assessment opportunities
• Year 6 Languages Progression Overview
• Year 6 Assessment opportunities

• Appendix A - KS2 Languages National Curriculum Strands

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Introduction

In the summer of 2014, led by the Leicester Teaching School (LeTS), six teaching schools submitted
a successful bid to the Department of Education for funding to help develop languages provision for
the new national curriculum, which establishes foreign languages as a compulsory part of the
primary curriculum. The project has helped to support teachers with the elements of the new
curriculum that may be more challenging. Outcomes have included a wide range of resources and
case studies of good practice, which are free to use on this website http://www.ensemble-
mfl.co.uk

One of the outcomes of this project was the creation of a framework for progression in National
Curriculum Key Stage 2 languages, and guidance on assessment. This guidance was produced in
collaboration with primary language practitioners and class teachers, to provide a framework for
progression in National Curriculum Key Stage 2 languages. The ALL Primary Steering Group believe
this guidance will be very helpful for practising teachers. To make the document as accessible as
possible for busy teachers, the Steering Group has made some changes to layout and added
additional clarification to some of the statements and activities.

The progression framework shows how children can make progress in their language skills,
knowledge and understanding. The skills section includes all aspects of the new National Curriculum
programmes of study and, where required, amplifies that description so that it is appropriate to age-
related expectations for each year group; this may consequently raise some challenges in later year
groups, especially in Y6 in schools where teaching time is limited.

Appendix A provides a breakdown of the programme of study to show how the progression
framework supports coverage across the key stage. The assessment guidance provides example
assessment opportunities, ideas for carrying out assessment in the classroom and for giving effective
feedback to children.

The main aims of the guidance are to support teachers

• in planning activities which build on children’s previous learning, with an appropriate level of
challenge, and
• in identifying assessment opportunities in the classroom in order to confirm that children are
identifying achieving the expectations for their year group.
End of year expectations are outlined in order to report to others, including parents, other teachers
and governors.

In summary, the framework can be used for:

• Curriculum planning
• Auditing current planning, practice and resources
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Formative assessment
• Reporting attainment

The Year Group Overviews and introductory text have been adapted from 'Ensemble Language
Progression and Assessment’ materials. http://www.ensemble-mfl.co.uk

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The progression framework for KS2 languages

For each year group in Key Stage 2 there is a progression overview, which includes:

• Skills and knowledge - this expands what is in the KS2 programme of study in order to identify
expectations for each year group and to support teaching and learning. It identifies what
children should cover in terms of listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as phonology
and grammar.

• Example contexts and language - this shows how the skills can be developed in different
contexts with examples of language learning activities. The example contexts and language
are based on the revised schemes of work produced for the new KS2 national curriculum;
however they can be mapped to any scheme of work and support teachers in planning for
what suits their children’s needs.

• Arriving in year… able to - this describes the likely achievement of children in each year group
and supports reporting as well as transition from year to year. It helps teachers identify what
children can do at the end of each year and to assess whether their pupils are in line with
these expectations, exceeding them or below. It also helps to identify gaps when planning for
the next stage.

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Assessment opportunities as a normal part of teaching and learning languages

The assessment opportunities suggested for each year group outline activities that can take place in
the classroom as part of everyday teaching and learning. They match the progression framework and
can be used either as they are, or as models for teachers to create their own activities, or they can
be adapted to meet the needs of children or schemes of work.
There is no need always to assess children individually. Activities can be used for assessing the whole
class or a targeted group of pupils, as well as individual children. Through such activities, teachers
can observe whether most children are successful, whether some are exceeding expectations and
whether some may be struggling. The activities can provide evidence of achievement, which can be:
• easily recorded
• used to provide information for completing reports to parents
• passed on to the next teacher
• used to provide information to secondary schools at the end of year 6.

Assessment for learning (AfL)

Through observation of children working in pairs and groups, reviewing children’s work in exercise
books or on display, and through individual activities, teachers can assess children across the skills.

Assessment in the classroom should support children to:

• know where they are in their learning at any given time;
• understand the criteria for success;
• understand and agree next steps; and
• understand how to get there.

To support this, language teachers can also use AfL strategies you use in other areas of the
curriculum, such as:
• peer- and self-assessment
• two stars and a wish
• thumbs up, thumbs down
• traffic lighting
• mini-whiteboard activities
• no hands up
• target setting
These strategies can help to check understanding of structures or target language instructions as well
as new language. They can also be used to check for misunderstanding or misconceptions.

