Modern Foreign Languages

Objectives

We strongly believe that pupils of all abilities benefit from learning a foreign language. It provides enjoyment and intellectual stimulation. It promotes a sense of achievement and discovery as well as an awareness of the nature of language. It strengthens study skills such as analysis, selecting, ordering, memorizing and drawing inferences. It develops tolerance towards other cultures.

 

Why is Spanish the only language available at Harrow High School?

Spanish is a popular second or third language: with some 400 million speakers, it's the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world (after English, Chinese and Hindustani), and according to some counts it has more native speakers than English does. It is an official language on four continents and is of historical importance everywhere else.

 

The numbers alone makes Spanish a good choice for those wanting to learn another tongue. But there are plenty of other reasons to learn Spanish. Here are a few:


Better understanding of English: Much of the vocabulary of English has Latin origins. Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will find as you study Spanish that you have a better understanding of your native vocabulary. Similarly, both Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, so their grammars are similar. There is perhaps no more effective way to learn English grammar than by studying the grammar of another language, for the study forces you to think about how your language is structured. It's not unusual, for example, to gain an understanding of English verbs' tenses and moods by learning how those verbs are used in Spanish.


It's easy: Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English's, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic: look at almost any Spanish word and you can tell how it is pronounced. While mastering the grammar of Spanish can be a challenge, basic grammar is straightforward enough that you can have meaningful communication after only a few lessons.


Learning other languages: If you can learn Spanish, you'll have a head start in learning the other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. And it will even help you learn Russian and German, since they too have Indo-European roots and have some characteristics (such as gender and extensive conjugation) that are present in Spanish but not English.

 

Subject Content

Learning Activities
Teaching and learning focuses on language acquisition through a variety of means with an emphasis on encouraging students to learn, understand and use key language. Languages is traditionally split into four skill areas (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and work centres on developing ability in each area. Lesson activities may include exploiting a text for comprehension, listening to authentic materials via tape or cd, role-play, interactive games. All learners have regular ICT based lessons throughout KS3 & KS4.


Key Stage 3
Year 7 Spanish: We use Listos 1 books
Year 8 Spanish : We use Listos 1 and 2 books
Pupils follow, as indicated, themes, grammar and language contents, developments and new contexts, framework objectives and assessment, and some ICT activities . They also look briefly at cultural aspects of Spain and Spanish speaking countries.


Year 9 Spanish : We use Listos 2 book.
Y9 curriculum covers the following themes:

  • Media and culture e.g. music, film, reading, fashion, internet
  • Sport and leisure e.g. leisure activities, hobbies, lifestyle choices
  • Travel and tourism e.g. holidays, accommodation, eating, food and drink
  • Business, work and employment e.g. work experience/part time jobs, product or service information

Key Stage 3 Level Descriptors

MFL Level 2
Students performing at Level 2 can understand short sentences of familiar language spoken at normal speed, take part in brief prepared oral tasks, comprehend written sentences and write 2 familiar words.

MFL Level 3
Students performing at Level 3 can understand short passages of familiar language spoken at normal speed, take part in brief prepared oral tasks, comprehend short texts and dialogues and write 2 or 3 sentences on familiar topics expressing personal responses.

MFL Level 4
STUDENTS AIMING FOR NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVEL 4 MUST BE ABLE TO:  Understand  longer passages spoken at normal speed.  Take part in brief conversations using short phrases to express opinions.  Understand short texts, identifying and noting main points and some details.  Write individual paragraphs from memory and begin to use grammar knowledge to adapt phrases.

MFL Level 5
STUDENTS AIMING FOR NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVEL 5 MUST BE ABLE TO:  Understand spoken extracts from several topics including present & past or future events.  Take part in short conversations using opinions and referring to recent experiences and future plans.  Understand a range of written material including texts covering present and past or future events.  Produce short pieces of writing using opinions and referring to everyday activities as well as recent experiences or future plans.

