MFL
Curriculum Intent
Learning a new language is a wonderful benefit in a globalized world.
In today’s increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill that gives you the opportunity to engage with the world in a more immediate and meaningful way, while better preparing you to compete and succeed in the global economy.
Learning a language improves your memory, enhances your ability to multitask and improves your performance in other academic areas.
The aim of the MFL curriculum is to provide students with the skills required to communicate in Spanish at Foundation, Keystone years, GCSE and A Level, through teaching the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, whilst covering a range of topics and encouraging a positive approach towards multiculturalism.
During the Foundation years, students begin to speak, read, write and listen in Spanish. They become familiar with phonics, grammar, and vocabulary increasing confidence and competence to express themselves.
During the Keystone and GCSE years, students follow the AQA syllabus, building on Foundation skills and developing a more extensive grasp of grammar and a wider range of expressions.
At A level, students are assessed in speaking, listening, reading, writing and translation as well as cinematic and literary analysis. Students develop a deeper understanding of social-economic- political issues related to Hispanic countries, whilst broadening their understanding of grammar. Through the use of a wide range of authentic resources, students increase their mastery and autonomy with a sophisticated range of linguistic tools.
French
Foundation Years: Year 7 and 8
Year 7
- About Me (Introduction of French phonics, to be, to have, adjectives, negative)
- Hobbies and free time (Introduction of -er verbs, to do, opinions, frequency words)
- House and town (Introduction of to go and prepositions, near future)
- School (Introduction to the time, reflexive verbs)
Year 8
- Celebration (Develop near future, negative forms, present tenses and adjectives)
- Holidays (Develop present tense of irregular verbs, opinions, introduce perfect tense)
- Tv/ cinema and technology (Develop justified opinions, introduce pronouns, master near future)
Keystone Year: Year 9
- Me, my family, and friends (master irregular verbs in the present, develop the perfect tense, introduce the imperfect, expressing time length: for/since)
- Leisure activities (Develop pronouns, modal verbs, comparative, superlative)
- Celebrations and traditions (Introduce future tense, develop perfect, imperfect)
GCSES: Year 10 and 11
Exam Board: AQA
Year 10
- My local area (Introduce pronouns y/en, develop the negative with 3 timeframes)
- Holidays (Introduce the conditional and pluperfect, develop reflexive verbs)
- School (introduce structures: avant de/après, il faut que)
Year 11
- The world of work (Develop irregular superlative, introduce the subjunctive, master pronouns, master past, present, future tenses)
- Global issues (Develop and master pronouns, master tenses)
A level: Year 12 and 13
Exam Board: Edexcel Pearson
Year 12
- Changes in French society (Master tenses, interrogatives, pronouns, passive voice)
- Politic and artistic culture in the French speaking world (introduce the past historic, develop subjunctive, master reflexive verbs, adverbs, negatives, present and past participles)
Year 13
- Immigration and French multicultural society (Introduce and develop direct and indirect speech, master all pronouns, passive voice)
- Occupation and resistance (Master all tenses, subjunctive, develop past historic, prepositional verbs)
Spanish
Foundation Years: Year 7 and 8
Year 7
- Personal introduction (introduction of Spanish Phonics)
- Family (introduction of verbs “ser” and “tener”)
- Free time activities (introduction of verbs “jugar” vs “practicar” and present tense)
- Home (introduction of prepositions)
- Town and area (introduction of giving and understanding directions)
- School (introduction of giving and understanding of time and immediate future)
Year 8
- Diet and health (introduction of food and idiomatic expressions with verb “tener”)
- Holidays (introduction of preterit tense)
- Technology (introduction of vocabulary modern technology and revision of the use of two tenses)
- Fashion and shops (introduction of complaints in shops)
- Routines (revision of time and introduction of reflexive verbs)
- Hispanic world (revision of Hispanic festivals and introduction of new ones)
Keystone Year: Year 9
- Holidays and local, international and global areas of interest. (revision of holiday activities, transport, food and accommodation and introduction of the imperfect tense)
- School and school life (revision of school subjects, clothing, verbs of like and dislike and introduction of comparatives)
- Family, relations, identity and culture. (revision of family members, detailed descriptions, and introduction of expressions to express family relationships)
GCSE: Year 10 and 11
Exam Board: AQA
Year 10
- Interests and influences (Revision of sports and free time activities and introduction of “Soler + infinitive”)
- Town and area (Revision of places in town, shops and clothing and introduction of the conditional tense)
- Hispanic world, its culture and traditions. (revision of Hispanic festivals and introduction of new ones and introduction of the passive voice)
Year 11
- Work, work experience and future studies and employment. (revision of jobs activities to earn pocket money around the house and use of preterit vs imperfect as well as “saber” vs “conocer”)
- The environment, global issues, local actions and healthy diet. (revision of food, healthy eating habits and introduction of subjunctive)
A Level: Year 12 and 13
Exam Board: Edexcel
Year 12
Evolution of the Spanish society:
- The change of the family structure (revision of the family structure and introduction of marital law and modern problems in Spanish families)
- Work market (revision of work and work experience and introduction of labour law in Spain and the situation of women in the labour market)
- The impact of tourism in Spain (revision of holidays accommodation, activities, etc. and introduction of the development and impact on the tourism in the Spanish society)
The political and artistic culture in the Spanish-speaking counties:
- Music (revision of types of music and its benefits and introduction of the origin of the Spanish guitar and Tango)
- Media (revision of tv programmes, cinema and press and introduction of new technologies and their impact on the media)
- Festivals and traditions (revision of Hispanic festivals and introduction of the traditional gastronomy and its importance in the Hispanic countries)
Alongside these topics and as part of the course, students study a film and literary texts.
Year 13
Immigration and the multicultural Spanish society:
- Immigration and the multicultural Spanish society (Revision of professions and jobs and introduction of the impact of immigration in the Spanish labour market)
- Challenges of the integration of the immigration in Spain (revision of nationalities and mastering of developing arguments from different angles)
- Public reaction towards immigration (consolidation of inferring information from listening material such as interviews or reports)
Franco’s dictatorship and transition to democracy
- Spanish Civil War (introduction to Spanish history before the Civil war and the reasons for it)
- Franco’s dictatorship (introduction of Spanish social- political- economic situation under Franco’s dictatorship)
- Spanish transition from dictatorship to democracy (introduction of Spanish social- political- economic situation after Franco’s death)
Alongside these topics and as part of the course, students study a film and literary texts.