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Modern Foreign Languages

Modern Foreign Languages form a very special and unique part of the school curriculum. We offer French to all of our students and German as a second language later on. We also provide the language teaching at both of our federated primary schools.

French and German are taught in the Communications Faculty and where our vision is to develop an understanding of how language, business and computer science contribute to our students becoming well-educated and independent citizens in a rapidly changing and diverse world. Our aim is to enable students to develop a life-long love of language learning, linguistic skills and inter-cultural understanding across the federation. The studying of a foreign language increases pupils' knowledge, skills, understanding and appreciation of different cultures and people from other countries. It also encourages positive attitudes towards speakers of other languages, thus developing international citizenship and contributing to the core values of the school and the country. Languages require the use of different skills which can open many doors, both now and in the future. As well as learning a language, students increase in confidence, improve communication skills and learn to listen for both gist and detail, as well as working both individually and as part of a team. The Modern Foreign Languages team strive to provide engaging lessons and experiences where all students are given opportunities to develop their communication skills, creativity, thinking skills and the ability to reflect on and learn from their mistakes. We are always looking to create new opportunities for students and we seek to make language learning useful, relevant and creative in today's society where culture and communication are so important.

KS3 (French)

Overview - Year 7 French

Module 1 – La rentrée

Point de départ – Learning basic details such as giving names and learning numbers.

Unit 1:

Avoir and siblings (first teaching).

Unit 2:

Describing a photo linked to classroom (first teaching).

Unit 3:

Regular er verbs aimer, adorer and detester (first teaching).

Unit 4:

Être and adjectival agreement linked to describing personality (first teaching).

Unit 5:

Opinion + infinitive, building on prior knowledge of er verbs from Unit 3. 

Module 2 – En classe

Point de départ – Learning colours and times, recapping vocabulary from Module 1 and building on detail to describe photos.

Unit 1:

Faire and school subjects, likes and dislikes, recapping er verbs (from Module 1).

Unit 2:

Uniform items and opinions, using er verb porter and building on adjectival agreements from Module 1, as well as revisiting opinion vocabulary from Module 1.

Unit 3:

School day, transferring knowledge of er verbs to new infinitives (recap Module 1).

Unit 4:

Using il y a and c’est from describing a photo in Module 1, but linking it to a school.

Unit 5:

Describing un collège super cool – building on prior content of er verbs in the third person and using il y a / il n’y a pas de

Module 3 – Mon temps libre

Point de départ – Weather and seasons (in preparation for linking the types of activities pupils do depending on the time of year and the weather later in the module).

Unit 1:

Sports with er verb jouer (Revisit Present Tense – Module 1 focus).

Unit 2:

Sports with irregular verb faire recapped from Module 2 and opinions.

Unit 3:

Listening and reading skills focus – sport in French speaking countries.

Unit 4:

Recapping of er verb aimer from Module 1 followed by the infinitive to talk about what you like doing (Revisit Present Tense – Module 1 focus).

Unit 5:

Forming and answering questions, recapping previous language and key verbs from prior modules, prior content for Year 8, talking about hobbies and interviewing people).

Module 4 – Ma vie de famille

Point de départ – Describing pets with avoir, higher numbers for animal ages.

Unit 1:

Describing family, possessive adjectives, revisiting avoir for hair/eye colour and ages.

Unit 2:

Revisiting er verbs with habiter and il y a to describe house with opinions.

Unit 3:

Revisiting er verbs with manger and learning irregular verb boire along with partitive articles (first teaching).

Unit 4:

Revisiting nous form of previously seen er verbs linked to Bastille Day.

Unit 5:

Describing a family using verbs seen throughout the module in the third person but introducing new adjectives.

Module 5 – En ville

Point de départ – Places in town, revisiting il y a / il n’y a pas de and opinions.

Unit 1:

Irregular verb aller to say where you go at the weekend using places from Point de depart and prepositions. 

Unit 2:

Inviting people out to places already seen using modal verb vouloir, prepositions and times recapped from previous modules. 

Unit 3:

Ordering drinks and snacks in a café using tu and vous forms of verbs and questions (first teaching).

Unit 4:

Saying what you are going to do recapping aller from Unit 1 plus learning how to add the infinitive.

