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Modern Foreign Languages

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart". 

Nelson Mandela

“Wer fremde Sprache nichts kennt, weiß nichts von seiner eigenen."

Goethe

"Avoir une autre langue c’est posséder une deuxième âme"

Charlemagne

"El ver mucho y el leer mucho avivan los ingenios de los hombres."

Cervantes

The MFL department is staffed entirely by subject specialists in each of French, German and Spanish. Staff’s subject knowledge is outstanding. Examination results are excellent and are ahead of national standards. This is due in part to the professionalism, experience and dedication of staff as academic teachers.

THE DEPARTMENT

All full-time staff teach in dedicated MFL rooms which are equipped with data projectors. Pupils enjoy regular access to ICT laboratories, laptops or their own devices.

Mission statement

We are passionate about the benefits of learning a language and believe that it is a skill for life. In addition, we know that having an insight into another culture is invaluable. We strive to promote communication and understanding in a way that all pupils may enjoy their learning and find it rewarding.

Key Stage 3

At the start of Year 7 pupils are allocated French, German or Spanish. Pupils gain a firm grounding in one of these languages, building on transferable language learning skills from primary school. In year 8 they may choose a second language from French, German or Spanish. At the end of year 8 pupils may opt for their first or second language or both languages for GCSE.
 

Curriculum Overview

 

 

Key Stage 3 Spanish

 

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

7 Viva 1

Module 1

My life

Module 2

My free time

Module 3

My school

 

Module 3

My school

Module 4

My family and  friends

Module 5

My town

8 Viva 2

Module 1

Holidays

Module 2

Everything about my life

Module 3

Food

Module 3

Party plans

Module 4

Going out

Module 5

Holiday destinations and activities

Key Stage 3 German

 

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

7

STIMMT 1

Unit 1

My world and me

Unit 2

Family and pets

Unit 3

Free time

Unit 4

School

Unit 5

Travel

Unit 5 

Travel

8

STIMMT 2

Unit 1

Holidays

Unit 2

Media

 

 

Unit 3

Health

 

Unit 4

Class trips

Unit 5

Going out

 

Unit 5

Going out

Key Stage 3 French

7

Dynamo1

 

Module 1

Introduction

My family and I

Module 2

School

Module 3

Leisure activities and sport

Module 3

Leisure activities and sport

Module 4

Family life

Module 4

Family life 

Module 5

Town

 

8

Dynamo 2

Module 1

Talking about holidays

Module 2

Festivals and celebrations

Module 3

New technologies and leisure activities and celebrity culture

Module 4

Towns and regions

Module 4

Towns and regions

 

Revision

Cultural project 

 

Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4

All students are required to take at least one language to GCSE level. We follow the AQA course and students have access to the online textbook as well as a vocabulary learning website. At the end of year 11 the boys take 4 exams: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing and each exam counts 25% of the course. Our results continue to be outstanding year on year.

Curriculum Overview

 

SPANISH

 

 

LINK TO GCSE

Topics

THEME

TOPIC 1

TOPIC 2

TOPIC 3

Theme 1: People and lifestyle

Identity and relationships with others

Healthy Living and Lifestyle

Education and Work

Theme 2: Popular Culture

Free-time activities

Customs, festivals and celebrations

Celebrity Culture

Theme 3: Communication and the world around us

Travel and Tourism (places of interest)

Media and technology

The environment and where people live

 
 

Year 9

Spanish

Viva3 and GCSE

AQA


 

1 My life  

Viva 3, Module 1

(hobbies, opinions, movies) 3 tenses

2 Work

Viva 3, Module 2 (jobs, future plans, daily routine)

Tener que, tenses, irregular verbs

3 Lifestyle

Viva 3, Module

(food, healthy living, daily routine, ailments)

Reflexive verbs, se debe, me duele

GCSE Module 1

Units 1-3

(online activities, sports and dates)

Regular and irregular verbs, tener que

GCSE Module 1 /2

Units 4-5, 2.1

(last weekend, disasters, travels)

Preterite tense irregular verbs

GCSE Module 2

Units 2-4

(holidays and festivals)

Superlatives, hay que, Imperfect tense


 
 

Year 10

Spanish

GCSE

AQA

Module 3

(descriptions, relations, problems) possessives, present continuous, reflexives

Module 4

(health, lifestyle, ailments)

Hay que, imperfect tense, simple future, if clasues

Module 5

(school, teachers, school trips) superlatives, conditional tense, adjectives and adverbs

