Modern Foreign Languages

Students use the Viva and Dyamo course books and receive 3 lessons per fortnight in either French or Spanish during years 7, 8, and 9. Over the academic year, they complete 5 modules, with assessments at the end of each module covering selected areas among speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Terms 1 & 2

• Module 1: La rentrée (The start of the school year): This module introduces students to French with greetings, the alphabet, numbers, and basic descriptions of themselves and others. They will also learn about family, friends, pets, and their homes.
• Module 2: En classe (In class): This module covers school subjects, daily routines and school uniform. Students will learn to give opinions on their subjects and talk about their school day.

Terms 3 & 4

• Module 3: Mon temps libre (My free time): This module focuses on leisure activities, including sports, music, and other hobbies. Students will also learn how to tell the time.
• Module 4: Ma vie de famille (My family life): This section covers talking about family members and their daily lives.

Terms 5 & 6

• Module 5: En ville (In town): The curriculum will move on to talking about food, meals, and ordering in a café. Students will also learn about holidays and celebrations, including how to describe a past holiday.

Medium Term Plans

Term 1
Identity and Culture
Term 2
Current, Future Study and Employment
Term 4
Local National and Global Areas of Interest

Terms 1 & 2

• Module 1: Mi vida (My life): This module introduces students to Spanish with greetings, the alphabet, and numbers. They'll learn to describe themselves and others, talk about their age and birthday, and discuss family and pets.
• Module 2: Mi tiempo libre (My free time): This module covers hobbies, free-time activities like singing and playing sports, and talking about the weather. Students will learn to express their likes and dislikes and talk about what they do in their spare time.

Terms 3 & 4

• Module 3: Mi insti (My school): This module focuses on school life, including subjects, daily routines, and describing their school. Students will learn to give opinions on their subjects and talk about their school day.
• Module 4: Mi familia y mis amigos (My family and my friends): This section covers talking about family members, describing their appearance, and discussing their home. It also includes learning about a Spanish festival, El carnaval en Cádiz.

Terms 5 & 6

• Module 5: Mi ciudad (My city): The curriculum moves on to describing a town or village, telling the time, and ordering in a café. Students will also learn to discuss what they are going to do at the weekend and learn about Spanish festivals and holidays, including the Día de los Muertos.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Current and Future Study and Employment
Term 4
Identity and Culture

Terms 1 & 2

• Module 1: Vive les vacances! (Long live the holidays!): Students will learn how to talk about what they did during their holidays using the past tense (passé composé).
• Module 2: J'adore les fêtes! (I love festivals!): This module covers French festivals and special days. Students will continue to practice the past tense and will also learn to talk about future plans using the near future tense (le futur proche).

Terms 3 & 4

• Module 3: À loisir (At leisure): The focus shifts to talking about leisure time, digital technology, and media. Students will learn to express opinions on celebrities, TV shows, and online activities.
• Module 4: Le monde est petit (It's a small world): Students will learn to describe where they live and their local area, including giving directions. They will also talk about their daily routines and household chores.

Terms 5 & 6

• Module 5: Le sport en direct (Sport live): This section covers sports, hobbies, and healthy living. Students will learn to give opinions on different sports and discuss injuries and doctor visits. The curriculum will conclude with a focus on future plans, including career aspirations, consolidating the use of the near future tense.

Medium Term Plans

Term 1
Identity and Culture
Term 2
Local, National, International & Global Areas of Interest
Term 3
Identity and Culture
Term 4
Local National and Global Areas of Interest

Terms 1 & 2

• Module 1: Mis vacaciones (My holidays): This module focuses on talking about past holidays using the preterite tense. Students will learn to describe what they did and what their holiday was like, and also discuss holiday destinations.
• Module 2: Todo sobre mi vida (All about my life): This module covers discussing daily life, including mobile phone use, types of music, and watching TV. Students will learn to express a range of opinions and talk about what they did yesterday using the present and preterite tenses.

Terms 3 & 4

• Module 3: ¡A comer! (Let's eat!): This module focuses on food and mealtime. Students will learn to say what food they like, describe mealtimes, order in a restaurant, and discuss what they will buy for a party using the near future tense.
• Module 4: ¿Qué hacemos? (What are we doing?): This module covers making plans to go out, arranging to go to the cinema, making excuses, and describing clothing and outfits. Students will also learn about different sports events.

