Modern Languages (ML)
MODERN LANGUAGES (ML)
Empowering linguists of the future!
Mr R Bellworthy (Head of Department/F/G/S)
Miss V Winter (German/French/Spanish)
Miss S Held (German/French/Creole)
Mrs C Sykes (French)
Curriculum statement: Whether students choose to learn French and German for 2, 3, 5 or 7 years, we deliver effective dynamic language lessons, which teach our young linguists of the future how to put knowledge of lexis, grammar and phonology into the long-term memory, thus connecting their identity to a rapidly challenging and changing global world.
Key Stage 3
| French | German | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | 2 periods a week | Online access |
| Year 8 | 2 periods a fortnight | 2 periods a fortnight |
| Year 9 | 2 periods a week | 2 periods a week |
Assessment:
The overarching skills in ML are listening, speaking, reading, translation and writing. Progress is assessed on a regular basis, both informally, through regular vocabulary quizzes, classwork and homework, and also formally in two termly assessments. The ability to express one’s opinion, understand grammar, use native-like pronunciation, manipulate vocabulary, and to learn how to use an online dictionary are crucial if one is going to become a successful linguist!
Classwork:
Students work from paper-based and online Sentence Builders, vocabulary lists and textbooks as models for target language structures, sentence prominence and intonation, syntax, and key vocabulary. Occasionally students learn verb conjugations and lists of words, but a greater emphasis is placed on chunking key phrases, high level gambits, lexical items in context and tenses as part of a narrative. Sentence Builders summarise the highest-level syntax and language at each stage as a model for acquisition and a starting point each week. The Sentence Builders include: PROFS; that’s examples of Past tense verbs, Reasons, Opinions, Future tense verbs and the Subjunctive mood, and PIEs (Phrases, Idioms and Expressions). The curriculum is topic and grammar-led; that is within each motivational and age-appropriate topic, grammar is gradient and sequential. Universal pre-requisites for the next stage are embedded and assessed. The research-led assumption is that students learn new things in the context of what they already know; hence pre-requisites for the following year group are crucial in giving students a strong founding via the Universals.
Homework:
Students are expected to spend a minimum of 30 minutes per week on each language on either a reading comprehension and writing task or on a learning task. When learning, a student should spend at least 1 session of 10 minutes every other day (at least 3x10 minutes a week) self-quizzing words and verbs from their Knowledge Organiser or online account. This ensures beating the forgetting curve because in order to transfer knowledge from the short-term memory to the long-term memory, the ‘little but often’ approach strengthens the brain’s capacity to recall and retrieve. We encourage the use of the ‘Look, Cover, Say, Write, Check, Correct’ method on either paper or using online applications, such as Sentence Builders, Quizlet and Memrise.
Year 7 French
Students, who are taught in form groups, build on any linguistic knowledge they already have from home or primary school in order to develop their linguistic skills in listening, speaking, reading, translation and writing. Students are given every opportunity to expand their vocabulary and enhance their grammatical and cultural awareness through role-play, ICT and interactive activities. Over the course of year 7, we cover a range of topics, including: myself, what I like, my free-time.
Year 8 French
Students are setted in year 8 into sets 1 and 2 and there is movement between classes throughout the year. Students further develop their linguistic skills to express and justify their opinions on a wider range of topics, including: T’es branché!, Paris, je t’adore!, Mon identité. They are encouraged to use a variety of grammatical structures in their written and spoken language.
Year 9 French
Students are again setted in year 9 into sets 1 and 2 and there is movement between classes throughout the year. Students consolidate vocabulary and grammatical structures learned in previous years, with an emphasis on past, present and future tenses. Students are encouraged to become more creative with their written and spoken language. In term 1 students consolidate years 8 and 9 around the topic: Why learn languages? For holidays? Following this, students begin two GCSE topics: Who am I? and Leisure activities, and finish the year considering French-speaking music and film.
Years 8 and 9 German
A second foreign language is introduced in year 8 and further consolidated in year 9 as a means of giving students a further language option at GCSE and to expose them to a non-romance language. Germanic languages often appeal to some students that romance languages do not. Having studied French for one year, students already have a strong idea of effective language learning and how languages work. Therefore, picking up a new language is considered easier and more effective than starting foreign languages from scratch. Topics include: myself, my school, my free-time, my area, my holidays.