Using the ‘Arriving in year… able to’ statements to support assessment

Useful assessment information must be manageable, reliable and meaningful for teachers and
children, and provide a shared language for discussing progress and improvement.
There is no expectation that all children will achieve all the statements in the Arriving in year… able
to column and children may achieve them to different degrees, e.g. with less confidence, better in
some skills than others, in a smaller range of language etc.
You can use the statements to develop success criteria, as well as for reporting or noting
achievement. They can be used to describe whole class achievement as in Most children can … Some
children have achieved less well and can…. Some children have exceeded expectations and can…. They
can also be used to describe individual pupil achievement if appropriate.

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Effective feedback

A lot of assessment is carried out during teaching and learning time. Most is formative and is used
to support teaching and learning and to inform future planning. In lessons the teacher uses AfL
strategies to observe and record pupil progress and areas for development, to identify children
doing well in language learning and those requiring extra support, and to plan future differentiated
learning tasks. AfL is also used to inform children of how they are doing and how to improve.

Assessment methods include self- and peer-assessment as well as teacher assessment. Children can
also mark their own work and so understand and apply the success criteria for themselves. Certain
pieces of work are well suited to this, and the strategy can be adopted where appropriate.

To support this:

Share your Learning objectives with the children at the start of the lesson. An example of a learning
objective might be:

• To learn about the Epiphany and to describe a crown.

Make the success criteria for a task explicit. They might be:

• identifying accurately the number of times a phoneme/word occurs in a short rhyme or

song
• using knowledge of phonemes (or sound spelling system) to pronounce unfamiliar words
• using a conjunction to create a longer sentence in spoken or written work
• identifying familiar adjectives in a short written text
• using correct word order

Giving feedback

Make feedback for all skills positive and encouraging, in order to foster confidence and enjoyment
in using and understanding the target language. Include praise and targets for improvement.

Aspects of children’s written and spoken work you might praise include:

• Achievements relevant to a child’s ability

• Following instructions in the target language
• Attempting to speak/communicate in the target language
• Showing resilience when completing a task
• Creativity
• Good listening and responding
• Attempts to manipulate language learned to say something different
• Use of a dictionary to enhance work e.g. using new adjectives
• Achievement against the given success criteria and learning objectives. (These should be
shared explicitly with the children.)

Feedback in writing

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Make marking constructive and motivational, and recognise children’s efforts: good feedback
includes an acknowledgement of what the child has done well, a target based on something that
the child has not yet grasped, or is having difficulty with, and a challenge to take them to the next
step.

You might choose to provide a focused prompt to help the child to close the gap between what
they have achieved and what they might achieve next. Prompts might be:

• An example

- Can you use a conjunction to make a longer sentence?

- Can you add more detail by including other adjectives?

• A scaffold

- What is … in (French)?

• A reminder

- What other colours could you include?

• A choice

- Can you choose another word for…?

Ask children to act on these targets when their books are returned to them, to show that they have
read and understood them.

Reports

All Key Stage 2 annual reports include information regarding progress in Languages. You can use
exercise books to provide evidence of feedback and progress over the Key Stage, by making them
available for parents/carers to see. You can also use observations of children’s achievement in
other skills to describe and provide evidence of what children can do that is not written work.

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 Year 3 Languages Progression Overview
Skills and knowledge Example contexts and language Arriving in Year 4 able to…
Listening Listening Listening
Listen and respond to familiar spoken • Use a gesture, hold up a picture to • Enjoy listening to songs, poems and stories.
words and phrases identify specific words when listening to • Listen carefully and identify familiar words in songs, poems and
songs, poems, simple stories. simple stories.
• Recognise numbers 1-20 and begin to • Recognise, with confidence, numbers to 20 and know own
understand numbers from 20 – 31. birthday date e.g. 22 April
• Understand and respond to simple • Follow simple classroom instructions.
classroom instructions e.g. Hands up,
listen carefully, show me, close your eyes,
do an action.

Speaking Speaking Speaking

Communicate with others using simple • Use simple greetings e.g. saying hello • Take risks when practising new language and understand that
words, phrases and short sentences and goodbye, saying how you are and making accurate sounds in another language means they will
asking others how they are. have to make different mouth movements.
Explore the patterns and sounds of • Ask and answer simple questions about • Pronounce very familiar language with good pronunciation and
language to help develop accurate self e.g. name and age, birthday intonation.
pronunciation and intonation • Express simple likes and dislikes e.g. food • Ask and answer questions on a limited range of topics such as
and drink. age, where they live, and the date of their birthday, which they
have practised regularly.
• Express likes and begin to express dislikes.

