Modern Foreign Languages

Subject Vision and Intent

To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world

(Chinese Proverb)

In the Modern Foreign Languages faculty, it is celebrated that every pupil is a successful language learner in at least one language and the teaching develops pupils’ skills from this point of view. A Modern Foreign Language is offered to all pupils in Key Stage 3 and in Key Stage 4 where it is an essential requirement of the EBACC.  
Starting from September all pupils in Year 7 will be taught either French, Spanish, or Urdu. 

Pupils develop essential learning, literacy, and communication skills, which they can use to make connections with other subject areas. Pupils can use these skills to continue learning the same language at a higher level and learn new languages.  Learning a language is a way to open new gateways into the world, build awareness of other cultures and raise pupils’ self-esteem.    

During MFL lessons, our pupils will gain systematic knowledge of key vocabulary and structures, grammar and phonics of the new language and a better understanding of how these are used by native speakers. We promote independent learning via knowledge organisers as we want to develop confident and independent pupils who are not afraid to communicate in a different language. 

 

Five-Year Plan

   Term  Year 7    Year 8    Year 9    Year 10     Year 11  

 Autumn

 Term 1  

  

 All About Me  

 Holiday (present) 

 Media: TV,   film, reading and music 

 Me, My Family and   Friends 

 Social Issues 

 Autumn

 Term 2  

  

 Friends and Family 

 A Recent Holiday 

 New Technology 

 Technology 

 Holidays 

 Spring

 Term 1  

  

 School Life 

 Food and Drink, A   Healthy Diet 

 Pocket Money 

 Free time 

 My Studies,   Ambitions and Life at   School 

 Spring

 Term 2  

  

 My School Day 

 Healthy Life and other   life issues 

  Jobs and Future Plans 

 Festivals and   Celebrations 

 All Topics Recap 

 Summer

 Term 1  

  

 Sports and Hobbies 

 My Home 

 Town 

 Hometown 

 Revision 

 Summer

 Term 2  

  

 Leisure Plans 

 About the Home.   Household chores 

 Environment 

 Environment 

  

 

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11)

GCSE: French, Spanish and Urdu 

 Exam Board   AQA 

 Examinations 

 GCSE French, Spanish and Urdu consists of four papers: 

 Paper1 – Listening 

 Written exam, 35 minutes (Foundation Tier), 45 minutes (Higher Tier) 

 Paper 2 – Speaking 

 Non-exam assessment, 7–9 minutes (Foundation Tier) + preparation time or 10–12 minutes (Higher Tier) + preparation time 

 Paper 3 – Reading 

 Written exam: 45 minutes (Foundation Tier), 1 hour (Higher Tier) 

 Paper 4 – Writing 

 Written exam: 1 hour (Foundation Tier), 1 hour 15 minutes (Higher Tier) 

Key Topics 

 Theme 1: Identity and culture 

 Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest 

 Theme 3: Current and future study and employment 

Hodge Hill Girls School
Bromford Road
Birmingham
B36 8EY

0121 464 3094