Module 6

(describing homes and towns, shopping) perfect tense, demonstratives, comparisons, irregular preterite verbs

 

Exams

 
 

Year 11

Spanish

GCSE

AQA


 

Module 7

(social and environmental issues) imperative, imperfect continuous, se debería

Module 8

(future plans, work, languages, AI) para/sin+ infinitives, modal verbs, simple future

MOCK EXAMS

TOPIC REVISION

Practising speaking and writing

EXAM SKILLS

Listening, reading and writing

 
 

 

FRENCH

 

LINK TO GCSE

Topics

THEME

TOPIC 1

TOPIC 2

TOPIC 3

Theme 1: People and lifestyle

Identity and relationships with others

Healthy Living and Lifestyle

Education and Work

Theme 2: Popular Culture

Free-time activities

Customs, festivals and celebrations

Celebrity Culture

Theme 3: Communication and the world around us

Travel and Tourism (places of interest)

Media and technology

The environment and where people live

 
 

9




 

French AQA GCSE


 

3.2 Media - online and TV/Film

2.1 Free- time activities

Sport/music  (module 1) Present- regular (U1, 3 Questions 

Present -irregular verbs and negatives (U2)

Near future (U4)

2.1 Free- time activities

Sport/music/ festival /celebrations

Perfect tense (U5 and 6 )

1.1 Identity and relationships

U1-3 (module 2)

Reflexive verbs

emphatic pronouns

possessive pronouns

Adjectives

2.3 Celebrity culture/r models U4

2.2 Customs/festivals U5

DOP, Present/ Perfect

Tenses. adverbs


 

1.2 Healthy living and lifestyle U1-3 (module 4)

Partitive; modal verbs;

Reflexive verbs in past; 

1.2 Healthy living and lifestyle

U4-5

simple future U4

imperfect (recognise) (U5)

Exams

 

10

 

French AQA GCSE

3.1 School U1-3 (module 3)

Opinions, Comparative adjectives; impersonal structure; present and perfect; superlative

3.1 School U4-5

imperfect tense

IOP

Tenses

Negatives

3.1 Holidays ( module 5)

(descriptions) U1-2

Conditional

2.2 Festivals in French speaking countries U3

relative pronouns 

3.1 Holidays U4 and 5

perfect tense modal verbs

Range of tenses

Si clauses ( present and future)

3.3 My town (module 7)

Description of town

Y, depuis

directions, prepositions

U1-2,5

Exams

3.3 My town

(shop/ town) U3-4

Shopping for clothes 

Ideal house

adjectives before and after

Si clauses imperfect/cond

 

11



 

French AQA GCSE

3.3 Environment U1-5 (module 6)

environmental problems and solutions

comparative, imperative, perfect/imperfect/en train de/venir de

1.3 Jobs module 8

(Jobs/Future plans) U1-4

Apres avoir/

Mock Speaking

MOCK EXAMS

TOPIC REVISION

Practising speaking and writing

EXAM SKILLS

Listening, reading and writing

 
 

GERMAN

 

LINK TO GCSE

Topics

THEME

TOPIC 1

TOPIC 2

TOPIC 3

Theme 1: People and lifestyle

Identity and relationships with others

Healthy Living and Lifestyle

Education and Work

Theme 2: Popular Culture

Free-time activities

Customs, festivals and celebrations

Celebrity Culture

Theme 3: Communication and the world around us

Travel and Tourism (places of interest)

Media and technology

The environment and where people live

 
 

Year 9

German

GCSE


 

1.1 School  

Units 1-3

(Subjects/ Uniform/ rules) 

Opinions & modal verbs

1.2 School  Units 4-5

(events/ school life) 

3 tenses

2.1 Free time  Units 1-3

(hobbies/ technology/ celebrities)

word order & separable verbs

2.2 Free time 

Units 4-5

(film/future plans) 

past & future tenses

3.1 Relationships 

Units 1-3

(family/role models) 

relative pronouns, datives

3.2 Relationships Units 4-5

(customs/ festivals) 

Exams

 

Year 10

German

GCSE

4.1 Healthy Living 

Units 1-3

(health/illness/ habits) 

um...zu & modal verbs

4.2 Healthy Living 

Units 4-5

(wellbeing/ concerns) 

wenn & 3 tenses

5.1 Local Area Units 1-3

(town/transport/ shops) 

Preposition & word order

5.2 Local Area Units 4-5

(ideal town/house) 

Imperfect & conditional

6.1 Holidays 

Units 1-2

(location/ accommodation) 

