Framework curricula for primary education

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Language teaching at an early age is based on the natural processes of language learning. Children participate in activities which are interesting for them, which are meaningful and motivating in themselves, and which present challenges scaled to their cognitive abilities. In the course of these activities, children progress by listening to the target language while understanding the context. This is a slow process; spectacular performance characteristic of older age groups cannot be expected. A typical element is the ‘silent phase’, where some pupils do not speak for months but like to participate in playful activities.

In language classes, the pupils interpret what they hear in the unknown language on the basis of their knowledge of the world. It is therefore essential that contents are based on knowledge already covered. This can be ensured partly by utilising situations and visual elements, and also by integrating contents already covered in other subjects. This enables pupils to understand what is being said by the teacher in a foreign language.

The framework curriculum builds upon the topics, communication intentions, themes and activities covered in the mother tongue during years 1 to 4. Development is focused on listening comprehension, which may be tracked by way of obeying instructions in the class and participating in playful exercises involving actions. Speech ranges from one-word answers (yes, no, name, colour, number) to using non-analysed longer units (greetings, rhymes, songs, games). Asking questions and receiving answers in Hungarian is a natural part of the class work, used as feed-back and confirmation along with the teachers speaking in the target language.

Requirements follow the natural process of language learning and include words and simple sentences. It is advisable to postpone the introduction of reading and writing until children express an interest in these activities.
Developmental requirements
Pupils need to become aware of the fact that apart from their native tongue, they may also use a foreign language to express themselves. Pupils should develop a positive attitude to language learning. Co-operation skills should improve, as well as the ability to work in pairs and groups. Pupils should become familiar with some basic strategies in language learning.

List of (suggested) topics:

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  Me and my family: self-introduction, introduction of family members.
  
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  Home, closer neighbourhood: description of the home, the living rooms and bedrooms; favourite animals, favourite toys.
  
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  Weather: favourite seasons.
  
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  Food: favourite and less liked food and drink.
  
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  Clothing: garments in the winter and in the summer; body parts.
  
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  School: objects in the classroom, rooms in the school building.
  
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  Wider environment: animals in different parts of the world.
  
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  Leisure activities and entertainment: favourite sports; collections.
  

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  greetings and saying goodbye,
  
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  introducing self,
  
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  expressing thanks and responding to expression of thanks.
  

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  likes and dislikes
  

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  naming objects and persons,
  
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  asking and giving information,
  
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  affirmative and negative answers,
  
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  knowledge and lack of knowledge.
  

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  Talking about actions, events or existence
  
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  Expressing possession
  
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  Spatial relations
  
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  Chronological relations
  
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  Quantitative relations
  
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  Qualitative relations
  
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  Logical relations.
  
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  Cohesive devices.
  

Pupils can

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  understand and react by acting to instructions, orders given using familiar semantic elements and no longer than two sentences;
  
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  understand questions formulated using familiar language elements and no longer than one sentence.
  

Pupils can

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  give an answer in the form of incomplete or simple sentences to questions formulated using familiar semantic elements; reproduce words, texts with a simpler structure (at least a few rhymes, songs, poems) which had been learnt earlier.
  

Pupils can

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  recognise the written form of familiar words, read sentences constructed of a few words with familiar semantic elements;
  
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  find important information in a single sentence constructed using familiar semantic elements.
  

Pupils can

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  recognise the written form of familiar words, write sentences constructed of a few words with familiar semantic elements.
  

For further reference below is a list of proficiency levels as defined by the Council of Europe: