“Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.� Goethe Learning a foreign language allows students to open their mind, explore new cultures and communicate with the world. Learning a foreign language provides students with a better understanding of their own native language and culture, not only cultural customs, but of the grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation patterns of their first language. Students develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and express themselves with increasing confidence, independence and creativity. Learning a foreign language immerses students into new world perspectives, inviting them to experience a world beyond their own to help them fully appreciate the language thereby expanding their horizons. They develop into tolerant individuals with an understanding of life that is open-minded and leads to an appreciation of cultural diversity.
Immigration, Racism and Integration
A Diverse Society
Young People Today
Marginalised People in Society, Crime,
Monarchies and dictatorships
Young People and Politics, Demonstrations
Social Movements
and Strikes, Politics and Immigration
Grammar
Grammar
Introduction to Film Studies
The Evolution of Families
Traditional and Modern Values
Cybertechnology
The Internet , Equality and Rights
Voluntary Work
Role Models
Cultural Heritage
Regional Identity in Spain and Cultural Heritage
French Music and Cinema Study of Film and Novel
Study of Film and Novel
11
Jobs
Work
Environment
Environment
Interests and Hobbies
Town and Country
Cities
Holidays
Daily Routine
At School
Holidays
Who am I
My Life at School
Hobbies
My People, Family and Friends
Celebrations
10
9
Year 7 and 8 Spanish
8
7
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Past Holidays
Food and Meals
Summertime
My Life, My Tastes
Freetime
My Life
School
What I Enjoy
Friends and Family
My Town
Writing
French
Speaking
12
Spanish
Reading
13
Skills
Listening
Knowledge
Students coming to Holyport may have studied some basic Spanish at primary school, but this may not be the case for everyone. At the beginning of Year 7, the first few lessons focus on pronunciation, the alphabet and greetings, to ensure that all students have a solid foundation to build upon. Students are introduced to 4 key skills in Spanish: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Repetition, reading aloud and encouraging students to speak in Spanish in lessons is key to help boost students’ confidence, which will benefit them throughout KS3 and KS4. There is a focus on the present tense for the majority of Year 7, with the future tense being introduced in term 3. At the beginning of each term, students are given a vocabulary booklet with the key phrases which they will need for a particular topic. These phrases are introduced through ‘chunks’ in the present tense in terms 1 and 2 and the future tense is introduced in term 3. Students do a vocabulary test each week are taught effective ways to learn the vocabulary at home such as ‘look, cover, write, check’ or practising out loud with someone at home. They also do one piece of written prep a week which could include a translation into Spanish or English, a reading comprehension, grammar exercises or a written paragraph in Spanish. Lessons begin with a starter task based on the previous lesson which helps improve students’ memory and retrieval skills in Spanish.
Term 1
Topic
Mi vida
Mi tiempo libre
Mi insti
My Life
What I Enjoy
School
Introducing yourself Spanish pronounciation Your personality and adjectives Summary of Content
Term 2
Ages, brothers and sisters
Using me gusta to say what you like to do
Using AR verbs to say what we study
AR verbs in the present tense
Giving opinions about subjects
Talking about the weather
Describing your school
Sports
Talking about break time
Using the verb tener
Using hacer and jugar
Using ER and IR verbs
Saying when your birthday is
Using question words
Talking about pets
Mi familia y mis amigos
Mi ciudad My Town
Family and Friends Describing your famly
Describing your town
Using possessive adjectives
Using ‘a’, ‘some’ and ‘many’
Describing hair and eye colour
Telling the time
Using ser and tener 3rd
Using verbs in the person to say what others look like
Using the verb ir
Revision Preparation for speaking exam (presentation)
Revision of modules 1-5 using all 4 skills
Ordering in a café using querer
Describing where you live
Saying what you are going to do this weekend using the near future
Using the verb estar
Using 2 tenses together
Learning about the culture of Spain
1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation task
Weekly Prep Assessment
Term 3
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
In Year 8, students begin to conjugate verbs in present, past and future tenses in order to speak and write more fluently in the foreign language. They move from isolated vocabulary to longer sentences and are able to understand grammatical terms. Students are able to interpret more readily longer, more complex reading and listening texts. Spanish in Year 8 continues with the theme of describing yourself, starting with the topic of holidays. As Year 7 focused on the present and future tenses, Year 8 begins with an introduction into the past (preterite) tense. By the end of Year 8, students will be able to communicate in the present, past and future tenses. These tenses will be further consolidated throughout KS3 and KS4. Throughout term 2 and 3, there is more of a focus on being able to communicate with others, going beyond describing yourself and your life. Students learn about typical Spanish food and are able to order meals in a restaurant scenario. In term 3, the topic of holidays is further built upon, with the topic of summer camps. Here, the present, past and future tenses are consolidated, with students being able to describe what they normally do in the summer, what they did last year and what they are going to do next year. This ties in nicely with the beginning of year 9, where students study the theme of holidays in greater detail, with more complex vocabulary and tenses.