Terms 5 & 6

• Module 5: Operación verano (Operation summer): This module focuses on holidays and summer activities. Students will learn to describe a holiday home, talk about holiday activities, and ask for directions. They will also discuss summer camps and describe a town in their area.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Y8 - Identity and Culture

Terms 1 & 2

• Module 1: Mon monde à moi (My world): Students will learn to talk about their school, daily life, and the people who are important to them. This will also include an introduction to the imperfect tense to describe past habits.
• Module 2: Projets d'avenir (Future plans): This module focuses on discussing future plans and ambitions.

Terms 3 & 4

• Module 3: Ma vie en musique (My life in music): This module covers free time and entertainment, including social media, cinema, and music. Students will learn to discuss their preferences and give opinions on various forms of entertainment.
• Module 4: Le meilleur des mondes (The best of all worlds): This section focuses on food, healthy eating habits, and shopping. The curriculum will also cover the topic of future plans and ambitions related to lifestyle and careers.

Terms 5 & 6

• Module 5: Le monde francophone (The French-speaking world): The curriculum covers vocabulary related to clothes, fashion, and shopping. This final section introduces students to environmental issues, global concerns, and charity work. The curriculum concludes with a consolidation of all grammar points and a focus on expressing more complex ideas.

Medium Term Plans
Term 1
Identity and Culture
Term 2
Local, National, International & Global Areas of Interest
Term 3
Current and Future Study and Employment
Term4
Local National and Global Areas of Interest

Terms 1 & 2

• Module 1: Somos así (That's what we're like): This module focuses on talking about personal likes, weekly routines, and films. Students will learn to talk about a birthday using the preterite tense and discuss what it's like to be a celebrity.
• Module 2: ¡Oriéntate! (Find your way!): This module covers jobs and future aspirations. Students will learn to say what they have to do at work, express what job they would like to do, and talk about their future using the near future tense. They will also learn how to describe a typical day.

Terms 3 & 4

• Module 3: En forma (In shape): This module focuses on health and fitness. Students will learn to talk about their diet and an active lifestyle, discuss their daily routine using reflexive verbs, and talk about ailments and how they feel.
• Module 4: Jóvenes en acción (Young people in action): This module covers social and global issues. Students will learn to discuss children's rights, fair trade, and recycling. They will also talk about how a town has changed and practice writing about fundraising.

Terms 5 & 6

• Module 5: Una aventura en Madrid (An adventure in Madrid): This module focuses on travel and a city break in Madrid. Students will learn how to greet people, talk about a treasure hunt, and discuss buying souvenirs. They will also learn how to say what they will do tomorrow using the simple future tense.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Identity and Culture
Term 4
Local, national, international and global areas of interest
 

At KS4 (years 10 and 11), students follow the Viva and Pearson AQA course books, with 5 lessons per fortnight. Across the two years, they complete 8 modules, each concluding with an assessment in selected areas from speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students prepare for the AQA French Exam and AQA Spanish Exam.

AQA French Exam

AQA Spanish Exam

Terms 1 &2: GCSE Theme 1 – People and Lifestyle, Theme 2 – Popular culture, Theme 3 - Communication and the world around us.

• Module 1: Tu as du temps à perdre? (Do you have time to waste?): This module focuses on personal identity and relationships. You'll cover topics like family, friends, relationships, and marriage. This is where you learn to describe yourself and others and talk about your relationships and future plans.

Grammar: A strong foundation is built here with a focus on consolidating the present and perfect tenses and introducing the future tense to discuss plans. You'll also practice using a wider range of adjectives (adjectival agreement) and opinion verbs.

• Module 2: Mon clan, ma tribu (My clan, my tribe): This module covers free-time activities and technology. You'l expand your vocabulary to talk about hobbies and interests, including music, cinema, TV, food, and sports. You'll also learn to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of social media and mobile technology.

