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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT:
MR K MATHER
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STAFF:

Second in Dept: Mrs K Robertson


Teaching Staff: Mrs S Thompson, Mrs S Willis, Mrs K Russell, Miss O Wood, Miss E Ogunyemi, Mrs S Pelly

KEY STAGE 3:

Structure of MFL at Sacred Heart:

French and Spanish are taught on a carousel basis. Students in Year 7 will study either French or Spanish and they will continue to study this language up until year 9.

In Year 8, students in the top teaching band will also study a second language, which is the other language the department offers.  (Eg in 2023-2024 all year 7 students study Spanish, when this cohort move into year 8, top band students will also study French). Students will carry on with this structure until Year 9, when they will then choose their options for Key Stage 4. Students studying both languages will have the choice of both at GCSE.


MFL Carousel for Year 7 students for the next 5 years:

  • 2023-24 - Spanish (Current Y7)

  • 2024-25 - French

  • 2025-26 - Spanish

  • 2026-27 – French

  • 2027-28 - Spanish


Key Stage 3 Topics:


Languages and Topics: 2023-24


Year 7: Spanish (Also content for Year 8 Second Language Spanish)

Me Presento y me describo: 

Introduction to Spanish where students will learn the key phonic sounds in Spanish. They will learn key vocabulary areas (numbers/ alphabet/ days/ months) and how to pronounce and recognise them. Students will also learn how to give and understand basic Greetings and information about themselves. Students will also develop more linguistic ability to be able to talk about themselves giving more information including personal descriptions. In this topic students will be taught adjectival agreement and word order in addition to changing the subject of the verb describing family members.


Me Gusta Comer: In this topic students will learn how to describe their diet. They will learn key meals and times. They will also learn how to give opinions and justify opinions through a range of adjectives. Adjectives and word order are considered extensively in this topic. Students will also be introduced to Spanish food and customs with diets introducing a cultural aspect to the topic. The Present tense will also be taught.


El Instituto: This topic will further allow students to develop opinions and justifications in the topic of School. They will learn extended descriptions in context of school facilities and uniform. They will give opinions and justifications of subjects and various aspects of the school.


Year 8 French (Also content for year 9 Second Language French)

La routine: 

In this topic students will revise content and skills from year 7 which will support them with their progress into year 8. The topic will give a basis for further reinforcement of the present tense which will be necessary to work with reflexive verbs. Within this topic students will develop the ability to understand and communicate facts and opinions about their daily routine. The topic will give students an introduction to adverbs and allow them to give more complex opinions.


Le temps libre: This topic will allow students to build on key areas from topic one in addition to from year 7. Through the context of free time and sports, students will build on present tense use as well as using reflexive verbs, in addition to developing the use of the future tense, adverbs and opinions with extended justifications. Students will develop written and spontaneous spoken skills and will develop the ability to use all areas transferrably to other topic areas and contexts.


Destination vacances: Students will build on all skills studied to date. This topic will allow students to develop more spontaneous conversational skills, asking and responding to questions. In addition to this, students will also develop the ability to recognise and use the Past tense. The topic aims to continuously develop and strengthen the Key mastery skills within the context of holidays.


Year 9: Spanish


El bienestar:

This topic will focus on introducing students to more sophisticated ideas and concepts. Students will build a bank of specific vocabulary and work on revising and building on grammatical structures covered in year 8 in addition to new elements such as different versions of the past tense. This topic requires students to learn to talk about their diet. They will study why a balanced diet is important and how to give details about a good diet in the target language.


Mi barrio: This topic requires students to learn to talk about their local areas, building on their existing vocabulary and grammar knowledge. Students will develop the ability to give detailed descriptions and opinions of their local as well as develop more complex nuances of the language. Students will consolidate tenses studied previously as well as develop the ability to speak hypothetically about their area.


Mi futuro: This topic focusses on challenging students to consider what is in their house at a more basic level then developing the ability to give more extended and detailed descriptions talking about their future plans, including career ideas and dream jobs, pocket money and future education. Students will revisit the immediate future tense and introduction to simple future.


Throughout both French and Spanish at KS3 Students will be taught grammar and phonics in addition to the content listed.

KEY STAGE 4:

French and Spanish are taught at KS4


GCSE SPECIFICATION AND LINEAR EXAMINATION FORMAT

Examination Board: AQA

During the two years at GCSE students will study the following topics


Theme 1: Identity and Culture: Me, my family and friends / Technology in everyday life / Free-time activities / Customs and festivals in the target language speaking countries or communities.


Theme 2: Local, National, International and Global areas of interest: Home, town, neighbourhood and region / Social issues / Global issues / Travel and tourism.


Theme 3: current and future study and employment: My studies / Life at school and college / Education post-16 / Career choices and ambitions

Four exams will be taken at the end of Year 11 including all four skills:

  • Speaking (25%)

  • Listening (25%)

  • Reading (25%)

  • Writing (25%)


GCSE Spanish / French / German have:

  • a Foundation Tier (grades 1–5)

  • and a Higher Tier (grades 4–9)

Students must take all four question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.


