Subject Leader: Mrs S Beaumont – sbeaumont@knoleacademy.org
Subject Teachers: Ms B Foureau, Miss K Hughes and Miss A West
Exam Board: Edexcel
In Languages, we want our students to have a happy and positive learning experience and we aim to help our students develop into enthusiastic and resilient learners.
Intent
Our curriculum aims to enable pupils to communicate in another language and empower them to understand and respond to French speakers expressing ideas and thoughts relevant to their needs.
Our vision is to broaden students’ horizons and encourage them to develop new ways of seeing the world and we aim to help students consider themselves engaged citizens of the world. Being effective communicators is essential and it is our goal to provide students with opportunities to communicate personal and factual information that goes beyond their immediate needs and interests, and develop and justify viewpoints with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy.
Implementation
In year 7 there is an initial focus on transition from primary to secondary followed by sessions on the Geography of France.
The EPI method has been introduced this year and we use an EPI curriculum which intends to rehearse knowledge over time and build vocabulary and grammar through explicitly chunking knowledge whilst using retrieval practice and rehearsed knowledge to recap and retain knowledge.
By the end of KS3, students are able to communicate effectively in present, past and future tense and for some, in the conditional and/or imperfect tense as well.
Students are given the opportunity to develop exam techniques in all 5 skills as from year 7 onwards to ensure familiarity with GCSE questions. They are also familiar with different cultural traditions and are able to compare them with their own.
The three pillars of progression are included in all lessons:
- Phonics – Curriculum plans show planned practice and review of phonemes and how these link to graphemes
- Vocabulary – Curriculum plans show the importance of developing a strong bank of topic key words, high-frequency words and verbs
- Grammar – When teaching grammar, teachers make sure that all pupils understand grammatical concepts and structures and the curriculum includes ample opportunity to revisit the same grammar points in different contexts, with different tasks and with a wide range of vocabulary.
At KS4 teaching needs to build on prior knowledge acquired at KS3 and students are taught how to communicate in more complex language and consolidate their knowledge of the five tenses as well as the develop the use of more complex structures and idioms. They also acquire more in-depth knowledge of the culture of French-speaking countries through the learning of festivals and traditions.
By the end of KS4 students will have learned to:
- transcribe words and sentences that they hear
- read original and adapted materials as well as literary texts, which expand their understanding of the knowledge and culture
- write creatively and translate written texts from and into the target language
Impact
By the end of KS3, through regular informal, formal and standardised assessments of all four skills, students will be equipped with the skills necessary to communicate effectively in the target language through the use of different tenses and extended sentences. They will be able to justify their opinions on a variety of topic areas and will also have an awareness of different cultural aspects of France and some French-speaking countries.
By the end of KS4, progress is assessed through the use of informal and standardised assessments in all four skills. Students will also have the opportunity to practise their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in formal mock exams in both year 10 and year 11.
Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in Each Stage
All students are taught French in teaching groups throughout Key Stage 3, developing their language skills in listening and responding, reading and writing and cultural awareness. All skills are regularly assessed at least every term. Students follow a skills-based scheme of work, which also fits into the new Modern Language Framework of Objectives. They can use ICT software programs, videos, and books to read independently.
Homework is set once a week, and thorough learning of phrases and sentences from knowledge organiser booklets, vocabulary learning and Languagenut activities are also actively encouraged.
Students are expected to try to speak as much French as possible in the classroom. Learning activities regularly include peer assessment and role plays, as well as group work and activities enabling students to develop all four skills.
Knole Academy offers French at KS4.
French is compulsory for Grammar Stream students and can be chosen as an option for non- Grammar Stream students.
The exam board is Edexcel, and the GCSE course consists of four externally assessed papers based on the following skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students are encouraged to visit France or French-speaking countries to develop their speaking and listening skills. Students are actively encouraged to use French websites to develop their general comprehension skills.
Homework is set once a week, however students must spend at least one hour a week learning spellings or revising vocabulary from their revision booklet which all students are issued with at the beginning of the course.
Examinations Information
Exam Board: Edexcel
Qualification: GCSE French
Paper 1: Speaking (25%)
Internally conducted and externally assessed. 50 marks.
Foundation tier: 7-9 minutes plus 15 minutes’ preparation time.
Higher tier: 10-12 minutes plus 15 minutes’ preparation time.
- Task 1: Read aloud (12 marks) Read aloud a short text and undertake a short, unprepared interaction relating to the text.
- Task 2: Role play (10 marks) Undertake a transactional role play, in a setting taken from the defined list on pages 16–17.
- Task 3: Picture task (12 marks) with conversation (16 marks) Students select their thematic context for Task 3 in advance of the assessment.
Paper 2: Listening (25%)
Written examination. 50 marks.
Foundation tier: 45 minutes, including 5 minutes’ reading time.
Higher tier: 60 minutes, including 5 minutes’ reading time.
- Section A: Listening (40 marks) Students respond to multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer open response questions. All questions are set in English and students produce all responses in English.
- Section B: Dictation (10 marks) Students are assessed on their ability to transcribe spoken French into written French. They will be rewarded for their accuracy of spelling based on their knowledge and understanding.
Paper 3: Reading (25%)
Written examination. 50 marks.
Foundation tier: 45 minutes.
Higher tier: 60 minutes.
- Section A: Reading and Understanding (40 marks) Students respond to multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer open response questions based on these texts. All questions are set in English and students produce all responses in English.
- Section B: Translation into English (10 marks) Students translate a passage from French into English, with instructions in English.
Paper 4: Writing (25%)
Written examination. 50 marks.
Foundation tier: 1 hour 15 minutes.
Higher tier: 1 hour 20 minutes.
Foundation Tier
- Question 1: picture-based task (8 marks)
- Question 2: one of two open-response questions, set in formal context (14 marks)
- Question 3: one of two open-response questions, set in informal context (18 marks)
- Question 4: translation into French (10 marks)
Higher Tier
- Question 1: one of two open-response questions, set in informal context (18 marks)
- Question 2: one of two open-response questions, set in formal context (22 marks)
- Question 3: translation into French (10 marks)
A recommended word count is specified for each open-response question.
Enrichment and Extra-curricular Activities
Students are encouraged to learn through experience and develop their skills outside of the classroom. Students are able to use various websites such as Languagenut.com and Duolingo. Students have the opportunity to learn about French-speaking countries through lesson activities and are encouraged to join in the MFL lunchtime film club and Lunchtime club.
MFL Future Paths
Students can progress further for IB French
Any language course has practical benefits for students wishing to make themselves more marketable in the workplace as well as being very useful in social contexts such as holidays and visits and providing students with valuable skills for later life.