Term 1 Mis vacaciones Topic
Past holidays
Summary of Content
My life, my tastes Explaining what you use your mobile phone for.
Modes of transport
Pronounciation of C (when hard of soft)
Term 3
¡A comer!
¿Qué hacemos?
Food and meals
Free time
Asking and explaining what food one likes Pronunciation of ñ
Ask and explain what Asking and explaining type of music one what one did on likes. holiday. Ask and explain what Giving an opinion type of TV proabout a past holiday grammes one likes. using SER. Grammar: Grammar: Using two tenses The pretérito together indefinido tense. Gustar The comparative
Asking about and describing meals.
Arranging to go out Making excuses Daily routine Clothes
Ordering a meal at a restaurant.
Sporting events
Buying food for a party.
Grammar: Me gustaría + infin Using querer and poder Reflexive verbs Demonstrative pronouns Using three tenses
Having a party Grammar: Using Three tenses Negatives: never and nothing Using Usted and Usteded
Operación verano
Revision
Summer time Describing a holiday home Holiday activities Asking for directions Talking about summer camps
Describing a world trip
Preparation for speaking exam (presentation) Revision of modules 1-5 using all 4 skills Revision of present, past and near future tenses
Grammar: Comparative Superlative Imperative Three tenses Mejor and Peor
1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation task
Weekly Prep
Assessment
Todo sobre mi vida
Asking various questions about past holidays.
Countries
Term 2
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
In Year 9, students go beyond describing themselves and their own lives as they learn more about Spain as a country. Term 1 consolidates the theme of holidays which was introduced in Year 8. Students revisit both the present and preterite tense in greater detail, and a further past tense (the imperfect) is introduced. An element of term 1 focuses particularly on Barcelona, introducing pupils to iconic sites such as Las Ramblas and La Sagrada Familia. Students also learn how to book a holiday and how to communicate with hotel staff. Students are encouraged to be creative in their spoken and written Spanish as they now have a better grasp of the basics and they enjoy describing disastrous holidays.
Term 2 consolidates the theme of school which was first introduced in Year 7. They learn how to describe their school uniform, rules, facilities and revisit the imperfect tense to compare their secondary and primary schools. Students learn about what it is like to do a school exchange in Zaragoza, further enhancing their knowledge of Spanish culture. Students enjoy being able to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of social media in term 3. By the end of Year 9, students will be able to communicate more effectively in Spanish. Their ability to listen, read, speak and write in the language will have improved throughout their KS3 journey and they will be ready to start Year 10, with more of a focus on their GCSE.
