The two modern languages taught in Cathedral Primary are Spanish (Primary 1 – 7) and French (Primary 5 -7).

From August 2024, SPANISH has been the main modern language taught in Cathedral Primary and across Our Lady’s High School cluster. In the initial year of transition (2024/25):

• Primary 5 – 7 pupils, who had been learning French since Primary 1, moved to Spanish as their main language from August 2024;
• Primary 1 pupils began learning Spanish as soon as they start school in August 2024;
• Primary 2 – 4 pupils continued to learn French as their main language until the Christmas holidays before moving to Spanish in January 2025.

Learning other languages enables children to make connections with different people and their cultures and to play a fuller part as global citizens.  It is also important for Scotland’s prosperity that young people are attracted to learning a modern language and that they become confident users of a modern language, well equipped with the skills needed in the new Europe and in the global marketplace.

Cathedral Primary’s progressive Spanish and French programmes aim to:

• establish a solid basis for the lifelong learning of modern languages
• ensure that pupils experience success and retain initial enthusiasm
• achieve balance between coverage of language content and development of effective language learning skills
• encourage pupils to investigate and report back on aspects of culture and geography.

Of utmost importance across all stages of the school is that Cathedral pupils experience success when they are learning Spanish and French by providing them with a range of enjoyable, practical activities.  One of our key aims is to develop pupils’ ability to use and enjoy Spanish and French in situations as close to real life as possible.

Both Spanish and French are introduced in Cathedral Primary from Primary 1.  At Early and First level, teachers build on the children’s natural curiosity for sounds and words, and their strong desire to communicate. Activities include playing games, singing songs, carrying out simple instructions, and playing with simple poetry and rhyme. In this way they can begin to be enthusiastic, confident language learners from the outset.

Digital technology is used to enhance teaching and learning, and to provide real-life contexts that motivate pupils and help them see genuine purpose in learning Spanish and French, as well as other modern languages.

By the end of Primary 7, the majority of Cathedral pupils will have learned sufficient Spanish to be able to:

• give a short presentation about themselves
• take part in simple conversations and transaction
• understand classroom instructions and personal information
• enjoy listening to a story, song or poem
• read aloud a simple text
• read and understand a short text
• write a few sentences about themselves and others.