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Publication of redeveloped Primary School Curriculum

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Expectations for Students

Expectations for students are set out in three integrated strands. An overview of each strand is provided below, followed by the learning outcomes which describe the knowledge, understanding, skills and values students should be able to demonstrate having studied modern foreign languages in junior cycle. 

The outcomes are numbered within each strand. The numbering is intended to support teacher planning in the first instance and does not imply any hierarchy of importance across the outcomes themselves. 

Junior cycle modern foreign languages are offered at a common level. The JC
Junior Cycle MFL
Modern Foreign Languages specification sets out what is expected of students at the end of their three years of study. As such, the learning outcomes focused on at a point in time will not have been ‘completed’ but will continue to support the students’ learning of modern foreign languages up to the end of junior cycle. 

The learning outcomes describe what students will be expected to be able to do in the target language. The learning outcomes are broadly aligned to the A band of the CEFR
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment was published by the Council of Europe in 2001. This framework of reference provides tools, guidelines, and resources to support the teaching, learning and assessment of languages. (A1-A2). They refer to language tasks and activities which reflect simple everyday interactions across the three domains of language use (public, personal and educational9) , which are relevant  to the students’ age and experience, and are designed to lend themselves to differentiated teaching, learning and assessment. Across all strands, students should be given every opportunity to use a range of media to display and present what they have learned. 

9. Click here for further supports on the personal, education and public domains of languages use.

Communicative competence enables students to communicate effectively in the target language for meaningful purposes. In this strand, students engage in language activities and tasks across the public, personal and educational domains of language use involving the four modes of communication identified in the CEFR and CEFR CV10. The four integrated modes of communication reflect real-life language use, which often involves a number of activities. Figure 5 illustrates the interconnected and interrelated nature of the four elements. Active engagement with the learning outcomes in this strand further supports the development of language awareness, sociocultural knowledge and intercultural awareness.

Strand 1 Elements JC MFL 2024

The interconnected and interrelated nature of the four elements

10. CEFR CV, Council of Europe, 2020, p.34

Students learn about Students should be able to
Reception

Understanding and processing written, spoken and multimodal language
  1. 1.1

    understand and follow simple classroom instructions 

  2. 1.2

    understand simple written and spoken questions and statements on familiar topics in predictable everyday situations

  3. 1.3

    identify the topic and general sense of short and simple texts expressed in everyday language, using visual information and general knowledge to support comprehension

  4. 1.4

    identify routine information (e.g., numbers, personal details, dates, prices, directions, instructions*)11 in simple spoken and written texts related to everyday living

    11. * All examples are illustrative in nature and not intended to be exhaustive.

  5. 1.5

    understand key information in descriptions of people, places, events, and personal experiences in familiar contexts expressed in simple everyday language

  6. 1.6

    understand the main points in a range of authentic and adapted texts on familiar topics encountered in everyday life in a variety of genres, registers and formats
Interaction

Co-constructing meaning in oral, written and online interaction
  1. 1.7

    use simple words and expressions to start, maintain and end a conversation, asking for help, clarification and repetition where necessary 

  2. 1.8

    use simple words, expressions and phrases to collaborate with others in routine classroom tasks and activities (e.g., group work, drama, role plays, simple games*)

  3. 1.9

    ask and answer short and simple questions about people, events, experiences and activities in spoken, written, and online interactions 

  4. 1.10

    complete simple transactions in everyday situations (e.g., shopping, making reservations, exchanging personal information*) 

  5. 1.11

    interact with others in routine familiar situations to exchange information, opinions and ideas and make plans using simple everyday language 
Production

Speaking and writing for a range of purposes and audiences
  1. 1.12

    describe people, places and likes and dislikes in simple terms using words, expressions and simple phrases

  2. 1.13

    create a range of short and simple texts in various formats and media on familiar topics, using supports to aid communication

  3. 1.14

    prepare and present short presentations on topics related to everyday life, and give brief reasons and explanations for opinions using visual prompts and gestures to support communication

  4. 1.15

    describe present, past, and future events, activities, and personal experiences (real or imagined) encountered in everyday life using short and simple phrases and sentences and link them with simple connectors (e.g., “and”, “but”, “because”*)
Mediation

