Modern Foreign Languages

 

‘The limits of my language mean the limits of my world’ – Ludwig Wittgenstein

 

Rationale:

Learning a foreign language is vital in helping to shape the individual. The subject sits comfortably beside RE and PSHE in that it encourages pupils to appreciate the diversity of people in the world and develop a tolerant outlook to anything perceived as different to pupils’ usual ways of communicating and thinking. In this sense the curriculum is outward-looking and enriching and truly seeks to broaden pupils’ horizons. It also aligns with our Catholic ethos and values which seek to provide pupils with the social, moral, spiritual and cultural capital to succeed in life.

Learning another language is also a skill which pupils can utilise to be successful in a global world. It opens up opportunities for living in, working in or traveling to other countries. In order for pupils to develop proficiency in a language, we have designed a cumulative curriculum which allows pupils to develop linguistic knowledge and skills in the four areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing; we encourage pupils to express their thoughts and ideas in a foreign language as well as understand and respond to speakers, both in speech and writing. In order to increase pupils’ cultural capital, they will be exposed to practical language as well as to extracts of great literature.

We are passionate about promoting a love of, and curiosity for, languages as well as helping pupils see the relevance of learning languages through a range of enrichment opportunities. These feature through career links as well as via stand- alone opportunities such as writing to and visiting our partner school in France.

 We believe that it is not the chosen MFL that is most important, but the skill derived from learning a second language. French is a language which is closely related to English; this means that pupils will see links between the two languages which will in turn make it easier for pupils to make progress.

It is well documented that the learning of a foreign language helps a person better understand their own language. Therefore, one of our intentions is that the MFL curriculum will support the English department’s goal of creating excellent communicators, readers, writers and thinkers. By working alongside the English department, the MFL department will mirror the terminology needed to analyse language. This will not only help sharpen pupils’ understanding of English but also provide them with crucial knowledge which will in turn help them to learn further languages in the future.

Intent:

We want our pupils to

• Think like a linguist:
  • To appreciate that leaning another language celebrates difference and creates opportunities.
  • To appreciate that different languages have different systems e.g. word order, sound-spelling correspondences.
  • To understand how vocabulary, grammar and phonics combine together to create language.
• Know like a linguist:
  • To understand the lexical system of another language in order to understand and produce meaning in written and oral modalities.
  • To understand the grammar system of another language in order to understand and produce meaning in written and oral modalities.
  • To understand the sound-spelling system of another language in order to understand and produce meaning in written and oral modalities.
  • To develop cultural capital by gaining knowledge about the places other languages are spoken and the people that speak them.
• Speak like a linguist

• To speak with fluency and spontaneity in order to communicate with others in another language.

• Listen like a linguist

• To listen actively and attentively in order to understand speakers of another language.

• Write like a linguist.
  • To write creatively in a lexically and grammatically accurate way.
  • To translate short texts rendering the meaning of the original language.
• Read like a linguist.
  • Read with fluency in another language.
  • Infer plausible meanings from unfamiliar words embedded in familiar contexts.
  • Be able to discuss language using specialist language vocabulary (Disciplinary Reading).

 

Implementation:

Year 7 pupils will study:

• Self and Family
• School
• Freetime

Year 8 pupils will study:

• Town
• Celebrations
• Holidays
• Freetime

Year 9 pupils will study:

• Life when you were younger
• future work
• Environment

Year 10 pupils will study:

• Self and others
• Free time
• Festivals and celebrations
• Town and area
• Holidays
• Tourism

Year 11 pupils will:

• School Life
• Work Life
• The environment and social issues
• Speaking exam and revision

Impact: What will you know and understand from your study of MFL?

• Understand and respond to a range of written and spoken language from authentic sources (e.g. dialogues, stories, emails, blogs, songs, poems).
• Speak with confidence, fluency and spontaneity.
• Write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences.
• Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing.

Pupils are assessed continuously through low-stakes strategies like recall tasks, question and answer sessions, one to one teacher-pupil discussions, informal quizzes and maintenance marking. The valuable data which teachers receive from these sources are used to inform intervention; such as adapting lessons, revisiting key material, setting homeworks and utilising recall tasks.

Pupils will receive written teacher feedback on one piece of work per half term, whether that be a formal AP (Assessment Point) or a Deep Mark. Pupil performance in these assessments will also be used to inform in-class intervention. Time has been built into the curriculum for pupils to respond to teacher feedback, redrafting their work. Impact will be seen in the outcomes of these half term Deep Marks and termly APs.

Key Assessment Objectives (Current Y8-11)

AO1 Listening: understand and respond to different types of spoken language (25%)

AO2 Speaking: communicate and interact effectively in speech (25%)

AO3 Reading: understand and respond to different types of written language (25%)

AO4 Writing: communicate in writing (25%)

Key Assessment Objectives (Current Y7) – New subject weightings for examination in 2026

 AO1 Understand and respond to spoken language in speaking and writing (35%)

AO2 Understand and respond to written language in speaking and writing (45%)

AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and accurate application of the grammar and vocabulary prescribed in the specification (20%)

What enrichment opportunities do we offer in MFL?

The enrichment elements of the MFL curriculum are extremely important in helping build pupils’ Cultural Capital. The exposure to authentic resources such as film extracts and literature shows pupils how important other languages have been to development of civilization. The link to a French school supports pupils in gaining an awareness of differences and similarities between people of their own age and encourages pupils to develop a tolerant and understanding outlook on society. In addition, pupils are exposed to opportunities to enhance their learning outside of the classroom through Trust competitions, educational trips and workshops.

 How can the study of MFL support students beyond school?

We hope to inspire the next generations of linguists who wish to pursue careers with foreign languages. We challenge pupils to converse in the target language, constantly seeking to communicate and be understood; to search for meaning in texts with a desire and passion for comprehension; to find links between languages and independently take up new languages.

MFL provides a strong foundation for any job or profession that involves communication and writing as students who can communicate in a foreign language show a heightened understanding of and capability in their own language. Jobs include translation, interpreting, journalism, law, business, government roles, advertising and marketing, linguistics and many more. In fact, any profession that requires strong verbal and written communication can draw on the key skills acquired whilst studying an MFL.