How is primary Modern Foreign Languages organised?

The Primary Language Curriculum: Language Specification for Primary and Special Schools (NCCA 2025) has 2 strands: Building an awareness of languages and cultures, Communicative competence in the L3. Learning outcomes are written for the end of each stage.

Modern Foreign Languages planning for primary

The new Language specification is being introduced from September 2026, one area at a time. If your school hasn't started this area yet, you're still teaching the 1999 curriculum. Tell Heapso which one you're using and it plans to that.

Strands

Building an awareness of languages and cultures
IE-P-MFL.BALC
Exploring languages, Understanding myself as a language learner, Developing intercultural awareness
- Stage 3: 3 outcomes
- Stage 4: 3 outcomes
Communicative competence in the L3
IE-P-MFL.L3
Developing communicative relationships through language, Understanding the content and structure of language, Exploring and using language
- Stage 4: 9 outcomes

Read the official specification on curriculumonline.ie

Other primary subjects

Questions teachers ask

How is primary Modern Foreign Languages organised?: The Primary Language Curriculum: Language Specification for Primary and Special Schools (NCCA 2025) has 2 strands: Building an awareness of languages and cultures, Communicative competence in the L3. Learning outcomes are written for the end of each stage.
Should I plan to the new Modern Foreign Languages specification or the 1999 curriculum?: Schools start the new specifications one curriculum area at a time from September 2026. If your school hasn't started this area yet, you're still teaching the 1999 curriculum. Tell Heapso which one you're using in Settings and it plans to that.

Plan your next Modern Foreign Languages unit

Heapso opens a unit plan set to the right stage. Add the learning outcomes you're teaching and Pip cites only those.

Plan this unit free