Modern Foreign Languages

Back

Choose a subject

Modern Foreign Languages at Tabor Academy

Introduction

Our aim is to encourage a love of languages and support global communication and understanding. We presently offer French and Spanish. Which was introduced in 2019. We actively promote engagement with the language studied through interactive teaching, immersion and exposure in class, facilitating pupils to build competence across the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. This approach supports achievement at GCSE and, hopefully, drives pupils to combine a positive language learning experience at school with any future passions of travelling, linguistics, employment and any other elements beyond the confines of a classroom.

Both lessons and trips abroad support our aim of providing an immersive environment and promoting languages outside of a classroom climate. Having led successful French trips to Paris and Lille, we continue to offer language opportunities, organising excursions such as the upcoming trip to Normandy, in France and Barcelona, in Spain. Inside the classroom all members of the team use target language in their teaching, and encourage the pupils to communicate in French or Spanish too, which has proven to be both rewarding for students as they build up their listening and speaking skills.

Introducing languages through authentic media, literature and film further exposes students to many different types of language, prepares them for the GCSE and provides a genuine taste of another culture. We are always open to language ideas and experiences that will promote a love of learning, languages and life skills and communication.

Aims

Our intention is to provide carefully structured activities and well-chosen authentic material designed for both foundation and higher level of achievement in all Attainment Targets. We offer a balanced variety of work and material allowing students to move with enthusiasm from comprehension to creation of their own utterances and written work in the target language.

Thus, in our lessons, we aim to cater for all abilities through the planning of activities which are aimed to suit students’ different learning styles and develop the four auricular skills.

Our Schemes of Work, which are regularly reviewed, are designed to include curricular and cross-curricular developments, in order to improve students’ language-learning skills and to provide them with strategies which aim to boost their performance. Literacy and Numeracy, as well as PSCHE orientations, are fundamental parts of our Schemes of Work too, so are regular activities developing skills strategies on how to improve listening and reading, starters requiring students to apply logic and make connections, activities to develop anticipation skills in exam contexts and ongoing opportunities for pair work and regular peer assessment.

Our aims are to;

Promote a love of languages
Provide pupils with an insight into the doors that Languages can open
Deliver a cultural understanding of the French and Spanish speaking world
Encourage interaction with languages through immersion in class and productive activities
Grow pupil confidence and creativity in effective communication in French or Spanish
Support and nurture progress and achievement through the carefully structured MFL syllabus
Share our expertise, passion and open-mindedness involving French and Spanish

KS3 French

KS3

Overview of Curriculum/SOW

Year 7

French

Initially we ensure that basic language foundations are solid, covering areas such as numbers, colours, introductions and other key vocabulary and topics. We then progress on to a variety of topics that both enhance and enlarge students’ vocabulary bank and provide an understanding of grammar elements.

Autumn

Developing an understanding of nouns by talking about your essential survival kit. Building up key vocabulary within the topics of colours, numbers, animals and family. Talking about likes and dislikes. Describing yourself and others both physically and personality wise. Understanding adjective agreements (singular and plural). Applying gender, masculine, feminine and plural to articles. Looking at key verbs ‘avoir’ and ‘être’ in the present tense.

Spring

Talking about your school day, your timetable and subjects. Giving opinions and reasons. Learning how to make questions. Telling the time. Learning vocabulary about food and snacks. Using pronouns, I to they in regular ER IR RE present tense verbs. Talking about hobbies, sports, computers / mobiles and past times using ‘jouer’ and ‘faire’ as well as other key verbs to talk about activities. Agreeing and disagreeing.

Summer

Describing your town or village and the places there are or are not. Giving directions. Getting to grips with modal verbs in the present tense of ‘pouvoir’ ‘vouloir’ and ‘devoir.’ Understanding grammar structures where you use an infinitive. Asking someone out and replying. Talking about countries, holidays and activities. Talking about your daily routine and getting ready to go out. Extending present tense verbs to reflexive verbs. Higher numbers (past 60). Manipulating verbs to form the future tense.

Getting creative and confident across the topics! Writing a poem. Producing and describing a painting. Designing a game. Researching cultural elements, similarities and differences. Using language support such as dictionaries and websites to help, rather than confuse you! Developing all four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing in an engaging and interactive way!

Year 8

French

We build on the vocabulary, grammar, skill set and language awareness and competence from the previous year, still promoting understanding and recall, but developing more interpretation, explanation and application of the language within the topics we cover. We look in more detail at world geography and French-speaking countries, along with a deeper understanding of cultural elements.