Key Stage 4 (Exam board: Edexcel)
| French | German | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 10 | 3 periods a week | 3 periods a week |
| Year 11 | 3 periods a week | 3 periods a week |
| weekly skill-up session | weekly skill-up session |
Assessment:
Progress is assessed on a regular basis, both informally, through regular vocabulary quizzes, classwork and homework, and also formally in half-termly assessments of the 4 strands including translation to and from the target language. 100% of the grade is determined by 4 examinations.
| Listening: | 25% | 45 minutes + 5 minutes’ reading time | 50 marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking: | 25% | 10–12 minutes + 12 minutes’ preparation time | 70 marks |
| Reading: | 25% | 60 minutes including translation activities into English | 50 marks |
| Writing: | 25% | 1 hour 20 minutes with translation activities from English | 60 marks |
Classwork:
Students work from texts, vocabulary lists and textbooks as models for target language structures, sentence prominence and intonation, syntax, and key vocabulary. Occasionally students learn verb conjugations and lists of words, but a greater emphasis is placed on chunking key phrases, high level gambits, lexical items in context and tenses as part of a narrative. Universal pre-requisites are embedded and assessed. The research-led assumption is that students learn new things in the context of what they already know; hence pre-requisites for the following year group are crucial in giving students a strong founding via the Universals.
Homework:
Students are expected to complete two pieces per week and to spend a minimum of 30 minutes on each piece per week. These could take the form of reading and listening comprehension, writing or translation tasks or vocabulary and grammar learning tasks. Like in Key Stage 3 when learning, a student should spend at least 1 session of 10 minutes every other day (at least 4x10 minutes a week) self-quizzing words and verbs from their vocabulary booklet. This ensures beating the forgetting curve because in order to transfer knowledge from the short-term memory to the long-term memory, the ‘little but often’ approach strengthens the brain’s capacity to recall and retrieve. We encourage the use of the ‘Look, Cover, Say, Write, Check, Correct’ method on either paper or using online applications, such as Quizlet, Memrise and Textivate.
Year 10 and 11 French and German
Over the two-year course, students consolidate vocabulary and topics studied in Key Stage 3, as required by Edexcel. The course offers a lively, communicative approach, underpinned by a clear grammatical progression and regular vocabulary learning. Throughout the course, students practise GCSE-style assessments in the 4 strands, in which translation to and from the target language plays an important part.
Theme 1 – Identity and culture
module 1: who am I?
module 2: free-time activities and daily life
module: 3: festivals and daily life
Theme 2 – Local area, holiday and travel
module 4: town, region, country/travel and tourism
module 5: holidays/travel and tourism transactions
Theme 3 – School
module 6: what school is like/school activities
Theme 4 – Future aspirations, study and work
module 7: work/ambitions/using languages beyond the classroom
Theme 5 – International and global dimension
module 8: bringing the world together/environmental issues
Key Stage 5 (Exam board: AQA)
| French | German | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 12 | 5 periods a week | 5 periods a week |
| Year 13 | 5 periods a week | 5 periods a week |
| weekly skill-up session | weekly skill-up session |
Assessment:
Progress is assessed on a regular basis, both informally, through regular vocabulary quizzes, classwork and homework, and also formally in half-termly assessments of the 5 strands including translation to and from the target language. 100% of the grade is determined by 4 examinations.
Assessments:
Paper 1
· Listening
· Reading
· Translation (from French)
Paper 2
· Writing Topical essay / Literature: based on the film/book of study
· Translation (from English)
Paper 3
· Speaking Stimulus Cards & IRP Exams also cover:
· Vocabulary
· Grammar · Pronunciation
· Target-country culture
There are several homework tasks per week.
Typical tasks could be:
· Weekly memorisation of vocabulary
· Grammar consolidation via paper/online exercises
· Translation from/to English
· Listening/reading comprehension tasks
· Essay writing/redrafting
· Speaking tasks to be recorded or presentations in class
Classwork:
Languages are an invaluable asset in today’s multicultural world and the course aims to enable students to express themselves proficiently in conversation and in writing on a variety
of topical issues, as well as developing research skills. It will develop their ability to extract information from a range of spoken and written texts, to recognise points of view and opinions and develop their awareness of other cultures, including their literary heritage.
This is a two-year linear course, during which time students will study topics under the following four themes: Aspects of French speaking society: (family, technology and the role of voluntary work), Aspects of French speaking society, Artistic culture in the French speaking world (music, cinema, heritage), Aspects of political life in the French speaking world (teenagers, politics and immigration). There will be a focus on knowledge and understanding of the target language culture.
Whilst acquiring a much broader range of vocabulary, students will also consolidate their grammatical knowledge of the subject developing their communication skills.
The skills of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing remain at the core of Language Teaching and students will be engaged in a variety of activities, including presentations and group projects, as well as independent research and teacher led tasks.
The course will continually develop accuracy in language and students must be able to discuss one of the above themes orally, explaining their views. They will analyse aspects of the theme by developing arguments and form conclusions. The course will also develop students’ ability to research a theme of their choice independently which they will then present orally demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the cultural and social context of their research.
In addition, either two literary texts or a literary text and a film will be studied over the course of the two years.
