French
Years 7 to 9
Curriculum Intent
Our aims, in the MFL department at Church Stretton School are:
- To develop competent linguists who, by the end of KS3, can use three tenses successfully and give a range of justified opinions.
- To develop students who enjoy and see the value in studying languages.
- To develop students’ cultural capital by exposing them to cultural experiences including visits abroad and enrichment activities.
- To increase the number of students studying GCSE MFL at Church Stretton School
- To develop students’ transferrable skills.
The Church Stretton MFL curriculum gives students the opportunity to develop their knowledge of French vocabulary and grammar to an excellent standard and lays a solid foundation for the study of French at GCSE level in Year 10 and Year 11. Students also develop essential life skills such as curiosity, tolerance, resilience and enthusiasm for different cultures. Students’ listening, reading, writing and speaking skills are also greatly improved through the study of French and students’ spelling and understanding of English also improves. We are proud that the study of French during KS3 gives our students a much greater understanding of their own place in the world and a greater appreciation of the similarities and differences between life in Church Stretton and Francophone countries.
Our French curriculum is an ambitious curriculum, aligned to the National Curriculum. We have mapped the requirements of the National Curriculum for MFL to the Pearson Dynamo (KS3) and Studio (KS4) schemes of work. We like using these schemes of work due to their logical progression of tenses and grammatical structures and because, especially the Dynamo scheme of work, exposes students to the culture of world-wide Francophone countries.
We are also able, through these schemes of work, to expose students to authentic French through high-quality audio material and videos. We also include other authentic resources such as You Tube videos, language-learning apps and realia to support our teaching and learning in MFL on a daily basis. We have also incorporated the study of two French films in each year of KS3 which support the learning aims of the topics covered in these years.
Topics studied in French
Year 7 – Personal Info, Likes & Dislikes, School, Free Time, Family, In town
Films – Les Choristes, Le Petit Nicolas
Year 8 – Holidays, Festivals, Leisure, Home & Region, Sport
Films – Les Vacances de Petit Nicolas, Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis
Year 9 – TV & Films, Towns, Shopping, Fashion, Healthy Living, The Environment
Films – La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf Biopic) & Coco Before Chanel (Coco Chanel Biopic).
Curriculum
Students in KS3 are allocated 5-6 hours per fortnight of French which gives students the opportunity to develop their knowledge of French vocabulary and grammar to an excellent standard and lays a solid foundation for their study of French at GCSE level in Year 10 and Year 11. Students also develop essential life skills such as curiosity, tolerance, resilience and enthusiasm for different cultures. Students’ listening, reading, writing and speaking skills are also greatly improved through the study of French and students’ spelling and understanding of English also improves. We are proud that the study of French during KS3 gives our students a much greater understanding of their own place in the world and a greater appreciation of the similarities and differences between life in Church Stretton and in Francophone countries.
Road Maps
Curriculum Overview
Knowledge Organiser
French
Web Links
Additional Reading
We have a selection of French reading books pupils can borrow.
Years 10-11
Why study GCSE French?
- 75% of the world’s population do NOT speak English.
- A foreign language gives you a competitive edge in the job’s market. It’s a definite advantage to understand more than one language. Lots of universities now offer the opportunity to study abroad for part of their degree and some places even demand it at GCSE for certain degrees.
- People cross continents and language barriers like never before. Technology now enables us to trade on an international level and we need people who can communicate in different languages.
- We’re still part of Europe, and ought to be able to communicate with our fellow members.
- We will still need to use European languages whether we’re part of the EU or not.
- Learning a language is an exciting academic challenge and essential to develop one's sense of empathy for and understanding of others in a global world."
Assessment
- 1 Listening exam. The Foundation paper is 35 minutes. The Higher paper is 45 minutes.
- 1 Reading exam. The Foundation paper is 45 minutes. The Higher paper is 60 minutes.
- 1 Speaking exam. The Foundation exam lasts between 7 – 9 minutes. The Higher exam lasts 10 – 12 mins.
- 1 Writing exam. The Foundation paper is 1 hour and the Higher paper is 90 minutes.
Course Requirements
- Communication skills in speaking and writing: The ability to express ideas and thoughts fluently and with a good degree of accuracy is essential not only in your own language, but also when you communicate using a foreign language. You will practise and master all the grammar you know and also learn more complex structures which will develop and enhance your language skills. You will also need to be able to translate into French with accuracy and this skill will be regularly practised.
- Listening and reading skills: Good listening and reading skills are important when learning a foreign language. You will get lots more practice to improve and develop your ability to listen to, read and understand French.
Subject Exam Board Internal Exam Paper
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French AQA The speaking exam Listening 25%
is conducted in school by Reading 25%
your teacher and then Speaking 25%
sent away to be marked. Writing 25%
Road Maps
Curriculum Overview
Knowledge Organiser
French
How to support your child
We are sure that you already do many of these things to support your child but here is a useful reminder for you to refer to:
- Ask them what they have learnt today. Get them to teach you!
- Help them to structure revision for tests and assessments. Regular learning of a language is the most effective. Don’t worry if you‘re not confident. They will tell you what/ how to test them.
- Encourage your child to go online and use the language learning websites linked below.
- We have a subscription to Seneca which is also very good to help them learn and make progress. We give them the password in school and they can then access the site at home or on their phone.
Web Links
GCSE French - AQA - BBC Bitesize
Additional Reading
We have a selection of French reading books pupils can borrow.