Reading Reading Reading

Recognise and understand some • Read and understand familiar nouns e.g. • Identify familiar words in a short text e.g. a short verse of a
familiar written words and phrases parts of the body, animals, and simple poem, two or three sentences taken from a familiar story or
adjectives e.g. size, colour and a few high song, and give their meaning in English.
Show awareness of sound-spelling links frequency verbs e.g. I like, I play. • Read aloud, as a class or group, a chorus or refrain from a
• Read aloud familiar words and phrases familiar text displayed on the board.
from stories, songs and rhymes with • Read aloud and understand a simple conversation with a
reasonable accuracy. partner that uses familiar language.

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 Writing Writing Writing
Write some familiar simple words using • Write one or two simple sentences, using • Complete a simple gapped text by adding three or four familiar
a model and some from memory a model e.g. name and age to introduce words.
themselves. Label an animal they have • Write two or three sentences on a familiar topic using a writing
drawn or made from playdough – e.g. a frame and word bank
black cat. • Begin to write a few familiar words from memory and know
• Complete a simple gapped text such as a that all attempts will be valued
party invitation or passport.

Grammar Grammar Grammar

Understand some basic grammar • Match the correct definite/indefinite to a • Notice (where relevant) that the definite/indefinite article
appropriate to the language being series of familiar nouns (e.g. fruits and changes according to gender of noun.
studied: vegetables) with increasing accuracy. • Notice differences in word order
• gender – masculine, feminine – • Use picture cards to build phrases to • Begin to understand how to form the negative.
nouns (singular) show position of a few adjectives of
• word order of adjectives colour e.g. a red dog, a yellow cat.
• how to form the negative • Begin to understand how the negative is
formed in the new language e.g. make a
human sentence for I don’t like
chocolate.

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 Year 3 assessment opportunities
Listening:
• Throughout the year, play the game Show Me as a whole class activity and give each child a set of digit cards. Call out a selection of numbers in random
order from 1 - 5, 1 - 10, 11 – 20 and finally 1 – 20. Children show understanding by holding the correct number in the air.
• Play Simon Says as a whole class activity using instructions such as: sit down, stand up, put your hand up.
• Ask children to give an action or hold up a picture when they hear a specific word in a familiar song, rhyme or simple story.
Speaking
• Play some music and ask children to walk around the room. When the music stops, they find a partner. They greet their partner, introduce themselves
and ask how their partner is.
• In pairs, children practise questions and answers to find out e.g. the name, age and birthday of their partner and perform their conversation to the whole
class. Look for correct pronunciation. Another child or adult could record the presentation.
• Children work in pairs. Display up to six familiar items of food on the board. Children take it in turns to ask their partner e.g. Do you like milk? The partner
replies I like milk/I don’t like milk.
Reading:
• Working with a group of up to 10 children, give each child a selection of no more than six text cards for e.g. food. Hold up a picture card for an item of
food and children show you the correct word.
• Give each child a simple description of e.g. a snowman. Ask children to underline the parts of the body in one colour and clothing in another
• Display extracts from a familiar song, story or poem. Divide the class into groups. Each group takes it in turn to chorus part of a familiar song, story or
poem.
• Give pairs of children cut-up strips of paper with familiar written language e.g. Hello, How are you? What’s your name? Goodbye. Ask each pair to order
the strips correctly to make a simple conversation and read it aloud to each other. Some children may like to read their conversation to the class. Look for
correct pronunciation.
Writing:
• Children create a simple party invitation using a writing frame.
• Children draw a portrait of themselves. They write a simple description using a model and word bank e.g. My name is …. I am 7 years old. I live in
Manchester. Encourage children to write familiar words e.g. numbers from memory.
Grammar:
• Children make a model of an animal using playdough or clay. They write a simple description using a model and word bank, selecting correct indefinite
article and placing adjective of colour after the noun e.g. Here is a dog. He is red.
• Using word cards, children build a simple sentence to show some understanding of the negative.