Autumn

Talking about television, films, internet and reading/books. Regular present tense patterns for ER IR RE verbs, and key irregular verbs in the present tense. Development on giving opinions within these topic areas and introducing the past tense into recounting what you did yesterday evening with regards to TV, films, internet and books.

Understanding and applying the past tense across regular verbs, as well as key common irregular verbs. Getting to grips with the two key auxiliary verbs in the past tense and how and where they are used. Studying the sights and sounds of Paris and then recounting a visit here targeting the what, where, how, why, who with and details of opinions and prices. Asking questions and saying what you have done, along with things you normally do in an interrogation; combining past and present tenses.

Spring

Key vocabulary and structures within talking about personality, music, relationships, clothes and your passions. Grammar elements within these topics address reflexive verbs, adjective agreement, combining past and present previously learnt tenses with the near future tense. Being able to agree, disagree and justify your viewpoint, giving reasons.

Describing where you live and your home. Talking about mealtimes and the key verbs associated with food and drink. Applying the grammar and structures for comparatives and prepositions. Discussing an event using three tenses and studying carnivals and celebrations in the French calendar.

Summer

Using modal verbs to talk about talents and ambitions. Using the grammar and structures to encourage / dissuade someone and the imperative to give commands. Applying the superlative to talk about the best, most, least etc. Further work combining the three tenses of past, present and future in more creative ways.

Year 9

In year 9 students are expected to use three tenses to talk about themselves and the world around them. They begin to use the language to express views on the world of work and lifestyle choices as well as looking at cultural diversity in different cities both in England and abroad. We build on previous learning and grammar elements and begin to prepare students for the demands of the GCSE specification and exam style tasks, so they are confident in their approach and are armed with sound knowledge of vocabulary and grammar to shine, demonstrating linguistic competence and clear understanding and communication in another language. There is more development within the productive elements of spoken and written language, and further exposure to cultural elements within research, authentic visual and written material and the wider language speaking world.

French - the following topics will be covered;

Autumn

Looking at Facebook and social media. Giving opinions of others, talking about their personalities and traits. Revision of accurate use of the present tense and integrating it with direct object pronouns. Further study of structures and the use of connectives, quantifiers and qualifiers. Reviewing the past tense and two auxiliary verbs. Arranging to go out, applying the near future as well as learning about the other future tense, and then describing the date experience using the past tenses. Describing a music event and a blind date experience using three tenses.

Parts of the body and pains, linked with definite articles. Looking at the topics of sports, exercise, fitness, making plans to get and keep fit and healthy eating and lifestyle. Utilising the future tense and different negative forms. Introduction of the imperfect tense to spice up recounting information. Using three tenses and timeframes to confidently talk about levels of fitness and the adoption of a healthier lifestyle.

Spring

Looking at the area of jobs and employment within modal verbs, giving opinions, key verbs associated with them, masculine and feminine applications, CV’s and the global dimension of employment and languages. Applying the imperfect and future tenses to compare work and intentions / ambitions. Question forms and four tenses together within employment and plans.

Discussing holidays and imagining adventure holidays, incorporating the conditional tense, pronouns and questions types. Holiday packing vocabulary and reflexive verbs to give opinions. Combining all, now five, tenses to describe a holiday, talk about a tourist attraction or experience. Applying emphatic pronouns.

Summer

Discussing what you are allowed to do, incorporating the informal imperative and expressions with ‘avoir.’ Explaining what is important to you and things you buy using direct object pronouns. Applying more complex structures and time frames using ‘si…..’ and tenses. Communicating what makes you happy, frustrated, concerned etc and why – what can you do about it? Extending structures to incorporate five tenses and use connectives, and begin to present your views and standpoints in a presentation.

Preparation, consolidation and practice to ensure that foundations of vocabulary and grammar are solid to build on for the GCSE course.

KS3 Spanish

Year 7

Spanish

Autumn

Introducing yourself. Getting used to Spanish pronunciation. Talking about your personality. Adapting adjectives for masculine, feminine and plurals. Learning about articles. Making negative constructions. Understanding ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ and other key verbs ‘tener’ .Regular verb endings in the present tense for ER IR AR verbs. Talking about age, brothers and sisters. Saying when your birthday is. Using numbers and the alphabet. Talking about your pets. Saying what you like to do. Giving opinions and using the infinitive verb. Saying what you do in your spare time. Learning about the weather.

