French (MFL)

Curriculum Intent

To develop passionate linguists who are resilient and independent in order to establish a culture of high expectations and inspire progression to further education in academic subjects.
To develop confident speakers of French who are aware of the culture of French speaking countries in order to create lifelong learners and practical skills to enable future employment in a variety of contexts.
To allow students to benefit from opportunities to experience aspects of culture they would not normally experience within the community through educational visits and the regular use of authentic materials, enabling them to develop cultural capital, raise aspirations by showing that there is a bigger world outside of their community and tackle deprivation by supporting them financially to access these opportunities provided by the department.
To foster a genuine desire for the study of languages and inspire students to pursue languages beyond the classroom as well as in further education and employment, ensuring they are able to see the benefits as well as the importance of studying a language and the many opportunities they provide within their communities and in the wider world.
To raise awareness of etymology and how languages are interlinked so that they have a better understanding of other languages around them. The aim is to make languages relevant to their social context and deepen their understanding of how languages can be applied to many professions and inspire students to have higher aspirations.
To ensure students have a sound understanding of French grammar, including the ability to apply it in new context in order to rapidly improve lower literacy levels on entry
To ensure students are experiencing a wide range of written materials in differing styles and audiences to enable students more access to otherwise limited literacy resources and access to books within their community.

KS3 Curriculum Overview

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Overview:

HT1

HT2

HT3

HT4

HT5

HT6

La Rentrée

(Start of the School year)
Describing self and others and giving opinions on personal likes and dislikes

En Classe

(In Class)
Discussing opinions on school subjects, school uniform and learning about the similarities and differences of French speaking schools around the world

Mon Temps Libre

(My Free Time)
Talking about opinions on sports and activities and learning about sport in French speaking countries

Ma Vie de Famille

(My Family Life)
Describing family and daily life, including cultural differences and where people live, including the importance of France celebrating Bastille Day

En Ville

(In Town)
Talking about weekend activities and planning future events.

Culture and Skills
A cultural project linked to current affairs involving varied skills and grammar covered throughout HT1-HT5

Vive les Vacances!

(Holidays)
Discussing activities during the summer holidays and giving opinions on these

J’adore les Fêtes!

(Celebrations and Festivals)

Discussing the importance of festivals and celebrations and the activities associated with these

À Loisir

(Leisure Activities)

Giving opinions on varied popular activities such as digital technology, cinema and shopping as well as discussing plans

Le Monde est petit

(Where You Live)

Describing where you live and what you can do there as well as daily routine and reasons for moving house

Le Sport en direct

(Sports)

Giving opinions on various sports and talking about injuries and illness associated with these including parts of the body and remedies

Culture and Skills
A cultural project linked to current affairs involving varied skills and grammar covered throughout HT1-HT5

Mon Monde à Moi

(My World)

Talking about life outside of school such as after school clubs, friends and personal special occasions

Projets d’avenir

(Future Plans)
Talking about the importance of money and aspirations for the future and what the future might look like

Ma Vie en Musique

(My Life in Music)
Discussing musical tastes and personal differences. Comparing each other and what we used to be like. Discussing how things have changed. Talking about a life as a young refugee

Le Meilleur des Mondes

(Brave New World)
Discussing eating habits, the natural worlds and environment. Talking about how to make the world a better place

Le Monde Francophone

(French Speaking World)
Talking about the places we would like to visit, learning about French speaking countries around the world and the various contributions French speaking people have brought to society

Culture and Skills
A cultural project linked to current affairs involving varied skills and grammar covered throughout HT1-HT5

To download this table, please click below.

Curriculum Overview KS3

KS4 Curriculum Overview

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Overview:

HT1

HT2

HT3

HT4

HT5

HT6

Y10

Qui suis-je?

(Who Am I?)
Talking about family and friends, your life when you were younger and role models. Developing the four key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through exam style questions and grammar focussed lessons

Le temps des loisirs

(Leisure Time)
Talking about life online, book and reading, opinions on TV programmes and talking about actors and films. Developing the four key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through exam style questions and grammar focussed lessons

Jours ordinaires, jours de fête

(Daily life and Celebrations)
Talking about food and meals, shopping for clothes, including the importance of using polite language, important family celebrations, festivals and traditions using a combination of tenses

De la ville à la campagne

(Town and Countryside)
Talking about where you live, including weather and transport. Describing towns, villages and districts and what you can see or do. Talking about community projects focusing on past, present and future tenses

Le grand large…

(Holidays)
Talking about typical holiday plans with reference to past and future holidays. Talking about ideal holidays, reviews, travelling, buying souvenirs and holiday disasters focusing on the conditional, perfect and pluperfect tenses

Au collège

(School)

Talking about school life, rules, daily routine and exchanges, with a particular focus on speaking skills, forming questions and describing pictures.

Y11

Bon travail!

(Work)
Discussing jobs and work preferences, talking about career choices, plans, hopes and wishes, the importance of languages and applying for jobs with a focus on the subjunctive

Un oeil sur le monde

(Global Issues)
Discussing problems facing the world, protecting the environment, ethical shopping, volunteering and big events focusing on the passive

Revision and Skills/Exams

Revisiting and revising modules from year 9 to year 11 and developing the four key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through exam style questions and grammar focussed lessons.

To download this table, please click below.

Curriculum Overview KS4

What your child will learn in:

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11

French SMSC Statement

Spiritual development in MFL

Students are taught to accept and embrace other languages and cultures through the teaching of MFL. In relation to this, students are educated on the religious beliefs of the people in countries of the language they are learning, particularly Catholicism in France and religious restrictions. A whole range of GCSE topics, and KS3 material covers topics from travel to education, healthy living and social awareness. Students are encouraged to be empathetic to the cultures, beliefs and traditions of others and stereotypes are challenged where necessary.

Moral development in MFL

Students are encouraged to show empathy and understanding to others and learn about right from wrong and the choices historical figures from French culture have made. Stereotypes and intolerance are challenged through the teaching of language and culture. The MFL schemes of learning identify and explore many moral issues in a global society context. It covers famous people, equality of education within a global content, travel as a means of exploring the world, and media and new technology.

Social development in MFL

Students are encouraged to work independently in lessons and proactively use the target language in classwork, whether through pair work, co-operative learning techniques or group work. Students are often differentiated in groups of varied abilities to encourage social interaction with others in the class with whom they may not usually interact. Students are encouraged to experiment with language and learn from their mistake. There is a supportive environment in MFL classes where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, rather than as failures. The students are encouraged to use each other as a learning tool and develop social strategies for dealing with confrontational situations or problems.

Cultural development in MFL

Cultural development and cultural awareness are fundamental in language learning at The Hathershaw College. At all stages of MFL teaching and learning, cultural development is at the forefront of our success criteria. Exploration of language and culture is key to language learning, whether through lessons or school trips. Students are encouraged to embrace ‘difference’ at all stages of their linguistic development and accept ideas which may be ‘alien’ to them, as culturally significant. Students are encouraged to discuss and challenge stereotypes within a national and international context. Media and new technology are encouraged to explore students’ interest in language and culture in all aspects of their learning.