A guide to
Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language
Introduction
Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language learners develop a curiosity about languages and cultures and enjoy learning and using languages. Learners will communicate effectively through the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking and develop awareness of language learning.
Our Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language is a generic framework for teaching foreign languages. You can teach any foreign language using the Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language framework, except for English. This is because the Cambridge Primary programme is designed to be delivered in English and therefore higher CEFR English levels are needed. Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language is aligned to pre-A1 to A1 CEFR levels.
Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language learners:
- develop a curiosity about languages and cultures and how these shape their perceptions of the world
- recognise similarities and differences between languages
- enjoy learning and using languages
- communicate effectively through the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening
- develop awareness of the nature of language and language learning
- develop a solid foundation in the skills required for continued study of a foreign language.
Teaching Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language
We provide a wide range of practical resources, detailed guidance, innovative training and professional development so that you can give your learners the best possible experience of Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language.
We believe that for teaching and learning to be effective, there should be alignment between curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. We have designed Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language around this principle:
Curriculum – taken from Primary Modern Foreign Language Curriculum Framework
5Ld.01 Understand short, simple, everyday instructions, accompanied by visuals and gestures, if the speech they hear is slow and clear.
Pedagogy – An activity from the Stage 5 lesson plan
Begin with a 'Simon says' game, to introduce the focus on understanding instructions which will be developed in the later activity.
The game is played by one person giving instructions, e.g. Point to your nose, Point to your ears, Raise your hand. The rule is that learners only follow the instruction when the speaker first says Simon says, e.g. Simon says, "Point to your nose". If they hear Point to your nose, they should not do the action.
If the classroom is spacious, ask learners to stand up during this activity and include instructions for legs, feet, knees, etc. Be sensitive to which body part you mention, knowing cultural context of learners and the mix of genders in the class.
Model the game, using gestures if necessary, with two or three more confident learners first, then play wit the whole class. Use hand gestures to demonstrate the meaning of the vocabulary and support learners' understanding of the instruction.
Assessment
Learners follow the instructions they hear. If needed, the instructions can be accompanied by gestures to aid the meaning of some vocabulary.
Curriculum Framework
The Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language Curriculum Framework is available to download on the Modern Foreign Language (0064) page of the Cambridge Primary support site. It provides a comprehensive set of learning objectives that give a structure for teaching and learning and can be used to assess learners' attainment and skills development.
The alignment of Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary Modern Foreign Language to the CEFR is illustrated below. Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary Modern Foreign Language programmes provide a solid foundation for the further study of a foreign language at Cambridge IGCSE™ or O Level and beyond:
We have divided the learning objectives into seven main areas called ‘strands’, most of which run through every primary stage:
These seven strands and their respective learning objectives work together to support the development of knowledge, skills and understanding. The Grammar and Vocabulary strands provide learners with the linguistic features they need to engage with the language receptively (Listening and Reading) and productively (Speaking and Writing). The Cultural Understanding strand develops learners’ empathy and understanding for people from other cultures and their cultural norms.
Each strand is further subdivided into ‘sub-strands’.
Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language includes strands on cultural understanding, vocabulary and grammar. By understanding the cultural context of a language, learners can better develop empathy for and understanding of people from other cultures. Studying grammar and vocabulary is essential for your learners when learning a foreign language because it allows them to understand the structure of a language and the meaning of words. Grammar helps learners understand how sentences are constructed, while vocabulary provides the words they need to communicate. Together they form the foundation for understanding and using language effectively.
Our primary programme is part of the Cambridge Pathway. This pathway leads seamlessly from primary to secondary and pre-university years. Each step of the pathway builds on the learners’ development from the previous one or from other educational systems. This curriculum framework is typically for learners aged 8 to 11, but it may be appropriate to use it for slightly different ages to suit your context.
You can download more information on progression from the Cambridge Primary support site.
Find information from the lesson plan
Find information from the lesson plan
In the Progression Grid, identify the stage that you will be teaching, and the prior knowledge that learners are expected to have. It is important to ensure that this prior knowledge is secure before moving on to new skills and knowledge.
