- Home
- Secondary
- Curriculum
- Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
Vision
At SMSJ our vision is that all students develop the skills and confidence to consider themselves as all-round global citizens who are able to serve one another in a multicultural, mutually respectful world. We aim to support our students to understand other countries and cultures so that they can be more open and adaptable to new experiences in order to prepare students for a rapidly changing world.
At SMSJ we ensure that each topic contains an element of cultural reference. The Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department develops an awareness of cultural differences within society in order that we can build a hope filled future where young people celebrate diversity. In light of our commitment to wisdom we aim to develop strong, lifelong linguistic skills and to foster pupils’ curiosity as well as deepening their understanding of both the world around them and their own language. Ultimately, we want our students to have a love for languages, and aim to achieve this by nurturing a linguistic curiosity and an intrinsic motivation to explore and respect other cultures and people.
At SMSJ the MFL curriculum across Key Stage 3 and 4 provides students with the opportunity to study a wide range of language, increasing their knowledge of vocabulary and set phrases while at the same time building their understanding of structures and how language works. This is achieved through the study and development of written and spoken language. Students are able to express their opinions on a variety of topic areas relevant to their everyday lives. Skilful application occurs when students can articulate their ideas either verbally or written through authentic use of the language they have studied. Students are also able to develop the concept of being a global citizen by increasing their understanding of the cultures where the language is spoken.
Students have to demonstrate language abilities in the 4 communication skill areas of Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. We aim to include practise for all skills in lessons. Students are assessed at the end of the module in at least 2 of the skills ensuring that the 4 skills are assessed on a termly basis. Assessment can be teacher created or from our learning resources. For GCSE, we use past exams papers and students complete at least 1 full mock GCSE exam each year.
At SMSJ students are able to study the Mandarin culture in after school clubs at KS3 and 4 and are able to learn the Spanish and French culture in detail through lessons and activities.
Year 7
In Year 7 students will focus on understanding and expressing descriptions and opinions. Grammatical knowledge will be built upon with key structures to each topic, such as adjectives and time, alongside a study of knowledge which is transferable and relevant for future learning such as opinions and verb conjugation. Continual skill development will occur through the inclusion of the four key areas of listening, speaking reading and writing. Students will make links between these areas to develop their understanding of how languages work.
Year 8
In Year 8 students will focus on understanding and expressing events and opinions. Grammatical knowledge will be built upon with key structures to each topic, such as comparatives, alongside a study of knowledge which is transferable and relevant for future learning such as past and future tense. Continual skill development will occur through the inclusion of the four key areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Year 9-11
In Year 9, Year 10 and 11 students will study all the 8 units as prescribed by the AQA exam board for GCSE. They will focus on understanding and expressing descriptions and opinions. Grammatical knowledge will be built upon providing reinforcement from KS3, alongside understanding and application of more complex structures and verb conjugation. A range of skills within these key areas will be developed throughout each unit with repeated practice. Each assessment will focus on a particular exam skill element usually a productive skill as these are commonly the hardest for students. This allows students and teachers to see particular areas of strength and areas to work on in terms of knowledge, understanding and skill.