Topic
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
DesconĂŠctate
Mi vida en el insti
Mi gente
Holidays
My Life at School
My People
Holiday activities & weather Revising the present tense of regular verbs Holiday preferences Using the present tense of irregular verbs Summary of Content
Using verbs of opinion to refer to different people Talking about a past holiday using the preterite tense Describing a trip to Barcelona using the imperfect & the preterite tenses
Booking accommodation & dealing with problems
Giving opinions about school subjects & teachers
Using usted
Describing school uniform & the school day (revision of clothes & colours)
Understanding higher numbers Talking about disastrous holidays in the past
Using adjectives
Using 3 tenses together
Using negatives
Identifying positive & negative opinions Revision of all of module 1 (4 skills)
Describing your school Distinguishing between the present and the imperfect School rules & problems
Planning a school exchange Using the near future tense Asking and answering questions Activities and achievements in school Understanding object pronouns Using 3 tenses together Revision of all of module 2 (4 skills)
Revision of present tense to talk about family and socialising Describing people using adjectives Talking about social networks
Using para + infinitives Extending responses by referring to others Making arrangements
Reading preferences Using a range of connectives Describing relationships using reflexive verbs Using ser & estar Understanding more detailed descriptions Revision of all of module 3 (4 skills)
Using the present continuous
Phrases followed by the infinitive
Giving opinions in the past 1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation task
Weekly Prep Assessment
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Listening and reading
At Holyport, we believe that all students should have the opportunity to study a language and gain a qualification, and so, all students are expected to study at least one language at GCSE. Languages give students an edge in the job market and some of the top universities even ask for a language GCSE as an entry requirement for certain degrees. Students continue with the language studied in Year 9 and there is the option to choose both French and Spanish at GCSE. We encourage native students to take a GCSE in their own language to gain an extra qualification, for example, German, Portuguese, Turkish and Mandarin. Students sit four papers at GCSE: listening (25%), reading (25%), speaking (25%) and writing (25%). Languages are a tiered subject, meaning that students will either sit all four foundation papers or all four higher papers. This decision is made based on pupils’ attainment in the language, taking into account their progress at KS3 and KS4. Often language classes are set at GCSE, meaning there is a foundation tier class and a higher tier class. However there are also often mixed ability classes; this varies year to year, depending on the timetable. Both tiers study the same topics at GCSE, with the higher tier learning more tenses such as the pluperfect and more complex vocabulary. The higher and foundation exams differ in length and question type. At Holyport, we stretch and challenge the more able linguists whilst supporting those who find languages more challenging. Tasks are differentiated and effective feedback is given to pupils. From the outset, pupils are encouraged to be both independent and creative, using dictionaries to help them discover new vocabulary, but they are also provided with vocabulary booklets for each topic as an aide-memoire.
Topic
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Intereses e influencias
Ciudades
De costumbre
Interests and Hobbies
Cities
Daily Routine
Revision of freetime activities & present tense Using stemchanging verbs
Different types of entertainment
Places in a town & asking for directions
Pros and cons of a town
Describing meal times & daily routine
Using algunos/ otros/muchos/ demasiados
Shops and shopping for souvenirs
Using tan/tanto
Talking about illness- Using estar es & injuries Understanding adAsking for help at the jectives ending in – pharmacy ísimo
Using antonyms Describing the feaDescribing a visit in Agreeing & disagree- tures of a region using TV & films the past ing se puede/se pueden Nationality & adjecUsing different tenses Asking & responding tives Who inspires you together Summary of to questions What you usually Using the ‘he/she’ Content Extending spoken ando using suelo + form of the preterite Using the simple fuswers ture tense to plan infinitive tense what to do Revision of module 5 Sports using the Translating into (4 skills) present & imperfect English Shopping for clothes using demonstrative tenses Revision of module 4 adjectives What’s trending (4 skills) using the perfect tense
Comparing festivals Using verbs in the ‘we’ and ‘they’ form Describing a special day using the preterite tense
Talking about a music festival Saying ‘before/after’ doing something Using acabar de Revision of module 6 (4 skills)
1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation task
Weekly Prep Assessment
Typical foods using me gusta/me gustaría & quantity expressions
Ordering in a restaurant
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Listening and reading
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/spanish-2016.html
The start of Year 11 ties in the topic of careers, as students learn about part-time jobs, work experience, university and taking a gap year and discuss their hopes and ambitions. Often students start Year 11 and have not thought about their future in great detail, so by studying this topic in Spanish, it brings them to a greater realisation of what it is they would like to do as a career. By studying health and the environment, students can rely on their science and geography knowledge to talk about diet and natural disasters. The skills learnt in Spanish are transferable, most noticeably with regards to literacy, given that there is a strong emphasis on grammar. Pupils not only learn how to translate from English to Spanish, but also how to translate accurately into English.
