Modern Foreign Languages
'Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things' - Flora Lewis
Curriculum intent and aims
We believe in the importance of our subject in today’s society. We see the study of languages as a window onto the rest of the world. Languages are our bridge out of insularity with wide-ranging uses beyond the classroom throughout our lives.
Through the study of languages, we aim to:
- Provide students with the means to understand the structure of another language, comparing and contrasting it with their own.
- Provide students with the means to develop and use a wide-ranging and deepening vocabulary in the target language, allowing them to give and justify opinions and take part in discussion about wider issues.
- Provide students with the means to (and necessary knowledge to) speak coherently and confidently in the target language, with increasingly accurate pronunciation and intonation.
- Expose students to different countries’ customs and traditions, allowing them to develop their understanding and tolerance of others and other cultures.
- Equip students with the techniques and strategies they will need to continue to develop their linguistic skills whenever they need to throughout their lives, for work or for pleasure.
We believe that communication in a foreign language is a valuable asset for their future careers. Therefore our curriculum is built around developing skills for communication and understanding.
Our student and staff motto is “Languages for Life”.
Meta-concepts
The 5 meta-concepts underpinning the MFL curriculum are:
Linguistic competence – developing listening/speaking/reading/writing skills for understanding and communication
Knowledge about language – understanding how languages work and how to manipulate them
Understanding of languages – knowing that languages differ but share common features
Creativity – using familiar language for new purposes or contexts
International understanding – appreciating richness and diversity and developing an international outlook
The curriculum sequence and course specifications can be viewed by clicking on the links below:
GCSE specification link:
GCSE Specification - French GCSE Specification - Spanish