Below is an example taken from the Progression Grid showing how knowledge, understanding and skills progress across the stages:
| Learning objective examples | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strand | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6 | |||
| Reading | 4Rm.01 Recognise everyday, familiar words and phrases, accompanied by visuals. | 5Rm.01 Understand everyday, familiar words and phrases, without visuals. | 6Rm.01 Understand the main information in a short, simple text, accompanied by visuals. | |||
| Writing | 4Wc.01 Write isolated words. | 5Wc.01 Write isolated words and short phrases, with the use of a dictionary. | 6Wc.01 Write simple phrases and sentences, with the use of a dictionary. | |||
| Speaking | 4Sc.01 Use short, isolated, rehearsed words, using gestures. | 5Sc.01 Use short, isolated, rehearsed words and phrases, using gestures. | 6Sc.01 Use phrases, pausing to search for expressions and to repair communication. | |||
| Listening | 4Lm.01 Recognise everyday, familiar words and phrases, accompanied by visuals and gestures, if the speech they hear is slow and clear. | 5Lm.01 Understand short, simple, personal questions and statements, accompanied by visuals and gestures, if the speech they hear is slow and clear. | 6Lm.01 Understand short, simple, general questions and statements, if the speech they hear is slow and clear. | |||
Pedagogy
The Curriculum Framework gives you a list of objectives for each stage. Our support materials then give you guidance on:
- the order in which to teach the objectives
- ways of grouping them
- how to differentiate to make the work more or less demanding
- how to integrate effective teaching approaches into activities
- how to formatively and summatively assess learners.
Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language is a generic framework for teaching foreign languages. You can adapt and supplement this generic curriculum with materials and activities to teach a specific foreign language. You can incorporate authentic materials in the target language, as well as information and activities that help learners understand and appreciate the culture associated with the language. The structure of the Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language Curriculum Framework is designed to support effective teaching of any foreign language within and across the primary stages.
Our support materials, which are designed to help you implement this approach, include:
- Progression grids
- Example lesson plans and play-based activities
- Teacher Guide
- School Leaders' Guide
- Assessment Guidance
- Suggested resources
- Online training
Find and access these support materials, on the Modern Foreign Language (0064) page of the Cambridge Primary support site.
You can find more general information about these support materials on the About Cambridge Primary page of the Cambridge Primary support site.
An integrated approach
It is expected that teachers will adopt an integrated approach to planning and teaching Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language. Each lesson needs to provide opportunities to practise all four skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing), as well as a learning objective from the Cultural Understanding strand, where possible. This integrated approach should be implemented from the start of Stage 4. For example, in a simple note or text message, learners recognise everyday, familiar words (Reading), write their name, address and nationality (Writing), greet people (Speaking and Listening), use isolated words (Vocabulary), and they may also notice the difference in alphabet between the languages (Cultural Understanding).
At a cross-curricular level, the integrated approach to learning can link content and language by following CLIL methodology. CLIL involves learning another subject (e.g. science or mathematics) through a language, and learning a foreign language through studying other subjects. For example, at Stage 5, learners can understand numbers, prices and dates (mathematics topics) (5Vl.01).
Language learning is meaningful when it is presented and practised in context. Use contexts that are relevant and interesting to engage learners in their learning and show how the language may be used outside the classroom. If you ask learners to look at a selection of items (online or in a catalogue) and discuss which one they want to buy and why, you will give them practice that is relevant to them, has a clear purpose and encourages them to interact naturally.
Integrating learning
Integrating learning
To further your understanding, look at the Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language Curriculum Framework and identify the matching learning objective links between the Listening and Reading strands.
Find information from the lesson plan
Find information from the lesson plan
Look in the Stage 4 Lesson plan. Find the activity that shows an approach to teaching the following learning objectives:
- 4Wc.01 Write isolated words.
- 4Rm.01 Recognise everyday, familiar words and phrases, accompanied by visuals.
- 4Sc.03 Reproduce correctly a limited range of sounds in simple, familiar words.
Each lesson needs to provide opportunities to practise all four skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing), as well as a learning objective from the Cultural Understanding strand, where possible.
Now choose a Speaking learning objective from the stage you will be teaching. Open the lesson plan for that stage. Find an example activity that integrates that learning objective with Reading and Writing objectives.
For more information on the approaches to teaching and learning in Cambridge Primary Modern Foreign Language, refer to Section 5 of the Teacher Guide.
Assessment
There is no Cambridge Primary Progression Test or Checkpoint for Cambridge Modern Foreign Language. However, assessment is skill important for foreign language learning and teaching as it provides feedback to both learners and teachers on progress and language learning achievements. Assessments allow teachers to monitor learners’ language skill development and identify areas that need improvement. We provide guidance about how learners can be assessed in our Assessment guidance.
Assessment guidance
Assessment guidance provides support and advice on how to assess learners in the classroom, including:
- example activities that can be used for assessing
- approaches to recording achievement and giving feedback to learners
- different approaches to reporting results.
Find the Assessment guidance on the Modern Foreign Language (0064) page of the Cambridge Primary support site.
You can find more general information about Assessment guidance on the About Cambridge Primary page of the Cambridge Primary support site.
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