Interventions begin at the beginning of Year 11 in languages. These are split into foundation interventions and higher interventions, allowing teachers to focus on relevant question types and grammar points for both tiers individually. Interventions are for small groups of students in co-curricular and they help to boost the students’ confidence in the language. Little and often is key to practising languages. Pupils are encouraged to practise languages outside of the classroom, whether it be on Quizlet, Active Learn, or by asking someone at home to test them each week for their vocabulary tests. Pupils are given a log in to Active Learn and shown how to use Quizlet and Word Reference. Making mind maps and flashcards and listening to Spanish are encouraged as useful tools for all year groups, particularly Year 11.
Term 1
Topic
A currar
Jobs
Healthy eating and diet-related problems
Using soler in the imperfect
Talking about global issues and using the present subjunctive
Using the preterite and Imperfect together
Talking about the importance of learning languages Using the present and present continuous Applying for a summer job Writing a formal letter Discussing gap years using the conditional Using the 24-hour clock Discussing future plans using the simple future and the sub-
Revision
GCSE Exams
Listening for high numbers Local actions
Commands in the subjunctive Healthy lifestyles
Mock feedback Revision of each module (1-8) Using the 4 skills (speaking, listening, reading & writing) Past papers, end of module tests etc.
Revision of each module (1-8) Using the 4 skills (speaking, listening, reading & writing) Past papers, end of module tests etc. Translation & literary questions booklets
Translation & literary questions booklets
Understanding different enses International sporting events Using the pluperfect tense Natural disasters Using the imperfect continuous
1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation task
Weekly Prep Assessment
Term 3
Environment
How you earn money and job preferences Talking about work experience
Summary of Content
Hacia un mundo mejor
Term 2
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/spanish-2016.html
“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 At A Level, students move from having 3 lessons of Spanish a week to 7 lessons. These are divided up by 2 teachers and focus on the skills of listening, reading, translation, speaking and writing, with 1 lesson devoted to speaking. These skills were previously taught at GCSE but there is now a focus on Spanish culture, both in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. Students need to keep up to date with Spanish current affairs and are encouraged to do both inside and outside of lessons by listening to and watching the news, podcasts and TV in Spanish. A number of students in Year 10, 11 and 12 have the opportunity to go to Valencia during half-term to stay in a boarding school and immerse themselves in Spanish culture. By attending Spanish lessons, learning how to cook typical Spanish dishes such as gazpacho and paella, and learning how to dance flamenco, students return having richly engaged with the Spanish way of life. In Year 12, students learn about the film Maria, llena eres de gracia. GCSE Spanish has more of a focus on Spain, so it is important for A Level students to learn about other Spanishspeaking countries. The film’s protagonist is a young female from Columbia and the main themes include poverty, gender inequality, drug trafficking and immigration. Students enjoy this film and it helps them in Year 13 when they study immigration in Spain and Latin America. Students are taught how to effectively analyse the main characters and themes in the film, selecting relevant quotations and evidence, and how to write an essay in Spanish. There is a focus on grammar at the start of Year 12, to consolidate all tenses taught at GCSE, as students move from writing 150 words in the higher GCSE writing paper to a 300 word essay in Spanish. Students also study the novel Como Agua Para Chocolate, based on the life of a young girl living on a farm with her traditionalist family during the Mexican Revolution. The main themes include Mexican culture and history, magical realism and freedom.
Both the film and the novel give students a further insight into Spanish culture, history and way of life.
Term 1 Gramática
Grammar Topic
Cómo analizar una película en español Introduction to film studies
Summary of Content
Term 2
Los valores tradicionales y modernos
La igualdad de los derechos
Traditional and modern values
Equality and rights
El ciberespacio
La influencia de los ídolos
The Internet
Role models
Intensive grammar including tenses, subjunctive, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs
Families now and in the past
How to analyse films
Marriage and divorce
Types of family units Influence of Catholicism
Influence of the Internet and social networking Influence of technology
Female equality
Term 3
La identidad regional en España Regional identity in Spain
Study of: Maria, llena eres de gracia (film)
El patrimonio cultural
Como Agua Para Chocolate (novel)
Cultural heritage
Individual Research Project (IRP)
Bullfighting
Analysis of characters, themes, contexts of the film and the novel.
