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Broadwater School

LANGUAGEs

LANGUAGES

Teachers: Ms Penny Riddell, Ms Lousia Burningham and Ms Laurissa Reynolds

Subject Leader: Ms Penny Riddell Email

Homework tasks can be viewed on the showmyhomework website

“Languages are part of the cultural richness of our society and the world in which we live and work. Learning languages contributes to mutual understanding, a sense of global citizenship and personal fulfilment. The ability to understand and communicate in another language is a lifelong skill for education, employment and leisure in this country and throughout the world.” 

From The National Curriculum in England, Department for Education - July 2013 p. 212 – 216 

Curriculum Map for Spanish

Curriculum map for French

Assessment

9-1 Assessment Grades

GCSE Exam Specification:

Edexcel GCSE French & Edexcel GCSE Spanish

French: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/french-2016.html

Spanish: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/spanish-2016.html

British Values 

Democracy

  • Impact of French revolution on European countries
  • Discussion on current affairs, e.g.: Charlie Hebdo

The rule of law

Individual liberty

Mutual respect

  • Why learn another language? 
  • Learning about greetings and intercultural in other countries
  • Pen friends correspondence with students in France
  • Spanish students’ exchange
  • European day of languages
  • Aiming to breakdown stereotypes and looking at the similarities as well as the differences between countries and cultures

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

  • Celebrations and festivals in other countries
  • Differences of French/Spanish and British education system
  • Music, films and books in other countries vs British ones
  • Social issues, e.g.: religious signs in school in France
  • Encouraging students' involvement in debates and discussions on healthy lifestyles, environmental issues, marriage/divorce, single parent families, and all the above.

Key Stage 3 

Students entering Broadwater study either Spanish or French throughout Years 7, 8 and 9. At the end of Year 9, foreign language study becomes optional but we strongly encourage all our students wherever possible to continue with a language at GCSE.

As a GLT school, we follow the GLT curriculum and collaborate with the other schools in the trust to ensure that pupils benefit from the best and most up-to-date provision.  We have a focus on listening, having regular listening practice timetabled in, as historically this is a weak skill, and is crucial to language learning. As a school, we subscribe to Language Gym and Sentence Builders websites, which are used in school and are also available out of school for independent practice at home.

We design and consistently update our Schemes of Work in accordance with the MFL Programme of Study that can be accessed via the DfE website.

Our Key Stage 3 Schemes of Work aim at:

  • developing students’ independence and creativity
  • encouraging them to become confident speakers
  • developing their cultural awareness
  • ensuring progress through fun and engaging lessons
  • catering activities to meet all students’ needs

Many students will participate in enriching study visits including foreign exchanges to France and Spain to assist them with their studies. 

Homework

Homework is crucial for learning a language, and we expect students to learn their vocabulary regularly at home to score well on their regular class vocabulary tests. Students have a homework booklet to support this learning, with other tasks to reinforce and consolidate the work done in class. They should not need any other resources for their homework, although there are optional links to language learning websites in the booklet if they wish to use them.

Key Stage 4 

Our students sit Edexcel board examinations.

All exams will be based on knowledge of the following themes:

Theme 1: Identity and culture 

● Who am I?: relationships; when I was younger; what my friends and family are like; what makes a good friend; interests; socialising with friends and family; role models 

● Daily life: customs and everyday life; food and drink; shopping; social media and technology (use of, advantages and disadvantages) 

● Cultural life: celebrations and festivals; reading; music; sport; film and television 

Theme 2: Local area, holiday and travel 

● Holidays: preferences; experiences; and destinations 

● Travel and tourist transactions: travel and accommodation; asking for help and dealing with problems; directions; eating out; shopping 

● Town, region and country: weather; places to see; things to do 

Theme 3: School 

● What school is like: school types; school day; subjects; rules and pressures; celebrating success 

● School activities: school trips; events; exchanges 

Theme 4: Future aspirations, study and work 

● Using languages beyond the classroom: forming relationships; travel; employment 

● Ambitions: further study; volunteering; training 

● Work: jobs; careers; professions 

Theme 5: International and global dimension 

● Bringing the world together: sports events; music events; campaigns and good causes 

● Environmental issues: being ‘green’; access to natural resources  

KS4 Revision Resources