The Holy Family Catholic School - a DfES designated
A broad and rich curriculum in all key stages in French, German and Spanish, and from Year 9 in Japanese. We give equal status to all four skill areas, Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. This is based on carefully constructed schemes of learning which follow the requirements of the National Curriculum and the National Languages Strategy Framework, whilst also offering enrichment opportunities such as exchange visits with our partner schools and trips to Germany, France, Spain and Japan. We have a computer suite in the department which allows our students regular access to computers.
Why study MFL?
‘You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you only live once.’ Czech proverb.
Learning a foreign language provides you with a range of essential skills which are transferable to all walks of life. You will gain a greater understanding of and respect for other countries and cultures whilst improving knowledge of your own language through comparison and contrast with the foreign language. Studying a foreign language can improve your analytic and interpretive abilities as well as your communication skills. You will also gain practical skills for travel and business.
· Ensure that children attend lessons with the correct equipment.
· Offer support by helping children revise for the regular vocabulary tests.
· Encourage children to seek extra help when they need it.
· Set guidelines for learning at home by encouraging children to dedicate the appropriate time and care to the tasks set.
· Encourage children to access languages websites used by the school such as www.linguascope.com and GCSE Bitesize.
· Encourage children to take advantage of the visits offered by the school (both the exchange visits and the trips).
· Encourage children to take advantage of the opportunity to interact with exchange students when they visit Keighley by hosting a student and/or interacting with the students in their free-time.
Students will be encouraged to achieve the best for themselves and will be given clear guidance on what they need to do to succeed in MFL. It is our aim to help our students to meet and where possible to exceed expectations. Therefore, where a student is not performing to his/her expected standard this will be discussed and appropriate action taken to improve the situation
Key Stage 3
The MFL curriculum at Key Stage 3 will allow students of all abilities to develop their reading, listening, speaking and writing skills in the foreign language along with thinking skills that will help them to develop as independent learners.
Students will be taught in mixed ability classes in years 7 and 8. Additional support will be provided for our less able students and gifted and talented students will be challenged through a range of different activities and tasks. In Year 9 students will be split into ability groups based on their achievement in the Year 8 assessments. At the end of Year 9 when students make their option choices for GCSE, they will take an Asset exam in the language they choose not to take any further. This provides them with an additional qualification that is evidence of their language study to date.
Achievement and Assessment
Evidence of achievement will be drawn from a range of the students’ work and four assessments over the course of the year, focusing on reading, writing and speaking and listening; this will involve teacher, peer and self assessment where the students have the opportunity to help set personal targets for improvement.
Key Stage 4
By the time students begin Year 10 they will be well prepared and have the skills required to begin the challenge of the GCSE course. All students will take a GCSE in one foreign language but students may opt to take a second foreign language.
Students follow the Edexcel specifications for GCSE French, German, Spanish and Japanese. Students are no longer required to do coursework and instead will complete to controlled written assessments. This means that students will be able to produce some of the assignments in the classroom under controlled, rather than in examination, conditions. Students will know the title of the work they are required to complete in advance. Students will also complete at least two speaking assessments over the course which will be completed under exam conditions with their class teacher acting as the examiner. In MFL, students are examined on their reading comprehension and listening skills in the summer examinations.
Learning a foreign language is an exciting opportunity and a very rewarding experience and we look forward to beginning your language career with you!