Analysis of characters, themes, contexts of the film and the novel.
LGBT rights
Spanish food
Essay skills.
Essay skills.
Influence of singers and models
Different languages in Spain
Sporting role models
Peru
Women and the world of work
TV and cinema celebrities
Traditions and festivals
Revision of units 1-6. Introduction to IRP
Mexico Diversity of musical heritage Andalucía
Mobile phones Prep Assessment
Vocabulary test and written prep each week e.g. translation, comprehension, grammar exercises, essays End of topic tests including listening, reading, translation, speaking & writing
Mock exams
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/as-and-a-level/spanish-7692/specification-at-a-glance
In Year 13 Spanish, students move away from studying topics such as family life, role models and traditions in Spain and focus on current issues such as immigration, racism and monarchies. These topics require maturity and knowledge of current affairs in Spain, therefore students are encouraged to continue to keep up to date with the news both inside and outside the classroom. Students are introduced to websites such as El Mundo and El PaĂs to access real news articles. Such topics are discussed in class debates and they form the basis of speaking exams, translations, summaries, listening comprehensions and reading comprehensions. Year 13 revisits the grammar covered in Year 12 and students continue to study the film and novel over the course of the 2 years. At the end of Year 13, students will sit a speaking exam in Spanish (30% of their A Level), a listening, reading and writing exam (50%) and they will write an essay in Spanish on both the film and the novel (20%).
Term 1
La immigración Topic
Immigration El racismo Racism
Immigration in Spain
Illegal immigrants Mexican immigration to the USA Summary of Content
Racism and xenophobia in Spain Anti-racism measures in Latin America Anti-racism law in the Hispanic world
Prep Assessment
Term 2
La Convivencia y la integración Integration Jóvenes de hoy, ciudadanos de mañana Young people of today
Monarquías y dictaduras Monarchies and dictatorships Movimientos sociales
Evolution of the Spanish monarchy
Integration in the Spanish education system
El Franquismo
Attitudes to politics amongst young people Unemployment amongst young people
Revision of
Revision
Maria, llena eres de gracia and Como Agua Para Chocolate
A Level Exams
Social movements
Religious tolerance and coexistence
Integration and multiculturalism
Term 3
Latin American dictatorships
Analysis of characters, themes, contexts of the film and the novel.
Revision of all units and all skills.
Essay skills.
Trade unions Protest movements Strikes and demonstrations
The ideal society
Vocabulary test and written prep each week e.g. translation, comprehension, grammar exercises, essays End of topic tests https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/as-and-a-level/spanish-7692/specification-at-a-glance
At Holyport, typically the Year 9 intake from other schools will study French. The majority of pupils will have been introduced to French in Year 7 and 8, learning the basics including the present and past tenses. Year 9 French at Holyport starts with the topic of family and friends. This will be studied in more detail than in Year 7 and 8, but the basics are revisited to ensure that students with no prior knowledge are not disadvantaged.
Students learn how to recognise, form, speak and write in the present, past (perfect) and future tenses. Term 1 and 2 focuses on the students themselves and their families and hobbies, whereas term 3 introduces more French culture as students learn about French traditions and how events are celebrated in France, compared to the UK. Students particularly enjoy talking about their hobbies as they study a range of activities including sport, reading, TV, film and technology. Describing role models gives students the opportunity to discuss positive qualities and values.
Topic
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Qui suis-je ?