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 Year 4 Languages Progression Overview
Skills and knowledge Example contexts and language Arriving in Year 5 able to…
Listening Listening Listening
Listen for specific phonemes, • Pick out phonemes, words and phrases in • Continue to enjoy listening to songs, rhymes and stories.
words and phrases songs, stories and rhymes. • Identify specific phonemes, words and phrases.
• Understand higher numbers including • Recognise numbers 1 – 31 and multiples of 10 up to one
multiples of 10 e.g. in prices, dates, numeracy hundred and use this knowledge to work out age appropriate
activities, telling the time. calculations.
• Listen to up to three simple sentences using • Listen to a short text using familiar vocabulary and answer
familiar vocabulary and answer questions and simple questions in English.
English e.g. How old is Nicole? • Respond to a wide range of classroom instructions.
• Respond to a wider range of classroom
instructions e.g. Open the window/door, you
are going to work in groups, I’d like 2
volunteers, put your hand up when you hear
the sound ……

Speaking Speaking Speaking

Communicate by asking and • Use a wider range of familiar nouns and • Join in speaking activities willingly and confidently.
answering a wider range of adjectives to talk about themselves, animals, • Recall simple vocabulary such as colours, parts of the body,
questions and presenting short story characters e.g. I have brown eyes. I have animals and, with practice and support, begin to use this
pieces of information two sisters and I like dancing. vocabulary to build sentences, e.g. I have brown eyes,
• Ask and answer questions using a wider range • Begin to use simple conjunctions e.g. I have brown eyes and black
Explore the patterns and sounds of question forms e.g. the time, the date, food, hair
of language to help develop hobbies and to seek help in the classroom e.g. • Use the negative to give answers to simple questions about
accurate pronunciation and Can you say that again please. I don’t likes/dislikes e.g. I don’t like …. Can also use a wider range of
intonation understand. verbs to express opinion such as love, hate, adore, detest.
• Express preference about what they like e.g. • Ask and answer questions in 1st, 2nd, 3rd person singular.
food, animals, colours • Begin to use pronouns
• Recite a few lines from a story, poem or song with good
pronunciation
• Give a short presentation in a small group or with a partner e.g. a
brief weather report, presentation about themselves, families,
and hobbies.

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 Reading Reading Reading
Read and understand familiar • Understand key points in simple texts using • Understand a short text using familiar language and be able to
written words, phrases and short familiar language e.g. How many animals are in extract information to give simple answers in French and more
texts made of simple sentences the story? What colour is the dog? What is the complex answers in English.
weather like in Paris? • Follow a text displayed in the classroom at the same as listening
Read a wider range of words, • Follow a text such as a song or poem whilst to it.
phrases and sentences aloud listening to it at the same time • Read familiar words, phrases and short sentences aloud with
• Link phrases to make a sentence e.g. When it good pronunciation and begin to apply phonic knowledge when
Follow text while listening and rains, you need an umbrella. meeting new words. Understand that symbols such as accents,
reading at the same time. • Use strategies to work out meaning of new cedillas and umlauts exist in the foreign language and that these
words. affect the pronunciation of words.
Apply phonic knowledge to • Begin to use a bilingual dictionary to check the meaning of new
support reading and read words, words
phrases and sentences aloud
with increasingly accurate
pronunciation.

Writing Writing Writing

Write a short text using a model • Write a few simple sentences using a word • Write a few sentences using words banks and writing frames for
Write a few simple sentences bank to describe for example a sports star e.g. support.
from memory …….. lives in London. She is 22 years old. She • Begin to use pronouns.
Apply phonic knowledge to likes dancing. • Write two to three simple sentences from memory and know
support writing • Experiment with writing new words how to apply strategies to help them with memorisation.
• Show willingness to have a go at writing new words using phonic
knowledge

Grammar Grammar Grammar

Understand some basic grammar • Match correctly definite/indefinite article to • Understand that the definite article/indefinite article changes
appropriate to the language singular and plural familiar nouns according to the gender of noun and whether it is singular or
being studied: • Place familiar adjectives e.g. size and colour in plural.
• gender – masculine, correct order. • Place high frequency adjectives e.g. colour and size in the correct
feminine neuter – nouns • Select the correct colour adjective to describe order and see that endings can change according to gender of the
(singular and plural); masculine and feminine nouns nouns they describe.
adjectives, pronouns • Show an understanding of 1st, 2nd and 3rd • Form the negative to give answers to simple questions about
• verbs - 1st, 2nd 3rd persons person in present tense singular e.g. ask and likes/dislikes e.g. I don’t like …. with increasing accuracy.
in questions and answers answer questions Do you like cheese? Yes I like • Ask and answer questions in 1st, 2nd, 3rd person singular.
• how to form the negative
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 cheese. Does he like swimming? Yes he likes • Begin to use pronouns
swimming.
• Begin to use pronouns e.g. The prince is
handsome. He loves the princess.