Unit 5:

Talking about plans for a special weekend putting the Present Tense and Future Tenses together (first teaching of two tenses together).

Overview - Year 8 French

Module 1 – Vive les vacances

Point de départ – Revising avoir and être from Year 7 to say when you have holidays and where you are on holiday, also in preparation for first teaching of the Perfect Tense.

Unit 1:

Perfect Tense with avoir and regular er verbs, linked to holidays (first teaching).

Unit 2:

Perfect Tense with avoir key irregulars (first teaching, but avoir recap).

Unit 3:

Perfect Tense with être linked to holidays (first teaching, but être recap).

Unit 4:

Using negatives in the Perfect Tense to describe things that went wrong on holiday (recapping negatives from Module 2 and 3 from Year 7).

Unit 5:

Asking and answer questions, using the Perfect Tense, and a mixture of the Present and Perfect Tenses in response (recap from Year 7 Module 5 of using two tenses together).

Module 2 – J’adore les fêtes

Point de départ – Talking about cultural life in France through festivals and celebrations that are traditional to them, as well as exploring links between France and England in terms of festivals and celebrations that we share.

Unit 1:

Present Tense of regular ir and re verbs (first teaching of ir and re, but can also recap regular er from Year 7 at this point). Developing responses about how to describe a photo.

Unit 2:

Transactional language to buy food at a market, identifying cognates, quantities and the partitive article, as well as formal conventions for the use of vous (first teaching).

Unit 3:

Using prediction to help with challenging listening passages and giving answers in French for a reading task (preparation and prior content for KS4 skills).

Unit 4:

Using the Near Future Tense to talk about a future trip (recap of year 7 Module 5). Using the Near Future Tense to ask questions about what someone else will do (preparation and prior content for KS4 role-play skills). 

Unit 5:

Combining the Present and Future tenses to talk about New Year resolutions (recap of Present Tense, both regular and irregular from Year 7 Modules 1, 3 and 4, as well as Year 8 Module 1 and previous unit in Module 2). 

Module 3 – A loisir

Point de départ – Talking about celebrities and TV programmes using c’est to describe who people are and what the type of programme being described is. Using singular and plural adjectival agreement to talk about celebrities and TV programmes (recap from Year 7 Modules 1 and 2). Recapping être to say people and programmes are + adjective.

Unit 1:

Using Present Tense regular er verbs and irregular Present Tense verbs (recap from Year 7, all modules and Year 8 Modules 1 and 2) to talk about digital technology. Frequency phrases (recap from Year 7 Module 3 when talking about sport).

Forming and answering a range of questions using Who, When, Where, What, Why and How? (Preparation and prior content for KS4 speaking skills).

Unit 2:

Transactional language to arrange to go out to the cinema and to buy tickets (building on Module 2, prior content for KS4).

Near Future Tense to say what you are going to do (building on from Module 2).

Take part in role plays (Preparation for KS4 speaking skills).

Unit 3:

Regular and irregular Present tense verbs seen in Year 7 Module 4, as well as sequencing phrases in Year 8 Module 2.

Developing the use of negatives to say what you don’t do.

Unit 4:

Identifying regular and irregular he/she Perfect Tense verbs in reading extracts.

Unit 5:

Using three tenses in spoken work.

Module 4 – Le monde est petit

Point de départ – To talk about where you live using the verb habiter and to describe what the weather is like where you live (Recap of Present Tense er verbs and Year 7 Module 4, building on talking about where you live by adding detail about location and type of house). To link this language to describing a photo (also building on all previous language used to describe a photo in preparation for KS4).   

Unit 1:

Using il y a and on peut, to describe where you live, linking in seasons (previously covered in Year 7 Module 3 and Year 8 Module 1). 

Unit 2:

Developing opinions linked to household chores (revisiting and building on opinions and justifications covered in year 7 Modules 1, 2 and 3, as well as year 8 Modules 2 and 3).

Unit 3:

Daily routine with reflexive verbs (first teaching, preparation for KS4).

Unit 4:

Irregular adjectives such as beau, nouveau and vieux to talk about moving house (link to Year 7 Module 1, recap, as well as year 8 Module 3).

Unit 5:

Three tenses in writing, recapping and building on all previous work across the two years on Present, Perfect and Future, ensuring pupils work from memory when producing the work (skills preparation for KS4).