Le temps des loisirs
Jours ordinaires, jours de fĂŞte
Who am I
Hobbies
Celebrations
Family and describing people Places in town, activities and times What makes a good friend? Summary of Content
Using regular ER verbs in the present tense
The perfect tense Describing a day out Role models Using the present and perfect tenses together Revision of all of module 1 (4 skills)
Talking about TV programmes
Talking about food and meals
Films and going to the cinema
Using the comparative
Clothes and what to wear
Talking about sport
A night out with friends
Describing your daily life using devoir & pouvoir
Describing family celebrations using past, present and future tenses
Shopping for clothes using quel(s), quelle (s), ce/cet/cette/ces
Revision of all of module 3 (4 skills)
Using depuis + the present tense Using technology Irregular verbs in the present tense
Family relationships using reflexive verbs in the present tense
Developing the perfect tense Revision of all of module 2 (4 skills)
Reading habits and music
Making arrangements to go out using the near future tense
Shopping for a special meal using the present and near future tenses
Describing festivals and traditions Asking questions
Using negatives
1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation task
Prep Assessment
Revise leisure activities
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
At Holyport, we believe that all students should have the opportunity to study a language and gain a qualification, and so, all students are expected to study at least one language at GCSE. Languages give students an edge in the job market and some of the top universities even ask for a language GCSE as an entry requirement for certain degrees. Students continue with the language studied in Year 9 and there is the option to choose both French and Spanish at GCSE. We encourage native students to take a GCSE in their own language to gain an extra qualification, for example, German, Portuguese, Turkish and Mandarin. Students sit four papers at GCSE: listening (25%), reading (25%), speaking (25%) and writing (25%). Languages are a tiered subject, meaning that students will either sit all four foundation papers or all four higher papers. This decision is made based on pupils’ attainment in the language, taking into account their progress at KS3 and KS4. Often language classes are set at GCSE, meaning there is a foundation tier class and a higher tier class. However there are also often mixed ability classes; this varies year to year, depending on the timetable. At Holyport, we stretch and challenge the more able linguists whilst supporting those who find languages more challenging. Tasks are differentiated and effective feedback is given to pupils. From the outset, pupils are encouraged to be both independent and creative, using dictionaries to help them discover new vocabulary, but they are also provided with vocabulary booklets for each topic as an aide-memoire.
Topic
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
De la ville Ă la campagne
Le grand large
Au collège
Town and Country
Holidays
School
Where you live, weather and transport
Discussing plans and the weather using the simple future
Describing a town and asking the way
Describing community projects using the present, past and future tenses
Describing a region using the pronoun y Summary of Content
Using negatives Discussing what to see and do
Revision of module 4 using 4 skills
What you normally do on holiday
Travelling and using avant de
Revising school subjects
Getting the best out of school
Talking about past, present and future holidays
Buying souvenirs and using demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
Talking about your school
Using the imperative
An ideal holiday using the conditional Booking and reviewing hotels Using reflexive verbs in the perfect tense
Asking questions using quell/quelle/ quells/quelles
Holiday disasters using the pluperfect Revision of module 5 using 4 skills
Ordering in a restaurant
Using il and elle Comparing French and UK schools Using ils and elles
Talking about a school exchange using 3 tenses
Revision of module 6 using 4 skills
Discussing school rules using il faut and il est interdit de
Using en + past participle 1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation tasks
Prep Assessment
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
Listening and reading
Speaking and writing
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/french-2016.html
The start of Year 11 introduces the topic of careers, as students learn about part-time jobs, work experience, university and taking a gap year and discuss their hopes and ambitions. Often students start Year 11 and have not thought about their future in great detail, so by studying this topic in French, it brings them to a greater realisation of what it is they would like to do as a career. By studying health and the environment, students can rely on their science and geography knowledge to talk about diet and natural disasters. The skills learnt in French are transferable, most noticeably with regards to literacy, given that there is a strong emphasis on grammar. Pupils not only learn how to translate from English to French, but also how to translate accurately into English.
Interventions begin at the beginning of Year 11 in languages. These are split into foundation interventions and higher interventions, allowing teachers to focus on relevant question types and grammar points for both tiers individually. Interventions are for small groups of students in co-curricular and they help to boost the students’ confidence in the language. Little and often is key to practising languages. Pupils are encouraged to practise languages outside of the classroom, whether it be on Quizlet, Active Learn, or by asking someone at home to test them each week for their vocabulary tests. Pupils are given a log in to Active Learn and shown how to use Quizlet and Word Reference. Making mind maps and flashcards and listening to French are encouraged as useful tools for all year groups, particularly Year 11. They then begin their journey of revision, consolidating all four skills, enhancing exam technique through past papers and mock exams.