MFL Level 6
STUDENTS AIMING FOR NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVEL 6 MUST BE ABLE TO:  Understand spoken extracts covering all three tenses (Present, Past and Future) and familiar language in unfamiliar contexts.  Take part in conversations that include all three tenses and opinions.  Understand a variety of texts that cover all three tenses and include familiar language in unfamiliar contexts.  Write in paragraphs using all three tenses and applying grammar in new contexts.

MFL Level 7
STUDENTS AIMING FOR NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVEL 7  MUST BE ABLE TO: Understand a range of material containing some complex sentences and unfamiliar language at normal speed.  Initiate and develop conversations and discuss matters of personal or topical interest.  Understand a range of material (both factual and imaginative) containing some complex sentences and unfamiliar language.  Produce pieces of writing on real and imagined subjects using appropriate register, linking sentences and structuring ideas.

 

Key Stage 4

Spanish: We use the new Mira AQA book and its new GCSE curriculum which covers the following themes:

  • Media and culture e.g. music, film, reading, fashion, internet
  • Sport and leisure e.g. leisure activities, hobbies, lifestyle choices
  • Travel and tourism e.g. holidays, accommodation, eating, food and drink
  • Business, work and employment e.g. work experience/part time jobs, product or service information

Within each theme, students perform listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. Those tasks enable students to explore the communicative and linguistic structures of the language as well as gaining cultural awareness.
We follow the AQA Examination Board: Students are entered for Foundation or Higher Tier in listening and reading whereas speaking and writing is untiered.

  • Listening and understanding - 20%
  • Speaking - 30%
  • Reading and understanding - 20%
  • Writing - 30%

Pupils are externally examined in Listening and Reading and internally examined in Writing and Speaking.
Links to KS4 websites (specifications and revision guides):

Homework
Homework is recognised as an integral part of learning and is set every week. Typical homework activities will include learning vocabulary, preparing short presentations or responses for speaking, writing sentences or a short paragraph on the topic studied, reading a text and answering questions. On occasion, students may be asked to research an aspect of French or Spanish life or that of a Francophone or Hispanic country.

 

Assessment

KS3
Students are assessed on their progress in listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language.
National curriculum levels are given for classwork, homework and some end-of- unit tests.


KS4
The four skills are divided and assessed as follows:


Listening - Pupils practise listening to stimuli from a variety of sources and are assessed in a final listening assessment which counts for 25% of the GCSE award.


Speaking - Regular classroom practice and access to a language assistant from the target-language country means that pupils’ benefit from speaking practice tailored to the individual. We aim to develop students who are able to answer spontaneously and narrate events in a variety of tenses. This part of the course is assessed in a 12-minute oral exam and is worth 25% of the GCSE.


Reading - Pupils practise reading texts from a variety of genres, many of including authentic texts from magazines, novels and newspapers. Reading ability is assessed in a final exam worth 25% of the GCSE.


Writing - Pupils must produce three pieces of coursework with titles ranging from "The school of the future" to "A letter to a problem page" and "Advertising my local area". This coursework element of the GCSE also counts for 25% of the final award. The overall aim of Modern Foreign Languages at GCSE is to develop learners who can express their ideas and points of view clearly and with confidence in the target language, while providing them with the tools to deal with situations that could arise when on travelling abroad or in their future careers.

 

Clubs

MFL support club (KS4 only)
Wednesdays, Period 5B
In the library with Mrs Bansal
MFL support club (KS3 and KS4)
Wednesdays, from 3.30pm
In L2 with, Mrs Bansal, Ms Masso and Mr Mémain
French native speakers, GCSE support club
Thursdays, from 3.30pm
In L2 with Mr Mémain

 

How Parents can help
Parental Support is invaluable in reinforcing the value of language learning. Families can check learning homework, spend time testing the student on vocabulary or ask the student to read over and explain their class work. It is very useful for students to have access to a simple bilingual dictionary at home.


Useful websites

Key Stage 3
www.linguascope.com (login and password given by teacher)
www.languagesonline.org.uk (free access)


Key Stage 4
www.languagesonline.org.uk (free access)
http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/pdf/AQA-3691-W-SP-10.PDF (AQA Spanish specification)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/spanish/ (BBC bitesize Spanish revision)