Key Stage 2 languages · Speaking

KS2 languages: presenting ideas orally in French or Spanish

In Key Stage 2, children learn to stand up and say something real in the language their school teaches: a short talk about themselves, their family, a pet or a class survey. They are expected to speak in sentences, using vocabulary and phrases they already know, and to do it for different audiences, from a partner to the whole class. It builds confidence long before the grammar gets complicated.

Presenting ideas orally, explained

Languages are a compulsory part of the curriculum for children aged 7 to 11 in England, but the school chooses the language. It might be French, Spanish, German, Mandarin or Italian, or an ancient language such as Latin. The part of the programme of study on presenting ideas orally does not apply to ancient languages, where the focus is on reading and translating. For every other language, children are expected to prepare and give short spoken pieces, not just answer questions one word at a time.

The wording asks for “a range of audiences”, and schools interpret that in lots of ways. A presentation might be to a talking partner, a small group, the whole class, a younger class, an assembly, or a recording sent to a partner school. Changing the audience changes the task: speaking to a friend is easy, speaking clearly and slowly to someone who doesn’t know the language is harder and more useful.

The second expectation is speaking in sentences. “Chien” or “perro” on its own is a word, but “J’ai un chien” or “Tengo un perro” is a sentence, and that is what teachers look for. Children use familiar vocabulary and a small number of basic structures, such as “I have…”, “I live in…” and “I like…”, and swap in different words. At this stage, saying a short sentence accurately and clearly matters more than reaching for impressive vocabulary that hasn’t been practised.

Most lessons build towards a presentation in small steps. The teacher models the sentences, the class repeats them together, pairs practise with picture or key-word prompts, and only then do children perform. Reading a script word for word is fine at the start, but the aim is to speak from a few cue words or pictures so that the language is genuinely remembered. Teachers also talk about volume, pace, eye contact and gestures, because a good presentation is partly performance.

Words your child will hear

Presentation: A short, prepared talk, often 30 seconds to two minutes at this stage, given to an audience.
Audience: The people listening. It could be a partner, the class, younger children or someone watching a recording.
Sentence: A group of words that says something complete, such as “Je m’appelle Sam” or “Me llamo Sam”.
Phrase: A short chunk of language that is learned and used as a unit, like “J’habite à…” (I live in…).
Pronunciation: How the sounds of words are said. Each language has its own sounds and spelling patterns.
Intonation: The rise and fall of the voice, which changes a statement into a question or shows feeling.
Prompt: A picture or key word on a card that reminds the speaker what to say without reading a full script.

What the National Curriculum says

In Key Stage 2, pupils should be taught to:

Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences*
Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: planning a 30-second talk

Prepare and give a short talk in French or Spanish introducing yourself and your pet to the class.

Choose six simple things to say, all from phrases already learned: your name, your age, where you live, what pet you have, its name and one thing you like doing. Six short sentences are plenty.
Write one picture or key word for each sentence, such as a drawing of a house for “I live in…”. These are your prompts. They replace the script, so you are remembering the language rather than reading it.
Practise out loud, first with a partner and then alone. Say each sentence slowly, listening for the sounds that feel unfamiliar. Fix the sentences you stumble on before you speed up.
Think about the audience. For the whole class, speak clearly and look up. For a younger class, add actions and point to your pictures. For a recording, pause between sentences so a listener can follow.
Give the talk. If you lose your place, go back to your last prompt and say that sentence again. A calm restart sounds much better than going quiet.

A model talk in French: “Je m’appelle Sam. J’ai dix ans. J’habite à Leeds. J’ai un chien. Il s’appelle Max. J’aime jouer au foot.” In Spanish: “Me llamo Sam. Tengo diez años. Vivo en Leeds. Tengo un perro. Se llama Max. Me gusta jugar al fútbol.” Each sentence uses a structure the class has practised, and the vocabulary can be swapped to suit any child.

Common mistakes and how to help

Translating word by word from English

In English we say “I am ten”, so children produce “Je suis dix ans” or “Soy diez años”. French and Spanish use the verb “to have” for age, so the real phrases are “J’ai dix ans” and “Tengo diez años”.

What helps: Treat common phrases as whole chunks, learned and rehearsed as one piece. Ask “How do you say that?” rather than “What is each word?”.

Reading the words as if they were English

Many written words look familiar, so children say them with English sounds. In French the final letters are often silent, and in Spanish the letter h is silent and j is a rough sound at the back of the throat.

What helps: Listen first, then repeat. Let your child teach you how the teacher says a word, and notice that each language has regular spelling patterns, even when they differ from English.

Memorising a script word for word, then freezing

A child who has learned a long speech by heart has no way back in if one word goes missing. Fear of getting it wrong makes the pause longer.

What helps: Practise with short prompts and encourage restarting from the last sentence. Saying a sentence twice is better than stopping.

Staying quiet to avoid mistakes

Children can feel that a mistake in another language is embarrassing, especially in front of the class, so they say less and less.

What helps: Praise any attempt to speak and treat mistakes as normal information. Teachers want sentences said with confidence first and polished later.

How to help at home

Be the audience. Ask for a 30-second talk once a week. Sit down, put your phone away and listen. Clap at the end and ask one simple question in English, such as “Which part was hardest to say?”. You don’t need to speak the language yourself.
Record and listen back. Use a phone or tablet voice recorder to capture a practice run. Children are often surprised at how clear they sound, and they can hear which words they want to say again. Delete it afterwards if they prefer.
Interview a soft toy. Let your child present to a toy or pet, or ask the toy questions in English that your child answers in the new language. Speaking to a non-judgemental audience is a good first step before performing in front of people.
Say it while you do something. Practise a few sentences while walking to school, washing up or tidying. Moving makes it feel less like homework, and repeating the same sentences in different places helps them stick.