Term 1
Bon travail
Topic
Work Jobs Better/worse/the best/the worst thing Understanding the subjunctive Talking about future plans and wishes
Summary of Content
Discussing the importance of languages using adverbs Applying for jobs Using direct object pronouns in the perfect tense Preparation for mock speaking exam
Prep
Regular past papers & end of module tests. Assessment
Term 2
Un oeil sur le monde
Revision
Environment Discussing problems facing the world How to protect the environment Using pouvoir and devoir in the conditional
Term 3
GCSE EXAMS
Mock feedback Revision of each module (1-8) Using the 4 skills (speaking, listening, reading & writing) – past papers, end of module tests etc Translation & literary questions booklets
Discussing ethical shopping using the passive Talking about volunteering Using indirect object pronouns Discussing big events Giving arguments for and against Revision of modules 1-8 1 vocab test a week + 1 reading/written/translation task Mock Listening, Reading Regular past papers GCSE Speaking Examiand Writing Exams: Jan & end of module tests nations
GCSE Examinations
Mock Speaking Exams: Dec
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/french-2016.html
“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 At A Level, students move from having 3 lessons of French a week to 7 lessons. These are divided up by 2 teachers and focus on the skills of listening, reading, translation, speaking and writing, with 1 lesson devoted to speaking. These skills were previously taught at GCSE but there is now a focus on French culture, both in France and French-speaking countries. Students are exposed to much more authentic material and academic language through the skills of reading, listening, writing, speaking and translating. Grammar learnt at Key Stage 4 is further enhanced and consolidated with the introduction of more complex tenses such as the subjunctive. In Year 12,we study the film La Haine, based on the lives of 3 young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot. The main themes include power, poverty, the police, crime and social classes. Students enjoy this film and it ties in with important themes in Year 13 such as adolescents, crime and marginalised societies. Students are taught how to effectively analyse the main characters and themes in the film, selecting relevant quotations and evidence, and how to write an essay in French. There is a focus on grammar at the start of Year 12, to consolidate all tenses taught at GCSE, as students move from writing 150 words in the higher GCSE writing paper to a 300 word essay in French. In Year 12, students also study the famous novel L’Étranger, which follows the life of a young man living in Algiers in the 1940s. The main themes include the meaning of life, the absurd, relationships and the justice system. Students use the same skills to analyse the film as they do the novel, focusing on the main characters and themes, historical context and the author, Camus. Both the film and the novel give students a further insight into French culture, history and way of life.
Term 1
Topic
Grammaire Grammar
Intensive grammar including tenses, subjunctive, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs Summary of Content
Term 2
La famille en voie de changement The evolution of families
Le rôle du bénévolat Voluntary work
La cybersociété
Une culture fière de son patrimoine
Cybertechnology
Cultural Heritage
Different family units
Marriage
Helping the less fortunate How volunteering transforms lives
Problems Technology in daily life and teenagers
Tourism & cultural heritage
Dangers in technology
Architecture and food
Term 3
La musique francophone contemporaine
French music
Study of La Haine and L’Étranger
Study of La Haine and L’Étranger
Cinéma : le septième art Cinema
Individual Research Project (IRP)
Study of La Haine (film) and L’Étranger Contemporary French music & its popularity African & French music
Analysis of characters, themes, contexts of the film and the novel. Essay skills.
Cinema as a 7th Art The history of cinema
Analysis of characters, themes, contexts of the film and the novel. Essay skills. Revision of units 1-6. Introduction to IRP.