Developing skills and strategies to make meaning and enable communication beyond linguistic and cultural barriers
  1. 1.16

    convey simple predictable information given in short, simple texts (e.g., signs, notices, posters, brochures*)

  2. 1.17

    list the main points encountered in short, simple conversations or texts on predictable everyday subjects when they are expressed clearly in simple everyday language 

  3. 1.18

    recognise when people disagree and use short and simple expressions to ask someone to explain something, to show interest, and to seek agreement

Language awareness draws on students’ existing linguistic resources and enhances the students’ general awareness about languages and language learning. In this strand, students analyse how the target language works, they compare it to the languages they know (English, Irish and/or their mother tongue) and they reflect on their own developing plurilingual repertoire. Active engagement with the learning outcomes of this strand supports the development of communicative competence, sociocultural knowledge and intercultural awareness.  

Students learn about Students should be able to
Understanding how the target language works
  1. 2.1

    recognise and use simple language patterns and structures (e.g., grammar, spelling, pronunciation, syntax, etc.*)12 for the purpose of communication in familiar contexts 

    12. * All examples are illustrative in nature and not intended to be exhaustive.

  2. 2.2

    recognise and use a basic range of vocabulary including words, expressions and phrases for the purpose of communication in familiar contexts

  3. 2.3

    recognise how target language usage is influenced by the audience and purpose of the communication (e.g., register, format, language style, social conventions, etc.*)
Comparing the target language with other languages they know
  1. 2.4

    identify similarities and differences between the grammar and vocabulary of the target language and other languages they know to support their comprehension of oral, written and multi-modal texts 

  2. 2.5

    recognise similarities and differences between the target language and other languages they know (e.g., spelling, word order, pronunciation, intonation and rhythm etc.*)  

  3. 2.6

    compare and contrast the use of numbers in areas of immediate relevance (e.g., dates, prices, age, time etc.*) with other languages they know
     
Reflecting on how they use and learn languages
  1. 2.7

    develop and use a range of strategies for learning and using the target language in everyday situations and to help them compensate for gaps in their understanding 

  2. 2.8

    use digital technologies ethically and responsibly for the purpose of simple online communication, basic research and language learning

  3. 2.9

    set goals, monitor and assess their own learning, using feedback they receive to reflect on what they have learned and what they need to improve 

Socio-cultural knowledge and intercultural awareness give students access to new cultural dimensions and encourages them to reflect on their own culture. In this strand, students acquire knowledge about the target language countries and communities, and are encouraged to develop attitudes of curiosity, openness and empathy towards cultural groups that are different to their own. Active engagement with the learning outcomes in this strand supports students in deepening their awareness of the target language and the link between languages and cultures, and further enables them to develop their communicative competence and language awareness. 

Students learn about Students should be able to
Learning about relevant facts, people, places and history about the countries and communities related to the target language
  1. 3.1

    identify, name and describe in simple everyday language some features of the target language countries/communities in areas of immediate relevance (e.g., geographical features, weather, famous people and places, food, festivals, inventions, etc.*)13

    13. * All examples are illustrative in nature and not intended to be exhaustive.

  2. 3.2

    explore a range of facts and figures related to everyday living in the target language countries and reflect on what they have learned about the target language countries/communities

  3. 3.3

    research information of personal interest about the target language countries /communities and present it in simple everyday language using a range of media
Learning about traditions, customs and behaviours
  1. 3.4

    identify, name and appreciate some customs, traditions, and social conventions of the target language countries related to everyday living

  2. 3.5

    identify and reflect on some common stereotypes about their own and the cultures associated with the target language 

  3. 3.6

    gather, appreciate, and share a range of authentic texts (e.g., songs, poems, rhymes, tongue twisters, stories etc. *) related to the target language countries/communities through the appropriate use of digital technologies
Comparing their culture with that of the countries and communities related to the target language
  1. 3.7

    identify similarities and differences in relation to their peers’ lives in the target language countries/communities related to everyday living (e.g., school, socialising, sport, eating habits, etc.*)

  2. 3.8

    compare and contrast aspects of personal interest in the target language countries/communities with those in their own country and present them in short and simple phrases and sentences using supports to aid communication

  3. 3.9

    recognise cultural similarities and differences and appreciate their influence on social interactions 
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