“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” (Frank Smith, psycholinguist)

At Heron Hill, we believe that learning a language gives children a new perspective on the world by encouraging them to learn about and understand the culture of a different country. It helps them to develop their communication skills (in particular those of listening and speaking) and it enhances their understanding of how language works.

Our target language is German and all our children in KS2 receive a weekly lesson of 30-40 minutes which is designed to meet the attainment targets of the KS2 Languages Programme of Study. Lessons are taught through a multi-sensory approach using games, songs, rhymes and role-plays, initially focusing on speaking and listening skills then moving onto reading and writing skills as they increase their knowledge of the language. Children also have regular opportunities to learn about the culture of Germany throughout KS2.

We encourage and celebrate diversity at Heron Hill and we aim to equip our children with a love of language learning and deeper understanding of other cultures. We show children the relevance of what they are learning in languages and how learning a language will help them with communicating in life, at work and when travelling abroad.

Linguascope

We are very fortunate that our school has a subscription to the award-winning platform Linguascope which is a website offering interactive resources in a wide range of languages including German.

Organised in topic areas, the materials are presented via a host of immersive multimedia activities. The site matches curriculum requirements and covers topics encountered in lessons throughout the year.

As part of our licence, all our KS2 students can access the Linguascope website from home. The website can be used independently by students to consolidate what they have learnt in class, get a head start learning new vocabulary, or even introduce themselves to a new language.

We encourage students to log in to Linguascope as often as they like from home, spending a few minutes revising vocabulary in their spare time. Remember: Learning a language doesn’t take years - it takes minutes every day. Practising a little and often is key to rapid progress.  Have fun!

(The interactive activities are also tablet-friendly, with FREE iPad and Android apps that students can install on their mobile devices: https://www.linguascope.com/apps/)