How cinema has evolved in France
Prep Assessment
Vocabulary test and written prep each week e.g. translation, comprehension, grammar exercises, essays End of topic tests including listening, reading, translation, speaking & writing
Mock exams
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/as-and-a-level/french-7652/specification-at-a-glance
In Year 13 French, students move away from studying topics such as family life, cultural heritage and music and focus on current issues such as crime, politics and immigration. These topics require maturity and knowledge of current affairs in France, therefore students are encouraged to continue to keep up to date with the news both inside and outside the classroom, by listening to and watching the news, podcasts and TV in French. Students are introduced to websites such as Le Monde and Le Figaro to access real news articles. Such topics are discussed in class debates and they form the basis of speaking exams, translations, summaries, listening comprehensions and reading comprehensions. Year 13 revisits the grammar covered in Year 12 and students continue to study the film and novel over the course of the 2 years. At the end of Year 13, students will sit a speaking exam in French (30% of their A Level), a listening, reading and writing exam (50%) and they will write an essay in French on both the film and the novel (20%).
Term 1 Les aspects positifs d’une société diverse Topic
A diverse society Quelle vie en France pour les marginalisés? Marginalised people in society
Summary of Content
Prep Assessment
Origins of multiculturalism Multiculturalism – a success or failure? The influence of Canada and France Social exclusion and inclusion How marginalised people are treated
Term 2
Comment on traite les criminels Crime Les ados, le droit de vote et l’engagement politique Young people and politics Prison Views on criminality Prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration Young people’s views of politics The right to vote Does the EU have a future?
Term 3
Manifestations et grèves - à qui le pouvoir? Demonstrations and strikes La politique et l’immigration
Revision of La Haine and L’Étranger
Revision for A Level Exams Final Exams
Politics and immigration Trade unions Strikes and reactions to strikes The evolution of immigration Political parties and immigration
Analysis of characters, themes, contexts of the film and the novel.
Revision of all units and all skills.
Essay skills.
Vocabulary test and written prep each week e.g. translation, comprehension, grammar exercises, essays End of topic tests
GCSE Exams
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/as-and-a-level/french-7652/specification-at-a-glance
Alongside developing their knowledge base over time, students will be simultaneously acquiring the skills required to demonstrate this knowledge and further deepen their learning. The interplay between skills and knowledge is important, not just for examination success but also to allow students to develop as confident and independent learners. The following skills are developed within each student's journey through the Modern Foreign Languages curriculum and are assessed regularly throughout the academic year:
Listening
- Extract and evaluate information in longer passages - Contemporary and cultural themes - Understanding different types of spoken language - Combination of complex tenses and grammatical structures - Interpreting uncommon vocabulary - Very accurate synopsis of a longer text into a summary. - Very good time-management skills, controlling own listening tracks.
Reading
- Draw inferences from a range of longer texts, including extracts from literary texts. -Recognise and respond to key information, being able to extract information and answer questions in TL and English -Understand a combination of complex tenses and grammatical structures and some unfamiliar material -Translate a passage from TL into English and English into TL, adhering to a rigid mark scheme -Very accurate synopsis of a longer text into a summary.
Speaking
- Delivery is fluent throughout - Ideas and opinions expressed are nearly always developed, Independently of prompts - Appropriate responses are given to all unpredictable elements - Very good understanding of the material - Wide range of vocabulary, complex language and a good knowledge of appropriate idiom are demonstrated - Highly accurate application of grammar - Pronunciation and intonation are very good - Very good critical and analytical response - Very good knowledge and understanding of those aspects of the sub-theme covered in the discussion - Students consistently select relevant information to support their arguments - They consistently use appropriate evidence to justify their conclusions, demonstrating a very good evaluation of the sub-theme
Writing
- Language produced is mainly accurate with only occasional minor errors - Consistently secure grasp of grammar and is able to manipulate complex language accurately - Uses a wide range of vocabulary appropriate to the context and the task - Excellent critical and analytical response to the question set - Knowledge of the text or film is consistently accurate and detailed - Opinions, views and conclusions are consistently supported by relevant and appropriate evidence from the text or film - Essay demonstrates excellent evaluation of the issues, themes and the cultural and social contexts of the text or film studied.
Link to full A Level and GCSE Skills Assessment Grid for Modern Foreign Languages