Exams

6.2 Holidays 

Units 3-5

(Problems/ideal)

Past and future

 

Year 11

German

GCSE


 

7. Our World Units 1-5

(social/global problems) 

Cases & modals

1.3 Future Units 1-5

(Jobs/Future plans) 

Future & conditional (zu)

MOCK EXAMS

TOPIC REVISION

EXAM SKILLS

 
 

Key Stage 5

For the Key Stage 5 A Levels we follow the AQA course in French, German and Spanish and students have access to an online textbook for the course. We teach in conjunction with WGGS. At the end of year 13 pupils take 3 A level exams. The course comprises 4 topics which are taught over the 2 years. In year 13 there is a study of a book and film. In addition, pupils choose an area of study that interests them, which they have to prepare for the oral exam. This enables them to develop research skills ready for university.

Curriculum Overview

 

Key Stage 5 Spanish

 

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

WGSB

 

12

AQA Kerboodle Year 1

 

WGSG

Gastronomy and languages

 

Pan’s Laberinth

Traditions and customs / cultural heritage

 

Family / marriage / divorce

Art and architecture / musical heritage and diversity

 

The influence of the catholic church / Pan’s Laberinth

The internet / Smart phones

 

Singers and musicians / tv and cinema celebrities

Social networks / Como Agua Para Chocolate

 

Models  / Women in the work place

CAPC

 

Male chauvinism  and feminism / Gay rights and transgender identity

WGSB

(+ IRP)

 

13

AQA Kerboodle Year 2

 

WGSG

(+ IRP)

Political ideas and unemployment amongst young people

 

 

Dictatorship of Franco  / The Spanish Monarchy

Ideal society and immigration

 

Dictators in the Spanish world / Demonstrations and strikes

Immigration and undocumented people

 

Unions / Social protests / Coexistence of different cultures

 

Measures against racism / Legislation against racism

 

 

Education  / Religion

Revision + IRP

 

Key Stage 5 German

YEAR 12

WGBS

AQA Kerboodle Y1

Family

 

Technology

 

Fashion and Music

 

TV

Film –

Almanya 

Film –

Almanya 

YEAR 12 WGGS

AQA Kerboodle Y1

Festivals and celebrations

Traditions in Germany

Art and Architecture

Cultural life of Berlin

Revision

The EU

YEAR 13

WGBS

AQA Kerboodle Y2

Immigration

Integration

Racism

Revision

 

 

YEAR 13

WGGS

AQA Kerboodle Y2

The EU

Politics

The reunification

Revision

 

 

Key Stage 5 French

2

Kerboodle AQA Year 1

WBGS

Family

Technology

 

Volunteering

 

Volunteering

 

Immigration

 

Immigration

 

Kerboodle AQA Year 1

WGGS

Cinema

Music

Heritage

Heritage

No et moi

No et moi

13

Kerboodle AQA Year 2

(+ IRP)

WBGS

Social marginalisation and exclusion

 

 

 

Au revoir les enfants

 

Au revoir les enfants

 

 

 

Criminality

revision

 

 

Kerboodle AQA Year 2

(+ IRP)

WGGS

No et moi

Diversity

Trade unions protesting and strikes

Politics and the youth

revision

 

 

 

Exams & Assessment

GCSE

Examination board: AQA

A Level

Examination board: AQA

 

ASSESSMENT IN MFL

Each half-term we do tracker tests in 2-3 skills ( Listening, Reading, Speaking or Writing). The boys are told in advance and information is put on the Google classroom.

 

Enrichment & Extra-curricular

Learning opportunities

We organise a range of competitions, clubs and trips.

KEY STAGE 3

French, German and Spanish club

French/ German/ Spanish club Visit to Care home to sing carols

MFL languages Week cultural projects and activities

Visiting theatre group in 3 languages

Spelling Bee (Y7)
Translation Bee (year 8, 9)
WBGS learning challenges

KEY STAGE 4

Spanish trip to Murcia (every 2 years)

French trip to Paris ( every 2 years)
German trip to Berlin (year 10)


KEY STAGE 5

Spanish Cultural evening

French Cultural Evening

German Cultural evening

Study conferences 

 

Resources & Reading Lists

To encourage independent learning, we suggest a variety of useful links to the following websites:

www.pearsonactivelearn.com (boys will have their own login details)

www.senecalearning.com

www.languagesonline.org.uk

www.quizlet.com

www.linguascope.com (we have a school login)

www.duolingo.com

 

Why Study Modern Foreign Languages?