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Modern Languages
- Members of Staff and Roles/Responsibilities
- Subject Overview
- French KS3 Structure
- French KS3 Content
- French KS4 Structure
- French KS4 Content
- Spanish KS3 Structure
- Spanish KS3 Content
- Spanish KS4 Structure
- Spanish KS4 Content
- Additional Information
Members of Staff and Roles/Responsibilities
| Mrs D Fisher | Curriculum Team Leader - French Teacher |
| Mrs C John | Second in Faculty; French and Spanish Teacher |
| Mrs S Lopez Correia | Responsibility Role (I.C.T and Spanish); French and Spanish Teacher |
| Ms A Pinsard | French Teacher |
| Mrs R Mulla | French Teacher |
| Mrs S Crockett | French Teacher |
| Mr P Shavier | French Teacher |
Subject Overview
The Modern Foreign Languages Team currently offers French and Spanish across both Key Stages. At present, a large proportion of years 10 and 11 take a language at GCSE. We are also very pleased to be able to offer NVQ Level 2 in Business French.
The curriculum policy for MFL matches national curriculum guidelines and examination requirements and is under constant review and refinement. Teachers offer either French or French and Spanish.
Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and therefore our expectations for their achievement and behaviour within the learning environment are high. We are a high achieving subject with 84% A*-C last year.
French KS3 Structure
Currently, all students study French in years 7 – 9 and the opportunity exists for our most able linguists to take Spanish as a second foreign language from Year 8. French is taught in mixed ability groups in the first half term of Year 7, and then in sets from then onwards. The criteria for selection of students for the Spanish courses in Year 8 have been based on their motivation and ability in French in Year 7. All groups have languages for three lessons per week. Regular assessments in Years 7-9, prepare students for the OCR GCSE examinations.
We also offer NVQ level 1 Business French to 1 group in Year 9. This is a practical qualification, achievable in one year, and focuses on the language, skills and tasks used in a working environment. This course is aimed at students who would like a language qualification which also allows them to develop more practical skills.
French KS3 Content
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 |
Bonjour! - greetings, numbers and colours Classroom language Ma famille - my family and pets Chez moi- my home En ville - places in town Mes Loisirs - free time
|
La vie scholaire - life at school La mode - clothes Ma journée - daily routine chores La Francophonie - France and Paris En ville - where I live La Météd - weather Paris |
Voyages et vacances - holidays La France et la culture - project on a cultural aspect of France La Santé - Health and Lifestyle La Francophonie - a more in depth study of the French speaking world |
French KS4 Structure
The two-year GCSE French or Spanish course enables students to communicate at a basic but effective level while achieving a useful qualification, valued by employers. Students prepare for the OCR exam. They are assessed in either the Foundation or Higher tiers in Listening and Reading at the end of Year 11 (coursework). Their speaking and writing skills are assessed through a series of controlled assessments throughout the GCSE course.
The majority of Years 10 and 11 take French to GCSE and each year there is also a Spanish GCSE group.
From September 2010 the department has offered the school's first NVQ in Business French at level 2. This is a practical qualification designed by business leaders to help prepare students for the world of work.
French KS4 Content
| Year 10 | Year 11 |
Self and family and friends Where we live and the environment Free time and leisure activities |
School Work experience Future plans Holidays Exam preparation |
Spanish KS3 Structure
In Year 8, the more able students begin an intensive Spanish course alongside French, studying for an hour a week. This course in then continued into Year 9. Regular assessments are done at the end of each term.
Spanish KS3 Content
| Year 8 | Year 9 |
¡Hola! - Personal details En el instituto - School ¿Qué comes? - Snacks En casa - Where you live + routine |
Mi tiempo libre - Free time Gramática - Past + Future tenses En la ciudad - My town, directions + weather Las vacaciones - Holidays
|
Spanish KS4 Structure
From September students may choose between French or Spanish or are also able to do both. Students study a variety of topics and are examined in the four skills - Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing (coursework) We are proud of our GCSE results which peaked at 86% A* - C.
Spanish KS4 Content
| Year 10 | Year 11 |
Yo y mi familia - Family Dónde vivo - House and Town El colegio - School and Future plans Las vacaciones - Holidays El tiempo libre - Free time |
Los medios de transporte - Transport and directions La vida sana - Food and Lifestyle De compras - Shopping for food and clothes El ambiente - Environment + Local issues Oral exam preparation Listening and Reading exam preparation |
Additional Information
As many students as possible are involved in some form of French cultural experience through residential visits and the internet and the department have tried to offer as many of these each year as possible - this has included long weekend residentials to the Lille winter market for Year 11 to consolidate their spoken French and week residential trips to Paris for Year 8.
The team has been keen to extend the students' learning beyond what can be offered within the classroom and have initiated developments such as the Expo Electro interactive activities package made available, via the school website, for use by students both in and out of school. This has proved particularly popular along with language learning websites with which we have registered. These initiatives are seen to complement the communicative approach at the centre of teaching. Year 11 students have the advantage of accessing revision resources through the college's VLE. The MFL department is a successful team which is reflected in the results achieved by students each year an in recent OFSTED results.