Spring

Saying what sports and hobbies you do. Using the verbs to do and to play ‘hacer’ and ‘jugar.’ Understanding some irregular verbs. Talking about favourite things. Making questions and using question words. School subjects and your opinions of them. Adapting grammar elements, checking verbs, articles and adjectival agreement in sentences. Describing your school and what you do at breaktimes.

Summer

Describing your family. Using possessive adjectives (my-their). Describing your hair and eye colour. More consolidation on key verbs such as ‘ser’ tener,’ colours and position and agreement of adjectives. Saying what other people look like. Using verbs in the third person, singular and plural. Describing where you live and giving details about your home and surrounding area. Telling the time. Ordering food in a café. Becoming familiar with another tense outside of the present tense, which is the future tense. Saying what you are going to do.

Getting creative and confident across the topics! Learning about the carnival in Cadiz. Creating a time capsule. Designing a brochure. Using language support such as dictionaries and websites to help, rather than confuse you. Researching cultural elements, similarities and differences. Developing all four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing in an engaging and interactive way!

Year 8

Spanish

Autumn

Talking about a past holiday, describing what you did and where you went, with opinions and details. Using the past tense of the verb groups ER IR AR, as well as common irregular verbs. Combining past and present tenses.

Spring

Talking about technonology and social media; mobile phones, music, TV and how you use them. Using the comparative and giving opinions within the present tense. Combining the past and present tenses incorporating other pronouns such as he/she and we.

Summer

Talking about food and mealtimes, as well as giving opinions. Cultural elements relating to dishes and food. Ordering food and drink in cafés or restaurants. Applying negatives and employing where, when and how to use the formal version of ‘you.’ Understanding the near future tense and then combining all three tenses to talk about provisions for a party.

Year 9 Spanish

We build on the vocabulary, grammar skills and cultural understanding acquired in years 7 and 8, continuing to promote recall and manipulation of language on a broader scale.

Autumn

Talking about things you like to do during the week and at the weekend such as going to the cinema and going to parties. Recap of the past, present and future tenses and working on combining them in the same piece of work. Talking about jobs and future work. Developing reading and reference skills.

Spring

Talking about healthy lifestyles including diet, exercise and illnesses. Looking at children’s rights an world issues such as pollution, fair trade and fundraising. Recapping modal verbs and practising using more complex sentences.

Summer

Talking about trips to a Spanish speaking city and what you will do there. Accessing more challenging texts and recapping how to ask questions. Some of this term is also dedicated to revising all the content covered this year and to end of year assessments and cultural projects.

KS4

KS4

Overview of Curriculum For Year 11 2024-2025

French and Spanish

The assessment system in Modern Foreign Languages reintroduces transactional/functional language into the GCSE, retains topics that work well with students, allowing for students of all abilities to access and progress in the qualification. The assessment will be of linear approach with all the 4 skills assessed separately, with main changes made in structure of the Speaking and Writing exams. At the end of year 11 all students will have to undertake their listening, speaking, reading and writing exams, with the ability tier being the same for each skill, Foundation/Higher. They will also undertake the ‘mock’ examination in November for the Listening and Reading skills at either foundation or higher level. Mock exam results are used amongst other assessments as a basis for decisions on level of entry for the examination tier. Mock exam papers are marked according to the EDEXCEL examination board mark schemes and therefore give an accurate indication of grades achieved.

Themes and topics questions across all four language skills are set in common contexts, addressing a range of relevant contemporary and cultural themes. They are organised into five themes, each broken down into topics and sub-topics.

The five themes are:

Identity and Culture
Local area, holiday and travel
School
Future aspirations, study & work
International & global dimensions

Each paper is available at Foundation tier or Higher tier. Students are entered for a single tier only across all 4 papers.

Paper 1: Listening and understanding in French/Spanish;

Foundation tier: 35 minutes including 5 minutes reading time; 50 marks

Higher tier: 45 minutes including 5 minutes reading time; 50 marks

25% of the total qualification

Paper 3: Reading and understanding in French/Spanish;

Foundation tier: 45 minutes; 50 marks

Higher tier: 1 hour; 50 marks

25% of the total qualification

Paper 2: Speaking in French/Spanish;

Foundation tier: 7–9 minutes plus 12 minutes preparation time; 70 marks

Higher tier: 10–12 minutes plus 12 minutes preparation time; 70 marks

25% of the total qualification

There are three tasks which must be conducted in the following order:

Task 1 – a role play based on one topic that is allocated by Edexcel examination board.

