Curriculum intent
The purpose of the modern foreign language (MFL) key stage 3 curriculum is to ensure students are confident in their pronunciation and have a clear understanding of new vocabulary. This contextual knowledge will support future GCSE study. Through the discovery of a universal grammar point, contextualised within each theme, students will have the opportunity to develop a positive interest in reading, listening, translation and writing skills. In accordance with the MFL national curriculum 2013, learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. Our high-quality languages education will foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. Above all, we intend to develop in students a love of learning, a sense of curiosity towards others and in line with our curriculum vision, create a brighter tomorrow for all.
Therefore, classroom practice will encompass the following habits and support the academy values ‘We Empower, We respect, We care’
Developing professional skill sets – We empower
In teaching languages, we develop skills in students- those of communication, listening, understanding, adaptability, problem solving and analytical thinking – that will prepare them for the world of work in whatever field they choose to pursue. The fundamental focus on literacy will teach students to be accurate in their written work and the emphasis on oral language will teach them to communicate confidently and clearly. Both are necessary for working life.
Teaching French and German for their intrinsic value – We respect
We teach languages for their intrinsic value, that of being able to communicate with people from another country and culture and the global understanding that this fosters. We want our students to be curious about other languages and cultures and in doing so develop international mindedness.
Building empathy – We care
Through the challenge of learning a language, students demonstrate their resilience to communicate and correct each other and understand other cultures. By embedding culture into our lessons, it fosters an open and enquiring mind in which students as questions in order to build a greater tolerance for other perspectives and beliefs.
Core content
The curriculum is cumulative with universal grammatical concepts and memory recall built into the scheme of work. In every language lesson, the grammar universal will feature in order to secure a clear understanding of it.
The four skill areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing are highlighted through key assessments and embedded in each and every lesson. MFL lessons will check prior knowledge and use modelling, deliberate practice, questioning and feedback and challenge to ensure mastery of each theme and universal. This is delivered through a set range of themes, which will be covered in depth to support vocabulary building and manipulation of grammar through interleaving and discussion of word etymology.
We aim to develop lifelong language learners by sparking curiosity for other languages and their cultures, developing students’ confidence in another language and equipping them with the toolkit to communicate their ideas and thoughts beyond explicitly taught contexts and respond to speakers in that language. We provide opportunities for students to use their learning in authentic situations by taking them abroad.
Furthermore, we invite students with a home language to engage with their heritage and acknowledge their linguistic abilities by completing a GCSE in their home language. We aim to prepare students for the next stage in their language learning at all levels in order to aspire to achieve the following end points:
- communicate ideas and thoughts orally with confidence, fluency and spontaneity, and with accurate pronunciation and intonation
- write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using a variety of grammatical structures, and be able to translate accurately both to and from the target language
- read, understand, and be able to respond to a range of authentic texts
- listen to a variety of forms of spoken language to obtain information and be able to respond appropriately