Module 5 – Le sport en direct

Point de départ – Learning more about sport through different types of reading extracts. Learning to talk further about sports using jouer and faire (continuation of Year 7 Module 3 and Year 8, Unit 3), and developing responses by giving information about teams and clubs that pupils play for (prior content for KS4, Module 2).

Unit 1:

Opinions about sports using comparatives (plus/moins), (first teaching) and with the correct adjectival agreements (recap from Year 7 Module 1, as well as year 8 Module 3 and Year 8 Module 5, Unit 1).

Unit 2:

Asking for and giving directions using the imperative (first teaching, prior content for KS4 Module 1).

Unit 3:

Using il faut + infinitive to say ‘you must _____’ (first teaching).

Unit 4:

Injuries and illness to be able to take part in a conversation with the doctor, using the correct prepositions j’ai mal au / à la / aux (first teaching).

Unit 5:

Asking and answering questions in three tenses to interview a sportsperson (recap of prior three tense work in Modules 3 and 4).

Overview - Year 9 French

Module 1 – Mon monde à moi

Point de départ – Revisiting Present tense er rules and using opinions + noun / infinitive to talk about what you like and don’t like to do in your free time, building on Literacy work with connectives, sequencing phrases and words such as because to justify opinions. 

Using questions with est-ce que and qu’est-ce que to ask others what they like doing. This work will be built on in Unit 1 when linked to extra-curricular activities.

Unit 1:

Opinions about extracurricular activities and clubs, using key negatives in order to make comparisons.

Unit 2:

Describing friends using avoir and être (re-teach), as well as relationships with people using reflexive verbs (revisit from Dynamo 2 Module 4, where they were introduced linked to daily routine). Building on work from Year 7 and 8 in describing images (GCSE skill).

Unit 3:

Describing what you normally do to celebrate your birthday (Present tense revisit) but linking it to a recent birthday using the Perfect tense (revisit).

Unit 4:

The Near Future tense to say what you are going to wear for a birthday celebration and why (revisit) as well as using two tenses together to say what you did last Saturday, using the Perfect tense with avoir and être (revisit).

Module 2 – Projets d’avenir

Point de départ – Talking about how you earn money, revisiting modal verbs pouvoir and devoir to say what you can and have to do (revisit of modal verbs), plus your opinions of work and what you spend your money on (Present tense revisit).  

Unit 1:

Modal verbs unit to say what you want to do in the future, using vouloir, developing responses to give detail about the plans other people.

Unit 2:

Future aspirations, using the simple Future tense to say what you and others ‘will’ do (first teaching).

Unit 3:

Continuing the simple Future tense to say what things will be like in the future (revisit), using impersonal forms of the verb in the Future tense (first teaching).

Unit 4:

Describing an inventor, their life story and what they have done using the Perfect tense with avoir and être in the third person (revisit Perfect tense, but first focused teaching on third person).

Module 3 – Ma vie en musique

Point de départ – Talking about musical tastes, giving Present tense opinions (revisit), as well as pronouns to avoid repetition (first teaching). 

Describing an image, building on work completed in Module 1.

Unit 1:

Imperfect tense (first teaching) to refer to longer ago and say what you used to be like, as prior content for the next two units of work, Modul 4 and Module 5.

Unit 2:

Imperfect tense to describe what school used to be like, making comparisons between primary and secondary.

Unit 3:

Imperfect tense to describe how musical tastes and habits have changed over years, making comparisons between the present and past.

Unit 4:

Asking and answering questions in different tenses to interview a refugee, linking four tenses (first teaching).

Module 4 – Le meilleur des mondes

Point de départ – Using the Present tense (revisit) to talk about what is eaten in different parts of the world, using third person plurals of verbs, as well as giving opinions. 

To further build on the work carried out in previous modules in describing an image, linking it to the environment.

Unit 1:

Present tense revisit to describe what you eat. 

Complex negatives. 

Unit 2:

Using the superlative to talk about animals.

Unit 3:

Using Present, Past and Imperfect to talk about what you and others do to reduce the use of plastic.

Unit 4:

Using the Conditional tense (first teaching of all parts and rules) to say what you and others would like to do change the world.

Module 5 – Le monde francophone

Unit 1:

Conditional tense to say which Francophone countries you would like to visit.

