French
Our Vision
Our MFL curriculum is designed to ensure that Meadowhead students:
- Understand and respond to spoken and written language;
- Speak and write with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say;
- Recognise and use grammatical rules and a range of vocabulary to communicate effectively; and
- Discover and develop an appreciation of foreign languages and other cultures.
We want every student at Meadowhead School to experience the fun and satisfaction of a foreign language. Being able to communicate in another language opens up doors to a wider range of better-paid jobs, new friends, and a more understanding world view. The future needs open-minded, forward-thinking, more tolerant linguists.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart” - Nelson Mandela, South African politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
“You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once” – Czech proverb
Key stage 3 (7-9)
Please click the hyperlinks to access the knowledge organisers
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 |
Describing a person or thing Saying what people have Distinguishing between having and being Talking about a thing or a person Talking about doing and making things Extended reading
|
• Places in town• Saying what there is and is not • Asking for and giving directions •The verb aller • Saying where you’re going • Monuments of Paris • Near future tense • sports • musical instruments • leisure activities • modal structures • frequency phrases • holiday activities in future • ideal holiday destinations.
|
Relationships with family and friends • Talk about family and friends •Use “avoir” and “être” in present tense • use adjectives • Use reflexive verbs • talk about personal relationships • talk about future relationships • use comparatives•full paradigm of “aller” • use near future tense • use future tense time markers • Describing your home • using negative phrases • adjectives • prepostions • chores • bedroom furniture • places in town • activities in town |
| Assessment | Writing and translation | Reading, translation and writing | Listening and reading |
| Term 2 |
Talking about my age Talking about my birthday Talking about my appearance
Saying where people go Extended reading Talk about yourself, to and about, someone else |
Clothes and shopping •items of clothing • adjectives • Numbers to 100 • question formation • making a complaint • comparatives |
Free time•Music •TV programmes • types of films • Perfect tense with AVOIR • time markers Food and Eating out • breakfast • lunch • types of cuisine • ordering food Food – consolidate perfect tense. Transactional language in restaurants/cafés. |
| Assessment | Listening, reading, and writing | Listening, reading, and writing | Reading |
| Term 3 |
Asking questions Using question words Saying people do not do something Describing things and people Expressing future intentions Saying what you want to do and must do Saying what you can (not) and (do not) know how to do Extended reading |
Body and Health, • Body parts • Illness • advice •going to the doctors/chemist, •sports • healthy lifestyle |
Festivals. • French festivals • celebrations • perfect tense with être • daily routine• reflexives with être. |
Key stage 4 (10-11)
| Year 10 | Year 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Technology; School subjects and School Life | Environment; Future plans and higher educationhigher education |
| Assessment | Writing | Trial exams – speaking, listening, reading, and writing |
| Term 2 | Holidays and Tourism; Healthy and unhealthy living | Poverty and homelessness; and choice of career |
| Assessment | Reading | GCSE Speaking Exam |
| Term 3 | Retrieval of units 1 – 5 with focus on transactional language and Exam Skills. |
Exam practice. GCSE 150 word writing mat |
| Assessment | Trial exams – speaking, listening, reading, and writing | N/A |
Key stage 5 (12-13)
| Year 12 | Year 13 | |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | The changing family; and the digital world; La Haine | Exclusion; Prison systems; and La Haine |
| Term 2 | Volunteering; music; La Haine; and Cultural Heritage | Youth politics; trade unions and strikes; and La Haine. |
| Assessment | Trial exams – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. | Trial exams – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. |
| Term 3 | Cinema; IRP launched; multicultural society | Immigration |
| Assessment | Assessment week – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. | Resit Trials |
Useful websites
Extra-curricular / enrichment
Trips and exchanges abroad, access to Foreign Language Assistant, Homework Support Club, KS4 weekly revision sessions, February and Easter holiday revision sessions