Modern Foreign Languages

StaffRole
Mr D. VoisinHead of MFL Department
Mrs Z. SiggerTeacher of MFL

Facilities and Resources

In an ever-changing world where employers and universities are placing a greater emphasis on the skill of speaking a foreign language, there has never been a better time to get prepared, learn a language and make your CV stand out. Not only are Languages a great asset in the global economy and in a multicultural society, they also open the door to very lucrative and fulfilling careers.

At Worden, pupils have the opportunity to study French or Spanish, depending on their year of entry. Y7 and Y8 pupils have 2 lessons per week at Key Stage 3. Y9 pupils currently have 3 periods weekly. Key Stage 4 students are taught 4 lessons each week. Through learning languages, students develop critical thinking skills and an ability to approach tasks with a logical mind-set.


Pupils develop the four skills required to master a foreign language: listening, speaking, reading and writing, through differentiated learning and regular assessment across all four skills. Staff use their own knowledge and love of languages to enthuse and motivate pupils to appreciate the subject, with the aim of inspiring them to further their knowledge outside the classroom and continue their study of foreign languages to a higher level, providing them with more opportunities for the future.
Click here to view the KS3 Curriculum Map:

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Map

Year 7

In year 7, pupils study the NCELP (National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy) Curriculum. Lessons focus on High Frequency Vocabulary, a thorough understanding of phonology (how the target language words are pronounced and how these sounds connect to spelling patterns) and the Explicit Instruction of Grammar (the rules of language). Staff also share their cultural knowledge of the French-speaking world whenever the opportunity arises.

Here are the topics featured in the Y 7 Schemes of Learning:
• Describing a thing or person
• Saying what people have
• Describing things
• Distinguishing between having and being
• Talking about a thing or a person
• Talking about doing and making things
• Saying what people do
• Saying what we do
• Saying what others do (they)
• Saying ‘you’ (singular and plural)
• Saying how many there are, numbers
• Describing people (family)
• Saying what people have
• Saying what people do (sports)
• Saying where people go (places)
• Saying where people go (countries)
• Asking questions
• Using question words
• Talking about yourself, to and about someone else
• Asking questions
• Using question words
• Saying people do not do something
• Describing things and people
• Asking questions
• Expressing future intentions
• Saying what you want to, can and must do
• Saying what you don’t want to, can’t and don’t have to do
• Saying what you know how to do


Year 8

In year 8, pupils cover a variety of topics and build on the grammar taught in year 7. Again, modules are based on the NCELP Curriculum but can be supplemented with materials from text books and/ or authentic resources. The whole of the NCELP KS3 Curriculum for Spanish is currently taught over Y8 and Y9

Here are the topics featured:

• Describing places and locations
• Saying what someone is like at the moment
• Saying what people have
• Saying what people do

• Saying what people do and don’t do
• Numbers (1 to 12) and talking about more than one thing
• Talking about the location of things
• Describing a place
• Giving and wanting (festive season and family)

• Describing family
• Describing some natural wonders of the Spanish speaking world
• Asking and answering questions
• Talking about what you do with others (rural life)
• Talking about what people can do
• Contrasting what people must, can and want to do
• Places and locations
• Saying what people are like today vs in general
• Describing activities (travel)
• Describing what people do
• Describing what people do (technology)

• Discussing what people do and don’t do
• Describing people and possessions
• Describing when and where people go
• Describing future plans
• Describing events in the past and present (travel)
• Comparing past experiences
• Talking about what people and places are like now vs in general.
• Comparing what you and someone else (‘we’) do (news and media, parties and celebrations)
• Describing what people do (at home)
• Asking what people can and must do

• Describing events in the past and present (at school)
• Describing events in the past and present (free time activities)
• Describing how people feel in the present (feelings and emotions)
• Describing future plans
• Talking about what people do (work)

• Describing what people do (technology and social networks)
• Describing what different people did in the past (Free time activities)
• Talking about the environment
• Saying what you do for others
• Routines and daily life

• Describing a series of events (Narration)
• Talking about giving and receiving (Birthdays)
• Describing how things make people feel
• Giving opinions about school
• Visiting a Spanish speaking city

Year 9

In year 9, pupils start to cover some of the topics covered at GCSE. The approach focusses on Topic-based modules with a recurring coverage of essential vocabulary and core grammatical elements.

Here are the topics covered in Y9:

• How I get on with people
• Describing one’s personality
• My daily routine
• Describing my favourite artist
• Online technology
• Me and Social Media
• Body parts, aches, and describing a monster
• The sports I do and my resolutions
• Talking about sports using 3 time frames
• My options: What subjects I like and which ones I am good at
• My plans after secondary school
• The types of jobs
• Expressing opinions about job
• The French-speaking world
• What can I do with languages?
• The benefits of learning a language
• My long term plans
• Marriage and partnerships
• My ideal house
• What I am allowed to do
• What matters to me
• World problems
• Pollution
• What I do for the environment
• Past holidays
• Irregular verbs and past activities
• Transport
• Describing a meal out
• A disastrous holiday
• My dream holiday


Click here to view the KS4 Curriculum Map

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Map

At GCSE, year 10 and year 11 pupils follow the AQA specification over a 2 year course.

The course is split into the following:

 
Listening exam: end of year 1125%
Speaking exam: during year 1125%
Reading exam : end of year 1125%
Writing exam end of year 1125%


Year 10

In year 10, pupils will cover the following topics and work at a faster pace than KS3 in order to prepare them for their examinations:

• Describing a best friend
• Family relationships
• Making plans to go out (using three tenses)
• Talking about a concert and describing our favourite artist
• When I was younger
• The person I admire
• Me and sports
• Online activities
• What I read and used to read
• My favourite TV programmes
• Me and the silver screen
• What I eat
• What I eat for special occasions
• Shopping for clothes
• My daily life
• Describing family celebrations
• Festivals and traditions
• Describing my region
• Talking about my town
• Asking questions about tourism
• Discuss future plans based on the weather
• What I have done and will do to help the community
• What I usually do on holiday
• The journey
• Holidays, past, present and future
• Where we stayed
• Food and night life
• Activities and shopping
• A past holiday going really wrong
• An ideal holiday


Year 11

In year 11 pupils continue to build on the skills acquired in year 10 and, in addition to the topics outlined below, they work on past papers and revision in order to prepare them for their final exams.

• My school subjects
• My school building and my school day
• Comparing a French and an English school
• School rules
• Healthy living
• Bad habits
• A school exchange
• Describing a job
• Jobs and aspirations
• Applying for a job
• Working in tourism
• Ethical shopping
• Volunteering
• Pros and cons about big events
• Revision: Family and friends
• Revision: Going out
• Revision: Leisure and Sports
• Revision: Online activities
• Revision: Food and traditions
• Revision: Town and Environment
• Final Exam preparation

    Useful Links

    Exam Specification: