Modern Foreign Languages

Subject Overview

We are a highly motivated faculty teaching French or Spanish to our students who regularly perform well. We believe that at PCS language learning is promoted with a fun, creative and enthusiastic approach. With the implementation of the new curriculum, students are given every opportunity to develop their language skills and succeed in using the foreign language purposefully and creatively. In order to ensure all of our learners experience success and a sense of achievement we

• promote a positive ethos towards learning a new language.
• deliver our lessons in the target language.
• tailor-make resources to suit the needs of all pupils.
• encourage students to build language up at the level appropriate to them.
• enable students to manipulate texts to ensure a clear understanding.
• give students the confidence to present language to groups of students confidently using power point.
• concentrate on all 4 skills equally - listening, reading, writing and speaking.
• provide opportunities for our students to use ICT to enhance learning.
• use film/DVD where appropriate to extend cultural knowledge as well as linguistic capabilities.
• ensure our AGAT learners are catered for
• provide extra-curricular experiences to enhance learning in the classroom

We undertake collaborative planning and creation of resources to ensure consistency across the faculty. We provide flexibility to provide for all of our learners' needs.

Thoughts from students at PCS who have chosen Languages as an option at GCSE:

"I really enjoy languages"
"It opens up your mind to other cultures than just your own"
"it’s hard but very rewarding, it shows strength of character"
"As long as you work hard it’s fine"
"Adopt a growth mind set – you might think you can’t do it but there’s always a way!"
"The teachers help you to succeed"
"I want to have a language on my CV to make me more employable"
"I want to go to University it’ll look good on my application form"
"I want to travel and I want to be able to talk to people"

Teaching and Learning

The MFL Faculty delivers either French or Spanish for 4 hours a fortnight to all students in years 7 and 8. At the end of year 7 our more able learners can apply to become part of the year 8 PCS Baccalaureate stream. The expectation is that they will then continue with the language they are following in year 9. In year 9 all students have the opportunity to start the GCSE course in either French or Spanish. This takes up 4/5 hours of curriculum time a fortnight. They then continue with this language throughout years 10 and 11. At KS4 students are currently working towards the Eduquas GCSE exam.

Year 7 - KS3

Terms 1 and 2
All about meGreetings / Name/ Age/ Birthday/ Days of week/ Months of year/ Pets/ Brothers and sisters/ Family Members/ Introduction of the third person/ Introduction to simple opinions/ Classroom commands

Terms 3
House and home and familyTown/ Types of housing/ Location of housing/ Rooms in the house/ Furniture/ Family members/ Adjectives/ Opinion phrases/ Connectives/ Time words

Terms 4
My SchoolSchool Equipment & Golden 6/ Subjects/ Teachers/ Complex opinions/ Likes/dislikes /Adjectives /Opinion phrases/ Connectives/ Quantifiers/ Time words/ Lesson times – on the hour

Term 5
Sports /hobbies
Different sports/preferences/reasons why/frequency/future sporting projects/ Hobbies/ Free time activities/ Use of opinions + infinitive verbs

Term 6
Weather
Weather in the present and future tense/ Complex opinions/ Points of the compass/

Year 8

Term 1
Nationalities and countries
Cultural knowledge of towns/places in France/Spain/ other French/Spanish speaking countries

Term 2
Food and Drink/Healthy living
Food types/Giving advice/ Healthy eating/ Healthy lifestyles/ Comparisons

Term 3
Going out /places in town
Places/Directions/Role plays

Term 4
Holidays
Where – countries/ When – dates/ How – transports/ For how long – frequency/ Who with – possessives/ Leisure activities/ Food and drinks/ Shopping/ Weather/ Opinions/ (Use of past tense with ‘avoir’ and with ‘etre’)/ Future tense/ Making plans for your next holiday

Term 5
Sickness and /Body parts
At the doctors

Term 6
Clothes
shopping/school uniform pros and cons

KS4 Course(s) offered

We start the GCSE Eduqas Text book in year 9 where we begin to prepare students for the demands of the GCSE exams. Students will be expected to take 4 exams which test their Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing skills at the end of year 11.

Year 9-11

We start the GCSE Eduqas Text book in year 9 where we begin to prepare students for the demands of the GCSE exams. Students will be expected to take 4 exams which test their Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing skills at the end of year 11.

Identity and Culture
- Youth Culture
- Customs and Traditions

Local, National, International and Global areas of interest
- Travel and Transport
- Holidays and Tourism
- Environment

Current and Future Study and Employment
- School/College life
- Work Experience and Part time jobs
- Jobs and Future plans

Assessment

At KS3 students will be regularly assessed in all 4 skills, with lots of short in class tests as well as longer more formal assessments which will be graded in line with the new GCSE requirements. Passport tasks will also form part of assessment. Students are working towards a final exam in all skill areas. 25% Speaking, 25% Listening, 25% Reading and 25% Writing.

Homework

Homework is set once a fortnight in years 7 and 8 and once a week in years 9,10 and 11 in accordance with the homework timetable. Students are encouraged to use their independent skills when completing homework and examples of KS3 homework tasks set are.. ‘To teach somebody at home a language structure/range of new vocabulary, complete worksheets relating to previous lessons work to consolidate learning, create a resource to enable the class to recall vocabulary or to revise recently taught vocabulary to be tested in class. KS4 homework tasks are related to GCSE tasks. There is also an expectation that students will learn new vocabulary independently to be regularly tested.

Homework is easily accessible to students through Show my Homework: https://peacehaven.showmyhomework.co.uk

Helpful weblinks

Websites (most of these can be downloaded onto a Smartphone):

• www.vocabexpress.com All KS4 students have their own username and password
• www.linguascope.com - French beginners or Intermediate - Username: peacehaven
Password: (This is in your planner)
• http://www.wjec.co.uk/index.php?subject=103
• http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc-home/vtc-ks4-home/vtc-ks4-French
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/french/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french
• http://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/qualification-resources.html?pastpaper=true&subject=Spanish&level=gcse
• https://hwb.wales.gov.uk/Find%20it/Pages/Home.aspx
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/spanish/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish
• Quizlet – tailor made resources by staff relevant to vocabulary areas students struggle to recall

Free phone apps to download:
• Yabla
• Duolingo
• Busuu
• VocabExpress & Linguascope

REVISION GUIDES:
Are available to purchase £5.00 for a guide and a workbook. The workbook is extremely useful as it has GCSE graded questions and is self-marking as well as having lots of listening activities - an area the students still find very difficult, but they can work through them at their own pace. They can redo these as many times as they need to.

Teaching Staff

Kate Hayhurst - Head of Modern Foreign Languages - kate.hayhurst@swale.at
Javier De la Torre - Modern Foreign Languages Teacher - javier.delatorre@swale.at
JosieTurner - Assistant Head Teacher - Teaching & Learning & Languages - josie.turner@swale.at