Year 4 assessment opportunities

Listening
• Choose a poem or a song, which practises a phoneme/ word/ phrase children have learnt. Ask the children to listen to the song/poem and to keep a tally, every
time they hear the phoneme/word/phrase.
• Throughout the year, play the game Show Me as a whole class activity and give each child a set of digit cards. Call out a selection of numbers in random order
from 1 – 20, 21 – 31 and finally 1 – 31. Children show understanding by holding the correct number in the air. This activity can be adapted to show
understanding of multiples of 10 up to 100.
• Give children mental calculations to solve using digit cards and working with numbers up to 31 and multiples of 10.
• Dictate a selection of numbers for children to write down.
Speaking
• Ask children to draw their portrait and describe it to a partner e.g. I have blue eyes. I have brown hair. Alternatively children could draw an imaginary animal
and describe it. My animal has six legs. It has a big head.
• Display e.g. a selection of familiar items of food on the board or pictures to represent sports/hobbies. Working in pairs, children ask their partner e.g. Do you
like milk/cycling? Look for children who reply using a wider range of verbs such as adore, hate, love and who are able to use the negative correctly i.e. I don’t
like cycling. NB This activity also shows children’s knowledge of grammar.
• In pairs or small groups, and with the support of props/picture cards, prepare and present a short weather report to include day, date, month and weather.
Reading
• Play ‘Pass the Word Parcel’. Put cards showing familiar words and short phrases from recent work into a bag. Children pass the bag around. When the music
stops, the child holding the bag takes out one card and reads it aloud. For additional challenge, ask children to perform an action to show understanding.
• Distribute phrases or sentences from a familiar story, cut into strips. Re-read the story and, when children hear their phrase or sentence they wave it in the air.
• Give children an extract from a song, story or poem, which practises a phoneme/grapheme children have learnt. Read the extract aloud and ask children to
circle the grapheme (corresponding to the selected phoneme) each time they can hear it.
• Give children a short text e.g. email, simple weather report, description of an animal and ask children to extract simple information.
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 Writing
• In pairs or small groups, ask children to design a poster to show what they have been learning in a recent series of lessons. They use a word bank to support
writing but write some words and phrases from memory.
• Children create a minibook with illustrations using familiar language about their family, hobbies, favourite foods.
Knowledge of Grammar
• Children work in groups. Give each group a large foam dice labelled with a selection of definite/indefinite article (singular and plural) and picture cards of
nouns from current area of learning. Children throw the dice and match e.g. feminine article with correct noun.
• In pairs, children order word cards to make a sentence, which includes an adjective. Repeat the above activity but include colour adjectives in their masculine
and feminine form.
• In groups, children make a Human Sentence to show understanding of how to form the negative.

Year 5 Languages Progression Overview

Skills Example contexts and language Arriving in Year 6 able to…
Listening Listening Listening
Listen attentively and understand • Identify key points in a new • Have the confidence to listen to longer texts that contain familiar and
more complex phrases and context e.g. a story, which unfamiliar language and pick out some key points
sentences contains familiar language • Identify specific sounds in familiar and unfamiliar words.
• Understand higher numbers e.g. • Identify numbers confidently to 50 and beginning to become familiar with
in prices, numeracy activities numbers to 100
• Follow instructions and directions • Enjoy the challenge of meeting unfamiliar language
e.g. a recipe or simple directions
• Recognise letters of the alphabet
when they hear them

Speaking Speaking
Speaking
Take part in short conversations • Seek help and clarification e.g. I • Use spontaneously, a limited range of phrases and sentences to seek
using familiar structures and don’t understand, can you repeat clarification and help.
vocabulary that, how is that written?
• Pronounce and use the alphabet with increasing accuracy.
Use simple conjunctions to build • Give simple instructions and
• Use simple conjunctions so that they can create more complex sentences.
more complex sentences and directions e.g. a recipe, directions
• Have the vocabulary to give the opinions they want to express.
present information to others to a place, the route to school
• Begin to understand and use future tense in spoken language.
Understand and express more • Begin to understand and express
• Perform a role-play, recite a short poem with confidence and with accurate
future intentions e.g. I am going
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 complex opinions swimming on Wednesday pronunciation, using appropriate tone and intonation.
Explore the patterns and sounds of • Take part in conversations • Give constructive feedback to classmates.
language to help develop accurate expressing likes, dislikes and
pronunciation and intonation preferences e.g. I like water but I
prefer milk

Reading Reading Reading

Read a variety of short simple texts • Practise reading aloud a poem to • Work well with a partner to work out a short text containing familiar and
in different formats and in different perform in assembly. unfamiliar language.
contexts • Read a variety of short simple • Enjoy the challenge of working out the meaning of unfamiliar language.
Focus on correct pronunciation and texts e.g. stories, poems, texts • Read familiar words, phrases and short sentences aloud confidently and
intonation, using tone of voice and from the Internet, non-fiction with accurate pronunciation and good intonation.
gesture to convey meaning when texts, emails from a partner • Apply phonic knowledge when meeting new words.
reading aloud school that contain familiar and
new vocabulary

