Modern Foreign Languages

“Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation.”

– Angela Carter

Key Stage 3 Overview

In Key Stage 3 languages, you will learn how to talk about yourself and your world. Topics will include introducing yourself, talking about your family and friends, discussing hobbies, holidays and much more. You will learn about the grammar of the foreign language you are studying, and by the end of Key Stage 3 will be able to express ideas and give opinions and justifications, referring to the past, the present and the future. In addition, you will learn about the culture and customs of the countries where your foreign language is spoken, prompting tolerance and intercultural understanding. You will encounter and discuss examples of authentic materials in the foreign language, such as songs, excerpts from books, plays and poems, as well as films in the foreign language.

Key Skills

At both Key Stage 3 and 4, you will learn and practice the key skills of MFL: listening, speaking, reading and writing. We will also study many secondary skills, such as decoding new language, translation and cultural awareness.

KS3 Topics

Key stage 3 is divided into the following topics:

Year 7:

• Let’s go! (Introducing ourselves (name, age birthday etc.)
• The things I like
• It’s personal! (Appearance, personality)
• My school
• My pastimes
• My zone (Discussing where we live)

Year 8:

• On holiday
• The media
• A week in Paris (Focus on learning the past tense)
• My house, your house
• Let’s party! (Learning about customs and festivals)

Year 9:

• Let’s go out! (Making arrangements)
• Operation Summertime (Greater depth on holidays)
• Here we are! (Discussing the life of a young person)
• In good shape! (Healthy lifestyles)
• Youth in action (Discussing global issues)
• What did it used to be like?

KS4 Overview

At GCSE, we build on the skills and content developed in Key Stage 3 to give students the ability to discuss a wide range of topics in the foreign language they are studying. We use the AQA GCSE specification, where each of the four exams is worth 25% of the overall GCSE. Students take exams in the four key skills of MFL: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

The content of the GCSE course is divided into themes, which in turn are divided into topics:

Theme 1: Identity and Culture

• Topic 1: Me, my family and friends
• Topic 2: Technology in everyday life
• Topic 3: Free-time activities
• Topic 4: Customs and festivals in French/Spanish-speaking countries/communities

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

• Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region
• Topic 2: Social issues
• Topic 3: Global issues
• Topic 4: Travel and tourism

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

• Topic 1: My studies
• Topic 2: Life at school/college
• Topic 3: Education post-16
• Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Exam Board

We follow the AQA specifications for Spanish and French – you can find out more below:

• https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/gcse/spanish-8698
• https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/gcse/spanish-8698/specification-at-a-glance
• https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/gcse/french-8658
• https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/gcse/french-8658/specification-at-a-glance

Revision Materials

Spanish: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z4dqxnb

French: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z9dqxnb

https://www.pearsonactivelearn.com/app/Home – your child will be provided with a login for Pearson ActiveLearn. If they forget this, they can see their MFL teacher to get a reminder.