Modern Foreign Languages
Curriculum overview
Overall Intent
We aim to foster enjoyment in the study of languages, enthusiasm for learning and curiosity in the world around us. Languages are a part of the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum.
Key Stage 3 National Curriculum
We truly believe that language learning is a “liberation from insularity in today’s global society”. All pupils in Years 7 and 8 learn French and German and have the opportunity to continue both up to A-level. Through the study of one romance and one Germanic language, they gain an understanding of the similarities and differences between not only the languages themselves, but also the cultures of the countries in which they are spoken.
Pupils learn to communicate with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy throughout their language learning journey with us and we also aspire to provide an excellent basis for future language study, whichever language that may be. The skills and techniques learned in MFL have even been shown to improve pupils’ learning and cognitive abilities to such an extent that they enhance their achievement in other subjects. We’re biased of course, but what’s not to love!
Implementation, literacy and independence
We feel it is important that our pupils value any prior knowledge and skills from their life experiences as well as from any formal learning and we highlight these from our very first transition lessons. We teach pupils the skills they need to acquire new Vocabulary, Grammar and Phonics so that they become increasingly independent as they move from novice towards expert linguists. Literacy is integral to everything that we do and we are explicit in teaching the skills required for each of the four key modalities of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Pupils are encouraged to use the wealth of authentic French and German resources that may be of particular interest to them.
French Resources
German resources
We provide all pupils with bespoke “Passbooks” in which the curriculum is broken down into manageable chunks of learning. They also enable pupils to see their progression throughout each unit, year and key stage. In lessons we model differentiated exemplar work, provide scaffolds to support independent practice and encourage pupils to share success and share their mistakes. Regular retrieval practice is essential for successful language learning and our spiral curriculum ensures that current and previous learning is regularly revisited and tested. Our curriculum is ambitious and in order to develop confidence in our learners, the homework we set helps to embed learning in the long-term memory. We encourage the ‘little and often’ approach and pupils can use online courses and apps outside of the classroom.
Staff
The following members of staff form the Modern Foreign Languages department at King Edwards:
| Staff Member | Job Title |
|---|---|
| Mrs S Dunn | Head of Department |
| Mrs J Briden | Head of French/2nd in Department |
| Mrs K Baker | Responsibility for MFL Behaviour Management Support |
| Mrs L Hurn | Deputy Headteacher |
| Miss K Hinz | Assistant Headteacher |
| Mrs E Gallagher | Teacher of French and German |
| Mrs S Hollyhead | Teacher of Modern Languages |
| Mrs E Loverock | Teacher of French and German |
| Ms S Page | Teacher of French and German |
| Mrs R Taylor | Teacher of French |
Further information
We take advantage of local opportunities to enhance our curriculum such as:
- A French breakfast experience
- Events organised by: Business Language Champions
We also offer a wide range of opportunities to all our learners through which we hope to enrich their language learning experience with us, such as:
- Celebration of European Day of Languages
- Quizzes and competitions
- Links with older and previous pupils
- Links with Aston University - Routes into Languages (see videos below)