Writing Writing
Writing • Write three or four sentences • Write three or four sentences using word/phrase bank.
Write simple sentences and short using a word/phrase bank linked • Write more interesting sentences by adding one or two simple conjunctions
texts using a model to a recent area of learning such • Personalise a text by changing one or two elements
Use a dictionary to check the spelling as a meal, a scene, the weather, a • Use a bilingual dictionary and word banks to check spelling
of words. planet. • Attempt to write two or three sentences from memory using familiar
• Use simple conjunctions such as language.
and, but, because to form more
complex sentences.
• Change elements in a given text
e.g. ingredients, colour and size of
a planet

Grammar Grammar
Grammar • Begin to know how to form the • Explain confidently the word order for familiar adjectives
Understand some basic grammar future tense e.g. I am going • Adapt endings to familiar adjectives with increasing accuracy
appropriate to the language being swimming on Wednesday; • Start to apply correct endings to a few possessive articles
studied: tomorrow it is going to rain. • Create simple sentences about the future.
• gender – masculine, • Begin to see how possessive
feminine, neuter – • Have some understanding of the term ‘conjugation’ and what it means
articles e.g. my, his, her change when looking at familiar verbs in the present tense
according to gender e.g. Jane is
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 adjectives, possessive my sister. • Explain with confidence how to form the negative in simple sentences
pronouns • Understand the word order of
• verbs – how to form the familiar adjectives and apply
future tense, conjugation of correct endings, singular and
present tense verbs plural, with increasing accuracy
• Be introduced to the concept of
conjugation of verbs in the new
language - the present tense of
commonly used verbs e.g. to be,
to have, to eat, to play, to go

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Year 5 assessment opportunities
Listening
• The teacher reads or plays a recording of a text containing familiar and some unfamiliar vocabulary e.g. a description of a person, place or event. Children
show understanding by: selecting picture or text cards and putting them in the correct order; drawing a sketch to show the information they hear; answering
questions in English and French.
• Repeat the above activity but this time children listen for a specific phonemes. (Children could keep a tally of number of times they hear the phoneme).
• Dictate a selection of numbers for children to write down which could include telephone numbers.
Speaking
• Give pairs of children photos, flashcards or real items linked to a recent area of learning. They take it in turns to select one of the above and give some basic
information including an opinion. Look for correct use of the negative and encourage children to use as wide a range as possible of verbs e.g. I love, I detest.
• Encourage children to use phrases to seek clarification and help e.g. Can you repeat that? I’m sorry I don’t understand? How is that written in
French/German/Spanish? during language lessons.
• Children take part in a brief interview asking and answering up to six familiar questions. They extend their range of conjunctions to include e.g. because and try
to include elements of the future tense.
• Revise previously learnt conversational language. Children work in pairs to develop their own conversations. Puppets can be used to create new characters to
give opportunities to include a wider range of questions and answers. Other members of the class use ‘2 stars and a wish’ approach to give feedback on
performance
• Working in pairs, children practise and perform a poem to the class.
• Working with a partner, children take it in turns to choose a familiar word for the other partner to spell aloud. The word is written down according to the
partner’s spelling, and then both children check the word in a bilingual dictionary.
Reading
• Children work in pairs on a text of 80 – 100 words. For example, an email from their partner school. They summarise its meaning in English orally or in writing.
• Give each child a text of 80 – 100 words, which describes e.g. an animal, person or place. Children complete a fact file in English, recording key information.
Writing
• Display a familiar text on the board. Children work in pairs to create new sentences, substituting alternatives for selected words.
• Children prepare a booklet based on a recent area of learning such as the planets based on an example that they have discussed as a class. Encourage children
to add interest to their writing by including adjectives. Children seek support from word and phrase bank and check their spelling in a bilingual dictionary.
Grammar
• Prepare a worksheet with a few sentences which express opinions e.g. I like art, I like swimming, I like milk and ask children to rewrite the sentences so that
they express the opposite e.g. I don’t like art.
• Children work in pairs. They each have a grid to record what their partner is going to eat for lunch during the school week. They complete their grid by asking
their partner e.g. What are you going to eat on Wednesday? They listen to the reply and draw the food on their grid.
• Divide a worksheet into two columns with a limited selection of nouns (with definite/indefinite articles) in one column the same number of adjectives jumbled
up in the second column. Ask children to match the nouns with the correct adjective.

