National Curriculum for England

Pupils should be taught to listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding.

Pupils should be taught to explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words.

Pupils should be taught to engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help.

Pupils should be taught to speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures.

Pupils should be taught to develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases.

Pupils should be taught to present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences.

Pupils should be taught to read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing.

Pupils should be taught to appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language.

Pupils should be taught to broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary.

Pupils should be taught to write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly.

Pupils should be taught to describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing.

Pupils should be taught to understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.