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Guidance on implementation of the KS2 Framework for languages

Progression in the cross-cutting strands of knowledge about language (KAL) and language learning strategies (LLS)

The two cross-cutting strands are important tools for learning. They arise from and support the three core strands. When children learn a new language they reinterpret and consolidate the knowledge and understanding that they gained in learning their first language(s). They develop insights into the nature of language and its social and cultural significance. As they interact more in the new language they deepen their understanding of how language works. Teachers should encourage children to make explicit comparisons between the new language and English, and to analyse similarities and differences. Subtle aspects of the new language which learners appreciate intuitively, such as how pronunciation and intonation affect meaning, can be specifically drawn to children's attention and discussed.

In Year 3 pupils are at the stage of becoming aware of the variety of languages that exist and of recognising sound patterns, including making distinctions, for example between question forms and statements, or between affirmatives and negatives. Through the years of key stage 2 their awareness of language grows and by Year 6 they have acquired a more solid knowledge of language structures which underpins their abilities in oracy and literacy.

The language learning strategies strand works in a similar way. Young children learning a new language simultaneously become familiar with strategies that they can apply to the learning of any language. By selecting and using different strategies, children develop awareness of how they learn and refine the ability to plan to use specific strategies for particular tasks. To maximise the potential benefits of this process the Framework helps teachers, to make this learning explicit. In the early years of key stage 2 they can discuss with children, for example, how rhymes help them to remember words and phrases, and how the context in which they encounter a word can help them to determine its meaning and subsequently to recall it. Later in key stage 2, children will extend their capabilities to include skills such as using a bilingual dictionary and memorising language. By Year 6 children should have developed a repertoire of techniques to support their understanding and use of the new language using key words, listening for cues, making predictions.