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 Year 6 Languages Progression Overview
Skills Example contexts and language Arriving in Year 7 able to…
Listening Listening Listening
Understand the main points and • Listen to longer texts NB In Y6, • Understand that some sounds and letter combinations need to be said and
simple opinions in spoken sources children should be listening to written differently from in English
e.g. story, song or passage texts read by people other than • Listen to spoken foreign language for details and gist. Identify key points
their teacher. and some detail.
Understand longer and more • Understand numbers in context • Understand the main spoken points of a short text on a known topic that
complex phrases or sentences e.g. e.g. the year, 24 hour clock, contains familiar and unfamiliar language.
descriptions, information, quantities • Follow a wide range of classroom instructions.
instructions • Be confident and open to understanding very familiar language spoken by
someone other than their teacher i.e. their new teachers in Y7

Speaking Speaking Speaking

Use spoken language to initiate and • Understand and use numbers in • Take part in a simple conversation, ask and answer questions and express
sustain simple conversations on context e.g. saying the year, 24- opinions.
familiar topics and to describe hour clock, quantities. • Retrieve numbers up to 50 with accuracy and numbers up to 100 with
incidents or tell stories from own • Understand and use transactional reasonable accuracy
experience language e.g. in a café • Use spoken language confidently to initiative and sustain a simple
Understand and begin to use the • Give a description e.g. of a town, conversation.
past tense to describe events geographical features in a • Present simple information on a familiar topic to the class.
Present to an audience e.g. role-play, country • Use peer- and self-assessment strategies to support language learning
presentation, performance, • Seek clarification of meaning How • Recite a short piece of narrative from memory with increasing confidence,
is that written in accuracy and expression.
French/German/Spanish? I don’t • Use a range of questions and statements spontaneously to seek
understand. Can you repeat clarification and help.
that? Can you speak more • Understand the term ‘conjugation’ and what it means when looking at
loudly/slowly? familiar verbs in the present tense
• Talk about the past in simple
terms e.g. I ate / drank … / drunk,
the weather
• Express and justify opinions e.g. I
like netball because it’s fun.

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 Reading Reading Reading
Read aloud from a text with good • Read in groups, simple play • Read aloud with increasing confidence, accuracy and expression and know
expression scripts, poems, their own written that symbols such as accents, cedillas and umlauts exist in the foreign
work such as geographical language, why they are used and what they do.
Read and understand the main features in a country, description • Be willing to have a go at tackling the pronunciation of new and unfamiliar
points and some detail from a short of a town words, using phonic knowledge gained throughout KS2.
written passage. • Read and understand the main • Understand key points and some detail in short written texts in familiar
points and some detail from a contexts and be able to give simple answers in French and more complex
short written passage e.g. extract answers in English.
from a story, weather report, • Understand key points in short written texts in unfamiliar contexts
poem, instructional texts, simple • Find the meaning of new words by using a bilingual dictionary.
newspaper article

Writing Writing Writing

Write sentences and construct short • Use adjectives to add interest and • Write a short text on a familiar topic using a model and adapting language
texts using a model. Write a few detail to a description already learnt to suit their own purposes. Writing reflects understanding
sentences from memory, using • Use some simple adverbs to of gender of nouns, forming the plural, word order, agreement of high
knowledge of words, text and make sentences more interesting frequency adjectives. Writing may also show some understanding of past
structure. • Make statements about what and future tense.
they read e.g. about sections in a • Use peer and self-assessment strategies to support language learning.
newspaper (weather, what’s on
TV) a story, an email
• Have some understanding of how
to use the past tense

Grammar Grammar Grammar

Understand some basic grammar • Begin to use past tense/future • Understand the importance of gender in singular and plural nouns and
appropriate to the language being tense in spoken work e.g. when check gender in a bilingual dictionary
studied: giving a weather report, when • Show some understanding of past and future tense in spoken and written
• verbs –begin to use the past describing what they had to eat work
tense, reinforce that day/what they are going to • Use high frequency adjectives with reasonable accuracy ie word order and
understanding of future eat. endings
tense • Identify tenses from a selection • Apply understanding of conjugation to two or three familiar verbs in the
• adverbs of sentences written in the present tense
present, past and future tense.