Unit 2:

Modal verbs (revisit) to say what you want to see and visit in Francophone countries.

Unit 3:

Opinions + infinitives to say what you like and don’t like doing when visiting a place and why (revisit). Learning how to take part in conversations and role plays linked to excursions (first teaching, key GCSE skill). 

Unit 4:

Language to describe a Francophone location and your opinion of it, with superlative adjectives to add emphasis (revisit).

Unit 5:

Present tense formal vous verbs to interview a young Francophone person.

Unit 6:

The Near Future and Simple Future tenses to discuss your plans for the future, justifying reasons why you want to do something (revisit of both tenses).

Unit 7:

The Perfect and Imperfect tenses together, to discuss a past trip round the world (revisit from Module 3).

Unit 8:

Continuing the work about young Francophone people, combining tenses to write an article about a Francophone artist, musician, writer or sportsperson, asking and answering questions in a range of tenses, using the third person singular of the verb.

GCSE FRENCH

What will I learn?
A GCSE in French is an incredibly useful qualification. As well as learning a language, you will increase your confidence, improve your communication skills and learn to listen for both gist and detail, as well thoroughly researching and reporting both individually and as part of a team.

You will study the language through the following themes:

  • Identity and culture
  • Local area, holiday and travel
  • School
  • Future aspirations, study and work
  • International and global dimension

How will I learn?
The course will allow you to access the language and actively learn via a wide range of authentic resources such as websites, magazine articles and TV clips, and using a variety of learning methods and styles. All four language-learning skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) will be developed and assessed.

Students will do lots of spoken work as well as focusing on learning vocabulary and grammar. We seek to develop their ability to use language independently so that they can write and talk about topics which interest them.

How will I be assessed?
GCSE French is assessed by 100% examination at the end of year 11.
Listening (25%)
Speaking (25%) – role play, discussing a photo and general conversation
Reading (25%)
Writing (25%) – writing in French, including translation
The new grading system of 1-9 will be applied and there is the option of taking the GCSE at
either foundation (grades 1-5) or higher (grades 4-9) level.

What can I progress to?
Studying languages to GCSE and beyond develops communication skills. Language knowledge can be useful in many areas, including business, tourism, education, medicine, journalism, law and industry. In order to take a GCSE in French to AS or A2 level, a level 6 or above at GCSE will be considered necessary. Students should note that if they are considering Higher Education courses, some universities may insist on a GCSE in a Modern Foreign Language WHATEVER
the course students wish to take.

It is also worth noting that a French GCSE counts towards the EBacc qualification.

GCSE GERMAN

What will I learn?
A GCSE in German is an incredibly useful qualification. As well as learning a language, you will increase your confidence, improve your communication skills and learn to listen for both gist and detail, as well thoroughly researching and reporting both individually and as part of a team.

You will study the language through the following themes:

  • Identity and culture
  • Local area, holiday and travel
  • School
  • Future aspirations, study and work
  • International and global dimension

How will I learn?
The course will allow you to access the language and actively learn via a wide range of authentic resources such as websites, magazine articles and TV clips, and using a variety of learning methods and styles. All four language learning skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) will be developed and
assessed. Students will do lots of spoken work as well as focusing on learning vocabulary and grammar.

We seek to develop their ability to use language independently so that they can write and talk about topics which interest them.

How will I be assessed?
GCSE German is assessed by 100% examination at the end of year 11.
Listening (25%)
Speaking (25%) – role play, discussing a photo and general conversation
Reading (25%)
Writing (25%) – writing in German, including translation
The new grading system of 1-9 will be applied and there is the option of taking the GCSE at
either foundation (grades 1-5) or higher (grades 4-9) level.

What can I progress to?
Studying languages to GCSE and beyond develops communication skills. Language knowledge can be useful in many areas, including business, tourism, education, medicine, journalism, law and industry.

In order to take a GCSE in German to AS or A2 level, a level 6 or above at GCSE will be considered necessary. Students should note that if they are considering Higher Education courses, some universities may insist on a GCSE in a Modern Foreign Language WHATEVER the course students wish to take.

It is also worth noting that a German GCSE counts towards the EBacc qualification.

 

Further Information

Miss Beaurain
Email: ibeaurain@aylestone.hereford.sch.uk