Grammar: This module revisits and reinforces the perfect tense with a focus on irregular verbs. You'll also use the near future tense (aller + infinitive) and begin to use pronouns (y and en) and conjunctions to create more detailed sentences.

Terms 3 & 4: GCSE Theme 1- People and Lifestyle

• Module 3: Ma vie scolaire (My school life): This module prepares you to talk about your academic life. You'll cover subjects, teachers, school rules, and your post-16 education plans. It is a key part of the speaking exam.

Grammar: You will be expected to use all the tenses you have learned (present, perfect, future, conditional, imperfect) to discuss your school life. You will also expand your vocabulary for school subjects and activities.

• Module 4: En pleine forme! (In great shape!): This module focuses on social and global issues, specifically healthy living and the environment. You'll develop the ability to give and justify your opinions on complex topics like diet, exercise, and how to protect the environment.

Grammar: This module consolidates the imperfect and conditional tenses to form complex arguments. The subjunctive mood may also be introduced for more advanced students to express opinions or necessity.

Terms 5 & 6: GCSE Theme 3 – Communications and the world around us, Theme 2 –Popular Culture

• Module 5: Numéro vacances! (Holiday number!): This module is all about travel and tourism. You will learn to describe past holidays and talk about your future holiday plans, including where you went, what you did, and how you travelled.

Grammar: A key grammar point here is the conditional tense to talk about an "ideal" holiday. You will also use the imperfect tense to describe what a place "used to be like" and practice comparative and superlative adjectives to make comparisons.

Medium Term Plans
Term 1
Identity and Culture
Term 2
Identity and Culture
Term 3
Identity and Culture
Term 4
Local National and Global Areas of Interest

Terms 1 & 2: GCSE Theme 2 – Popular culture, Theme 3 Communication and the
world around us

• Module 1: ¡Diviértete! (Have fun!): This module focuses on the theme of "People and lifestyle" and "Communication and the world around us". You will learn to talk about Spanish-speaking sports stars and your life online. The goal is to express your opinion and talk about free-time activities.

Grammar: The grammar points for this module include using adjectives and revising the present tense. You will also practice using the near future tense (with ir a + infinitive) and the correct use of adverbs with opinion verbs.

• Module 2: Viajes (Travels): This module is all about travel and holidays and focuses on the themes of "Communication and the world around us" and "Popular culture". You'll learn how to talk about past holidays and describe a photo. Key sub-topics include discussing travel plans and describing what you did on a holiday.

Grammar: You will learn to use comparatives and superlatives to make comparisons. This module focuses heavily on the preterite tense and the imperfect tense. You will also use the gerund (e.g., estoy viajando).

Terms 3 & 4: GCSE Theme 1 People and lifestyle, Theme 2 – Popular culture, Theme 3 Communication and the world around us

• Module 3: Mi gente, mi mundo (My people, my world): This module is all about "People and lifestyle" and "Communication and the world around us". You will talk about your family, friends, and celebrities, as well as your personal identity. You will also learn to express what matters to you.

Grammar: A core focus is on possessive adjectives and the use of reflexive verbs to talk about yourself. This module also introduces the use of pronouns and the verb ser for physical descriptions and location.

• Module 4: Mi estilo de vida (My lifestyle): This module focuses on health and lifestyle, covering typical foods in Spanish-speaking countries, discussing illnesses and injuries, and giving advice to others. You'll learn to talk about your daily routines and compare old and new habits.

Grammar: The grammar points include using adjectives and indefinite adjectives. You'll practice using the present tense and the preterite tense to talk about illnesses. A key part of this module is using the imperfect tense to describe what you used to do.

Terms 5 & 6: GCSE Theme 1 People and Lifesyle

• Module 5: ¡A clase! (To class): This module prepares you to talk about your academic life. You'll learn about schools in Spain and talk about a typical day at school. You'll also discuss your studies and your opinions on your school, including how you would change it.

Grammar: You will learn to use relative pronouns (like que, donde, cuando) and impersonal verbs. This module also introduces absolute superlatives (e.g. riquísimo) and the conditional tense to talk about hypothetical situations.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Identity and Culture
Term 4
Identity and Culture

Terms 1 & 2: GCSE Theme 3 – Communication and the world around us, Theme 2 - Popular culture

• Module 6: Notre planète (Our planet): This module focuses on environmental issues. You'll learn to discuss topics like sustainable living, climate change, and how to protect the environment. This is where you'll develop your ability to give and justify opinions on global issues.

