Modern Foreign Languages

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things.” Flora Lewis. French Pupils in Years 7 and 8 benefit from the opportunity of learning French. Through this, we feel that it is important that our language teaching gives them explicit language knowledge and strategies which can help them with future study of other languages. All pupils are taught all four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing and each of these skill areas are practised, consolidated, reinforced and assessed on a regular basis. There is a positive and innovative approach to target language teaching, and we encourage our pupils to use the language for their own purposes. At Haute Vallée School, teachers of MFL want to promote a more spontaneous and accurate use of the target language. We want to develop our pupils’ independence and communication in languages by developing these core skills:

• Vocabulary and sequencing (including verbs)
• Knowledge of phonics
• Explicit use and understanding of grammar
• Use of enriching and stimulating material, including reading of authentic resources, films and French pen friends.

Year 7 students have one lesson of French a week. Topics include describing people, sports and hobbies, school and food, whilst learning how to become more confident with the language, adapting and developing the language with use of opinions, connectives, time phrases, and the use of different tenses. Students in Year 7 gain a French pen friend from our partner school in Avranches, France.  Every year, we aim at exchanging at least 3 letters where pupils introduce themselves, write about their hobbies and personal interests, describe their school day and their towns, share what they did or are planning to do in their next holidays. Our pupils love these opportunities and take a lot of pride in writing beautifully presented and detailed letters in the target language. There is also the opportunity to visit our partner school in the spring term. Year 8 students have two lessons of French per week French & a block of Spanish taster sessions.  They cover various topics such as greetings, identities, hobbies, animals, relationships and describing where they live whilst developing a deeper understanding of grammar points, including all three different tenses.  We aim to give every student some useful, basic knowledge in French & Spanish. We ensure students experience a range of vocabulary and grammatical concepts in their lessons. The topics are revisited and linked throughout KS3 and 4. Students are provided with differentiated resources and literacy mats for support.  We also provide opportunities for online learning of vocabulary and grammar. Students can study MFL at KS4 and can choose from a choice of three languages: French, Spanish and Portuguese. We endeavour to enable Students who have other home languages to be able sit the GCSE exams in their language – we have entered students for Italian, Arabic, & Polish GCSEs in past years. At KS4 students follow AQA GCSE for French & Spanish and EDEXCEL for Portuguese. Lessons are collaboratively planned to ensure consistency across the languages’ curriculum. Students are also given opportunities for wider reading from authentic materials and literature and to prepare for the spoken element of the GCSE exam, our students benefit from small group speaking practice with a native language assistant. Students are provided with reading and writing support in the form of differentiated vocabulary mats and targeted reading, writing and translation booklets. Students are formally assessed once per half term in all key stages, across all four skills.