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 • gender - – masculine,
feminine, neuter -nouns and
adjectives

Year 6 assessment opportunities

Listening
• Children listen to a conversation between two people and extract information to show understanding. This could be in response to questions, a fact file to
complete, true or false statements (all in English). NB In Y6, children should be listening to texts read by people other than their teacher.
• Children listen to a new story containing familiar language and extract information to show understanding.
• Dictate quantities of ingredients for a recipe, using numbers up to 100.
• Understand a wide range of classroom instructions such as Please get into groups of 6. Find a partner to work with. Clear up your things. Can someone on
each table collect the cards/books etc.
Speaking
• Children work in small groups and plan a role-play e.g. buying food in a market, ordering drinks in a café, arriving at a new school, meeting up with friends on a
playground. Allow sufficient time for each group to practise and prepare their role-play for a performance to the class. Other class members give feedback.
• Children prepare individual presentations to describe e.g. a school day. They express opinions and use statements that make reference to the past. They film
their presentations and use self-assessment strategies to recognise progress and make suggestions for improvement.
• Children re-tell, from memory, part of a story.
• Encourage children to use a range of questions and statements in languages lessons spontaneously to seek help and clarification. For example How is that
written in French/German/Spanish? I don’t understand. Can you repeat that? Can you speak more loudly/slowly?
• Children work in pairs. They each have a grid to record what their partner has eaten at lunchtime during the school week. They complete their grid by asking
their partner e.g. What did you eat on Monday? They listen to the reply and draw the food on their grid.
Reading
• Children read aloud an extract (a paragraph of up to 6 lines) from a new story or non-fiction text containing familiar language. Children could make a recording
of their reading.
• Children re-order several sentences from an extract of a familiar story. Alternatively they match paragraphs of three to four sentences to pictures of the story.
• Children read an information leaflet about a place to visit and extract information to show understanding. This could be in response to questions, a fact file to
complete, true or false statements (all in English). Set a time limit so that children know when to answer independently and when to use a dictionary.
Writing
• Children produce a leaflet about their school, town or place to visit. This activity lends itself to group, pair or individual work and peer assessment of first draft.
• Children re-write a ‘chapter’ of a story adapting language to change eg description of character and setting.
Grammar

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• Children prepare individual presentations to describe e.g. a school day. They express opinions and use statements that make reference to the past. They film
their presentations and use self-assessment strategies to recognise progress and make suggestions for improvement.
• Provide children with a list of nouns, plural and singular, together with a list of adjectives. Children use these list to write a sentence e.g. I am wearing a blue
coat and red boots choosing an adjective from the list that matches the noun.
• Chant conjugations of two or three familiar verbs with gestures.

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KS2 Languages National Curriculum Strands Appendix A
This section divides the Languages programme of study: key stage 2 (September 2013) into the four
skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing and the underpinning strands of phonology, grammar
and intercultural understanding. It includes key aspects of the Purpose of study, Aims and Subject
content. The presentation of the national curriculum in this way links clearly to the progression
framework and supports teachers in demonstrating appropriate coverage.
Listening Speaking Reading Writing
• listen attentively to • ask and answer • read carefully and • write words and
spoken language questions show understanding phrases from memory
• listen to songs and • engage in of words • express ideas in
rhymes conversations • read carefully and writing through
• show understanding • express opinions show understanding substituting words
by responding • respond to the of phrases • adapt words and
• show understanding opinions of others • read carefully and phrases to create new
by joining in • seek clarification and show understanding sentences
• appreciate stories, help of simple writing • express ideas in
songs, poems and • speak in sentences, • appreciate poems and writing through
rhymes in the using familiar rhymes in the adapting, phrases and
language vocabulary, phrases language sentences
• appreciate songs, • present ideas and • appreciate stories, in • describe people,
poems and rhymes in information to a the language places, things and
the language range of audiences • broaden vocabulary actions
• appreciate stories in • describe people, through reading • communicate for
the language places, things and • develop the ability to practical purposes
• understand ideas, actions understand new • write at varying
facts and feelings • communicate for words that are length, for different
practical purposes introduced in familiar purposes
• speak with increasing written material • write at varying
confidence, fluency • find out the meaning length, for different
and spontaneity of new words through audiences
• communicate ideas, using a dictionary • communicate ideas,
facts and feelings • understand ideas, facts and feelings
facts and feelings

Phonology
• explore the patterns and sounds of language and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading
aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• understand and communicate using knowledge of phonology

Grammar - Use basic language structures

• understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied
• understand key features and patterns of the language
• understand (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-
frequency verbs
• know how to apply the basic grammar they have learnt, for instance, to build sentences
• know how these patterns and grammar differ from or are similar to English

Intercultural understanding
• foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world
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 • learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language
• understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
• discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied

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