Paper 1 Listening:

  • 35 minutes at Foundation Tier

  • 45 minutes at Higher Tier

  • Each exam includes five minutes to read the question paper before the listening recording is played

  • 40 marks at Foundation and 50 marks at Higher

  • 25% of the total GCSE marks

Paper 2 Speaking:

  • 7 – 9 minutes at Foundation Tier (+ preparation time)

  • 10 – 12 minutes at Higher Tier (+ preparation time)

  • 60 marks (for each of Foundation and Higher Tier)

  • 25% of the total GCSE marks

Paper 3: Reading:

  • 45 minutes at Foundation Tier

  • 1 hour at Higher Tier

  • 60 marks (for Foundation and Higher Tier)

  • 25% of the total GCSE marks

Paper 4: Writing:

  • 1 hour at Foundation Tier

  • 1 hour 15 minutes at Higher Tier

  • 50 marks at Foundation and 60 marks at Higher Tier

  • 25% of the total GCSE marks

Key requirements:

  • Students need to recognise the relationship between past, present and future events

  • Use of authentic sources

  • Use of materials addressing a wide range of relevant contemporary and cultural themes

  • Translate a short passage from TL into English (Reading) & English to TL (Writing)

Students must apply grammatical knowledge of language and structures in context.

KEY STAGE 5:

French / Spanish

Examination Board: AQA


Year 12 and 13 A LEVEL SPECIFICATION:

At Sacred Heart, French and Spanish are offered as FULL A-LEVEL qualifications studied over two years. The AS level course is NOT offered.


Throughout the two years, students study topics specific to the language and culture that they are studying:


French

3.1.1 Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends

  • The changing nature of family (La famille en voie de changement)

  • The 'cyber-society' (La « cyber-société »)

  • The place of voluntary work (Le rôle du bénévolat)


3.1.2 Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues

  • Positive features of a diverse society (Les aspects positifs d'une société diverse)

  • Life for the marginalised (Quelle vie pour les marginalisés?)

  • How criminals are treated (Comment on traite les criminels)


3.2.1 Artistic culture in the French-speaking world

  • A culture proud of its heritage (Une culture fière de son patrimoine)

  • Contemporary francophone music (La musique francophone contemporaine)

  • Cinema: the 7th art form (Cinéma : le septième art)


3.2.2 Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world

  • Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment (Les ados, le droit de vote et

  • l'engagement politique)

  • Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power? (Manifestations, grèves – à qui le pouvoir?)

  • Politics and immigration (La politique et l'immigration)


Spanish


3.1.1 Aspects of Hispanic society

  • Modern and traditional values (Los valores tradicionales y modernos)

  • Cyberspace (El ciberespacio)

  • Equal rights (La igualdad de los sexos)


3.1.2 Multiculturalism in Hispanic society

  • Immigration (La Inmigración)

  • Racism (El Racismo)

  • Integration (La Convivencia)


3.2.1 Artistic culture in the Hispanic world

  • Modern day idols (La influencia de los ídolos)

  • Spanish regional identity (La identidad regional en España)

  • Cultural heritage or cultural landscape (El patrimonio cultural)


3.2.2 Aspects of political life in the Hispanic world

  • Today's youth, tomorrow's citizens (Jóvenes de hoy, ciudadanos de mañana)

  • Monarchies, republics and dictatorships (Monarquías, repúblicas y dictaduras)

  • Popular movements (Movimientos populares)

At A-level students will also study One text and one film from a prescribed list specific to the language

The assessment format is as follows:


A-Level Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing

What's assessed:

  • Aspects of TL-speaking society: current trends/ current issues/Artistic culture in the TL-speaking world

  • Aspects of political life in the TL-speaking world

  • Grammar

How it's assessed:

  • Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes

  • 100 marks in total

  • 50% of A-level

Questions:

  • Listening and responding to spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources covering different registers and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail. Studio recordings will be used and students will have individual control of the recording.

  • All questions are in TL, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in TL.

  • Reading and responding to a variety of texts written for different purposes, drawn from a range of authentic sources and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail.

  • All questions are in TL, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in TL.

  • Translation into English; a passage of minimum 100 words.

  • Translation into TL; a passage of minimum 100 words. There is no access to a dictionary during the assessment.

A-Level Paper 2: Writing

What's assessed:

  • One text and one film from a prescribed list appropriate to the language

  • Grammar

How it's assessed:

  • Written exam: 2 hours

  • 80 marks in total

  • 20% of A-level

Questions:

  • Two essays in the target language: one question on a set text from a choice of two questions and one question on a set film from a choice of two questions

  • All questions will require a critical appreciation of the concepts and issues covered in the work and a critical and analytical response to features such as the form and the technique of presentation, as appropriate to the work studied (eg the effect of narrative voice in a prose text or camera work in a film)

  • No access to texts or films during the assessment

  • No access to a dictionary during the assessment

  • Students are advised to write approximately 300 words per essay

A-Level Paper 3: Speaking

What's assessed:

  • Individual research project

  • One of four sub-themes: Aspects of TL-speaking society: current trends, Aspects of TL-speaking society: current issues, Artistic culture in the TL-speaking world, Aspects of political life in the TL-speaking world

How it's assessed:

  • Oral exam: 21–23 minutes (including 5 minutes preparation time)

  • 60 marks in total

  • 30% of A-level

Questions:

  • Discussion of a sub-theme with the discussion based on a stimulus card (5–6 minutes). The student studies the card for 5 minutes at the start of the test (25 marks).

  • Presentation (2 minutes) and discussion (9–10 minutes) of individual research project (35 marks).

  • No access to a dictionary during the assessment (including 5 minutes preparation).

  • Students may take the assessment only once before certification.

  • Assessments will be conducted by either the centre or a visiting examiner and marked by an AQA examiner.

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