Task 2 – questions based on a picture stimulus based on one topic that is allocated by Edexcel examination board.

Task 3 – conversation based on two themes. The first theme is based on the topic chosen by the student in advance of the assessment. The second theme is allocated by Edexcel examination board. The assessments are conducted by teachers in one session within a prescribed assessment

Paper 4: Writing in French/Spanish

Foundation tier: 1 hour 10 minutes; 60 marks

Higher tier: 1 hour 20 minutes; 60 marks

25% of the total qualification

Foundation tier – three open response questions and one translation into the language you are learning.

Higher tier – two open response questions and one translation into the language you are learning

There are two possible tiers of entry and students will be entered for the most suitable entry for their ability. During Key Stage 4, Students continue to be set according to ability.

Students are taught in ability based groups, with the majority of students being entered for the higher tier paper at the end of Year 11.

Overview of Curriculum for year 10 2023 - 2024

Pearson Edexcel
Built on a foundation of inclusivity, accessibility and transparency, the new GCSE
qualification takes a compassionate, student-centred approach, which caters to the needs of
all.
The following thematic contexts will be explored :

My personal world
Lifestyle and wellbeing
My neighbourhood
Media and technology
Studying and my future
Travel and tourism

Students can be entered for Foundation Tier, which caps attainment at Grade 5, or Higher
Tier. There are four papers and students have to take the same tier across all of them.
Speaking (paper 1) 50 marks, worth 25%

Task 1: Read aloud and 2 short unprepared questions
Task 2: Role play in a transactional setting
Task 3: Picture description, 2 short unprepared questions

and follow-on conversation
Foundation : 7 - 9 minutes Higher : 10 - 12 minutes
Listening and understanding (paper 2) 50 marks, worth 25%

5 mins reading time included
Section A: Listening - multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer
Open response questions. All questions set in English.
Section B: Dictation

Foundation : 45 minutes Higher : 60 minutes
Reading and understanding (paper 3) 50 marks, worth 25%

Section A: Reading - multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer open response questions. All questions set in English.
Section B: Translation into English

Foundation : 45 minutes Higher : 60 minutes
Writing (paper 4) 50 marks, worth 25%

Picture task (Foundation tier only)
Two writing responses (both tiers, with a choice of two options for each question
Translation into French (both tiers)

Foundation : 1 hour 15 minutes Higher : 1 hour 20 minutes

GCSE Results 2023

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on another successful year.

Spanish 19.5% Grades 9-4

French 50.7% Grades 9-4

GCSE Results 2022

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on another successful year.

Future Careers

Career Links

Our intention is to provide always carefully structured activities and well-chosen authentic material designed for both foundation and higher level of achievement in all Attainment Targets. We aim to offer a balanced variety of work and material allowing students to move with enthusiasm from comprehension to creation of their own utterances and written work in the target language. Thus, in our three parts lessons, we aim to cater for all the abilities through the planning of activities which are aimed to suit students’ different learning styles and develop the four curricular skills.

Our KS3, 4 & 5 Schemes of Work, which are regularly reviewed, are designed to include curricular and cross-curricular developments, in order to improve students’ language-learning skills and to provide them with strategies which aim to boost their performance. Literacy and Numeracy, as well as PSCHE orientations, are fundamental parts of our Schemes of Work too, so are regular activities developing skills strategies on how to improve listening and reading, starters requiring students to apply logic and make connections, activities to develop anticipation skills in exam contexts and ongoing opportunities for pair work and regular peer assessment.

The skills acquired during language lessons can be applied in many different professions and open doors to most career paths. Aptitude in a language takes dedication and commitment and therefore would show employers that language students are resilient and capable employees.

TBMFL.10

Some potential career paths with a Modern Foreign Languages:

Translating
Interpreting
Travel agent
Holiday representative
Currency exchange
Law/ international law
Investment banking
Volunteering abroad
Global charity organisations
Publishing
Journalism
Social media and communications
Teacher: Primary and Secondary.
Au pair/ Nanny/ EAL child-care
Logistics
HGV international driving
Pilot and air-traffic control
Airhostess/ cabin crew
Professional athlete
Police
Civil service
Librarian
Conservation/ environmental sciences
Politics and national/ international relations.

Useful Links

Support for learning

Websites to support learning, provide pupils with a reference guide for vocabulary and grammar and add an interactive element to language acquisition and practice. These are just a few examples and ideas to get you started;

TBMFL.9