Grammar: You will consolidate the conditional tense to talk about what should be done, and the imperative to give advice or instructions.

• Module 7: Mon petit monde à moi (My own little world): This module is all about your immediate surroundings. You will learn to describe your house, your town, and your local area. It also covers discussing the pros and cons of living there and what there is to do.

Grammar: You'll use a variety of tenses, including the imperfect tense to describe what a place "used to be like" and practice using prepositions of place.

Terms 3 & 4: GCSE Theme 1 – People and Lifestyle, Theme 2 Popular culture

• Module 8: Mes projets d’avenir (My future plans): This module covers the world of work and future ambitions. You will learn to discuss post-16 education, career choices, and what you'll do after you finish your studies.

Grammar: This is a module for consolidation. You'll practice all previous grammar, including the future tense and conditional tense, to express future plans and hypothetical career choices. You will also learn more vocabulary related to different professions.

Medium Term Plans
Term 1
Current and Future Study and Employment
Term 2
Current and Future Study and Employment
Term 3
Y11 - Local, National, International and Global Areas of Interest

Terms 1 & 2: GCSE Theme 3 – Communication & the world around us.

• Module 6: Mi barrio y yo (My neighbourhood and I): This module is about your community and neighbourhood. You'll learn to describe cities and towns, give preferences about where you live, and discuss what places have been like in the past. You will also learn about cultural exchange.

Grammar: You will learn to recognise demonstrative adjectives and use prepositions of place. The module also focuses on using the present subjunctive to express preferences and comparisons to talk about different places. You will also practice using the imperfect tense to describe how a place has changed over time.

• Module 7: Un mundo mejor para todos (A better world for everyone): This module focuses on global issues, including natural wonders, how to help your community, and environmental concerns like climate change.

Grammar: You will learn to use pronouns with prepositions, the imperative to give
commands, and the passive voice. You will also use the imperfect continuous tense and the present subjunctive to give opinions.

Terms 3 & 4: GCSE Theme 1 – People and Lifestyle

• Module 8: El futuro te espera (The future awaits you): This final module is all about the future and focuses on your aspirations. You'll talk about your future career plans, work experience, and the importance of learning languages.

Grammar: The grammar points include using possessive pronouns, prepositions followed by the infinitive, and modal verbs. You will also learn to use different verb forms to express your plans and the present subjunctive after para que.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Y11 - Local, National, International and Global Areas of Interest

In KS3 homework is set once a fortnight.  Students will use the digital platforms Duolingo, Quizlet and SENECA to support their linguistic skills. All assignments will be set on Google Classroom and students will be given one week to complete them.

In KS4 homework is set once a week. Students will be set Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing exam style questions through the digital platforms Quizlet, SENECA and BBC Bitesize. All assignments will be set on Google Classroom and students will be given one week to complete them.

A significant number of our students speak another language at home - a community language - in addition to English. There are GCSE courses available in many of these languages, which will give students recognition of their prowess in their community language. 

Like the languages that we teach at GCSE at PCS, these GCSE courses all include a requirement to be able to speak, listen, read and write to the same standard as other GCSE languages.

Although we do not deliver teaching of community languages, we are able to support students through the completion of the specification and are able to arrange for them to sit the GCSE examination at school.

Languages Available

Unfortunately, not all community languages have GCSEs available, but if you are proficient in any of the languages listed, we may be able to help you sit your GCSE. All these languages count in the EBacc element.

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Chinese (Mandarin)
• Dutch
• Greek (Classical or Modern)
• Gujurati
• Hebrew (Biblical or Modern)
• Italian
• Japanese
• Latin
• Modern Hebrew
• Panjabi
• Persian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Turkish

For further information, please speak to Ms Turner:

josie.turner@swale.at

Text books

KS3 French Studio 1, 2, 3
KS3 Spanish Viva 1,2,3
KS4 French Studio AQA
KS4 Spanish Viva AQA

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.