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Curriculum

Modern Foreign Languages

Subject Overview

The curriculum for languages at Tibshelf aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
  • Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
  • Can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
  • Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied

Teaching will build on the foundations of language learning laid at key stage 2, whether pupils continue with the same language or take up a new one. Teaching will focus on developing the breadth and depth of pupils' competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing, based on a sound foundation of core grammar and vocabulary. It will enable pupils to understand and communicate personal and factual information that goes beyond their immediate needs and interests, developing and justifying points of view in speech and writing, with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy. It will provide suitable preparation for further study.

Y7 students study German for half the year and then French for the other half. They will then be allocated a language for Y8 and Y9 based on their strengths. They will then have the option of studying French, German or Spanish at GCSE, beginning with our pre-GCSE course in Y9. Y9 students who do not opt for a language in Y9 at pre-GCSE level will study Short Course Spanish.

Learning Journeys 

KS3 "Learning a language has helped me understand other cultures and traditions"

KS4 "MFL has boosted my confidence in general. My communication skills have improved in English and MFL and when I got through my speaking exam, I felt like I could achieve anything!"

Assessment Information - KS3

Assessments mirror GCSE style questions from Y7 so that students are really familiar with them before GCSE. Each year students complete a range of question types in all four skills Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. All lesson content and assessments follow the GCSE themes.

Assessment Information - KS4

The GCSE themes for MFL are:

Theme 1: Identity & culture

Theme 2: Local, national, international & global areas of interest

Theme 3: Current & future study & employment

 

There are 4 terminal exams in Y11 worth 25% each.

Reading F or H

Listening F or H

Speaking F or H

Writing F or H

 

Students complete mock exams in Y10 and Y11.