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Modern Foreign Languages

Here at The Misbourne we are passionate about languages and the opportunities they can provide us in our futures.

In the MFL Department we operate under the ethos; ‘Not all classrooms have four walls’. This vision is something we want our students to appreciate every time they have a French or Spanish lesson; the world is there to be discovered and their ability to speak a language can bring them the opportunities of a lifetime.

At The Misbourne, we offer French and Spanish to A-level and our lessons heighten our students' cultural awareness with rich content, engaging activities and culturally-authentic material. 

In Year 7, students learn French and Spanish in parallel and will enjoy the opportunity to discover both languages before choosing one to carry forward into Years 8 and 9.

Why learn French?

Studying French opens up many social, cultural and professional opportunities, with French-speaking countries representing the UK's third-biggest export market.


Why learn Spanish?

Learning the second-most-spoken language in the world opens young minds to rich, diverse cultures and offers professional opportunities across the globe.

So, if you like Languages and they are the right fit for you - why don't you click here to see where it can take you?

Key Stage 3

"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." Ludwig Wittgenstein

In MFL, we are proud that our students follow a culturally enriching and engaging curriculum. Throughout Year 7 and 8, students learn topical vocabulary with important grammatical structures and tenses, all delivered through rich and authentic material such as films, songs, literature and poems. As well as vocabulary and grammar, students gain a deep understanding of phonics and key sounds in the language.

The use of ICT is also of key importance in the department both for research tasks, and for developing grammatical skills through various technology platforms that we use.

The teaching and learning of MFL regularly make links to other areas of the school curriculum such as English, geography, mathematics, food technology and personal development.

Key Stage 3 Programme of Study

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9
  • Greetings
  • Personal information
  • Dates and celebrations
  • Family and pets
  • Colours through art appreciation
  • Sports and free time activities
  • The weather
  • Local area and my home

 

 

  • Holiday locations and travel
  • Holiday activities
  • Holiday accommodation
  • Past holidays
  • Future holidays
  • Planning a visit
  • Food and drink
  • Hispanic cultural awareness
  • Pre-Columbian civilisations

 

  • Technology and media
  • Healthy lifestyles
  • Youth in action
  • Environmental issues
  • School and school subjects
  • Careers and jobs
  • Future ambitions

 

 

 

 

Key Stage 4

"To have another language is to possess a second soul." Charlemagne

French AQA GCSE 8658

Spanish AQA GCSE 8698

At GCSE level, students continue to develop their knowledge of complex grammar, vocabulary and phonic acquired at KS3, to deepen their understanding of communicating across the 4 key language skills. We offer a GCSE qualification in French and Spanish, which help students to develop their language skills in a variety of contexts, with a broad understanding of the culture of countries, and communities where the language is spoken. A GCSE in MFL encourages enjoyment of language learning and the recognition that language skills enable us to take our place in a multi-lingual, global society.  Students are also able to study both French and Spanish at the same time at GCSE should they decide to do so.

This four-skilled specification requires students to develop their ability to read, listen, write and speak confidently in the foreign language. A GCSE in MFL also counts towards the English Baccalaureate. The GSCE has a Foundation Tier (grades 1–5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4–9). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier.

Topics covered:

Theme 1: Identity and Culture

Unit 1- Family and friends

Unit 2- Technology in everyday life

Unit 3- Free time- TV/Music/ Eating out

Unit 4- Customs and Festivals in the French/ Spanish speaking world


Theme 2: Local, national and global areas of interest

Unit 5- My town and home

Unit 6- Social issues and trends

Unit 7- Global issues and solutions

Unit 8- Holidays and tourism


Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

Unit 9-10- School, school life and university

Unit 11-12- Jobs, education post 16 and future careers

 

MFL KS4 Grade Descriptors

Key Stage 5

"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way." Frank Smith

A Level French      AQA GCE 7652                             

A-level French is where the real fun happens! Not only is the course extremely interesting, rich and engaging, it is also an incredibly useful A level in terms of employability. Having an A level language qualification on a CV shows any employer great commitment and an impressive level of ability. Students study relevant and interesting topics to delve into life in France and the Francophone world. As part of the course,  A-level students have the opportunity to study one literary text and one film, exposing them to rich content and authentic materials from the target language country. 

The A-level qualification is linear and all examinations will take place at the end of year 13.  However, students will be regularly assessed in class and will complete formal internal examinations in Year 12. Students take 3 papers at the end of year 13:

Paper 1- Listening, reading, writing

Paper 2- Writing on work of art- No et moi or La Haine

Paper 3- Speaking, independent research project

Topics covered

Year 12

Theme 1

Unit 1- La famille en voie de changement

Unit 2- La cybersociété

Unit 3- Le rôle du bénévolat

Theme 2

Unit 4- Une culture fière de son patrimoine

Unit 5- La musique francophone contemporaine

Unit 6- Cinéma; le septième art

Theme 3

Unit 7- Les aspects positifs d'une société diverse

Unit 8- Quelle vie en France pour les marginalisés?

Unit 9- Comment on traite les criminels

Theme 4

Unit 10- Les ados, le droit de vote et l'engagement politique

Unit 11- Manifestations et grèves- à qui le pouvoir?

Unit 12- La politique et l'immigration

 

Department Staff

Mrs. A V Meyer-Pirone – Curriculum Leader

Ms. S. Loomes

Miss R. Shafi

 

Useful Websites and Resources

All students from year 7-12 have knowledge organisers and revision packs containing key vocabulary, grammatical explanations and suggested writing frames. Students are advised to spend 5-10 minutes per day self quizzing and revising content from the language in small, manageable chunks. It is a key expectation that students bring their knowledge organisers to every lesson as these work in harmony with the class content.  To complement revision packs, the following websites are excellent for deepening an understanding of grammar and vocabulary, whilst offering opportunities to develop the key skills, particularly listening. 

Websites

Thisislanguage.com

Quizlet.com

Memrise.com

Kerboodle.com

Languagesonline.com

Tv5.Fr

Lyricstraining.fr

Acapela.es

Duolingo.com

Language-gym.com

Podcasts

To support with listening skills, there are lots of free podcasts available on the Appstore or GooglePlay. We recommend the following:

Slow news French

Frenchpod 101

Louis learn French

Exercise your French

Notes in Spanish

Discover Spanish

Coffee break Spanish

SBS Spanish

Music and films

Music and film are excellent tools for practising the language and developing cultural understanding and awareness. There is a huge variety of film available on Netflix in the international section and Spotify/ Youtube have a wealth of French and Spanish artists to expose your ear to as much of the language as possible. 

 

 

Subject Documents Date  
MFL Curriculum Map Spanish 16th Aug 2023 Download
MFL Curriculum Map French 16th Aug 2023 Download