Modern Foreign Languages at Rugby High School

MFL Department Vision Statement

The aim of the RHS MFL curriculum is for students to develop a life-long love of languages. Our curriculum is designed to ignite in students an interest and enthusiasm that will lead them to be confident communicators who understand the importance and practical value of speaking a foreign language.

In lessons our students are exposed to the target language and are encouraged to use it themselves as much as possible. We focus on developing an understanding of the culture in the countries where the language is spoken, as well as the skills to be proficient language learners. We want to develop our students’ confidence to take risks and express themselves creatively and spontaneously, as well as their independence and resilience when faced with challenges.

Our shared goal is for students to experience and feel the sense of achievement and joy that comes from being able to communicate in another language - whether one that they are learning now or in the future – and that language learning equips us with a practical skill that truly enriches your life.

Year 7 French

Course content:

• Introducing themselves
• Naming classroom objects
• Understanding instructions
• Say what colour something is
• Describing themselves and family members
• Giving basic opinions
• Talk and write about free time activities
• Talk and write about sports and give their opinions of them
• Talk and write about their pets
• Talk and write about their school subjects and the school day
• Tell the time
• Describe their teachers
• Make comparisons
• Talk and write about places in town and what they can do in their home town
• Order food in a café or snack bar

Assessment

Autumn term - Written paragraph

Spring term - Translation French --> English and English --> French

Summer term - Speaking assessment

Year 8 French

Course content:

• Describe their hometown and French cities and say what you can do there
• Describe someone’s country and nationality
• Talk about their own hobbies, referring to the past and future as well as the present
• Describe the weather
• Talk about people’s jobs
• Talk about New Year’s resolutions
• Describe their daily routine
• Invite people out, respond to invitations and give excuses
• Talk about food preferences, using a range of adjectives and intensifiers
• Buy food in a market and order a meal in a restaurant
• Talk about what other people have done in the past
• Talk and write about past events using a wider range of verbs
• Write an extended text about holidays, referring to the past, present and future
• Speak in detail about their hobbies and activities, using three time frames

Assessment: 

Autumn term - Grammar and writing tasks focussing on the 3 time frames

Spring term - Translation French --> English and English --> French

Summer term - Written assessment and speaking test

Year 9 French

Course content: 

• Talk about likes and dislikes
• Talk about after-school activities
• Describe other people and say how well you get on with them
• Describe celebrations for birthdays
• Discuss what you are going to wear
• Talk about jobs
• Talk about how Christmas is celebrated in France
• Discuss future plans
• Discuss where you would like to go in the francophone world and talk about impressive sites and monuments
• Prepare a fact file and an advert on a francophone country
• Talk about films and music
• Talk about how Easter is celebrated in France
• Describe what you used to be like in the past
• Compare your secondary and primary schools
• Talk about life as a young refugee
• Talk about what you would like to do in the future to make a difference to the world
• Research a French speaking artist, musician, writer or sportsperson

Assessment:

Autumn term - Written assessment using three time-frames

Spring term - Speaking assessment using three time-frames

Summer term - Listening, reading, translation French --> English and English --> French

 

GCSE French

Introduction to the subject at GCSE

The GCSE examination assesses all four skills equally: listening, reading, speaking and writing, and exams are taken at the end of Year 11. Most importantly, through the GCSE you will develop your ability to speak spontaneously and with confidence and will learn to write on a variety of topics, building on the grammatical knowledge you have gained during KS3.

Why choose this subject for GCSE?

With the global nature of holiday travel, business and industry and the shortage of language skills in the UK, it has never been more important to have a sound knowledge, understanding and confidence in another language. A Modern Language is a useful and relevant option, highly valued by employers, and studying French at GCSE will equip you with the necessary skills to learn other languages with ease in the future.

We aim to make your language lessons fun, interesting and relevant, and to equip you with useful, lifelong, practical skills which will be of benefit to you whenever you travel and wherever your chosen career takes you.

Course content:

The topics you will study are organised into three main themes and include the use of technology and social media, music and cinema, lifestyle and global issues.

Assessment: 

The GCSE examination assesses all four skills equally - listening, reading, speaking and writing exams are taken at the end of Year 11.

A Level French

For details of our A Level French course, click here