Modern Foreign Languages
Our vision in the Modern Foreign Languages department is that all language learners develop the skills and confidence to consider themselves as ‘World Citizens’ who belong in a multicultural, mutually respectful world.
We aim to support students to understand other countries and cultures so that they can be more open and adaptable to new experiences; ensuring that each topic contains an element of cultural reference to not only the target language country, but the wider Francophone world. We want to encourage students to become curious about and interested in the world.
We are committed to developing strong, lifelong linguistic skills with the emphasis in KS3 on promoting confidence in speaking through the teaching of French phonics and embedding key grammatical principles including gender and agreements and correct tense formation in different timeframes. We will build on these strong foundations in KS4 to enable students to develop their fluency both in writing and speaking using a wider range of vocabulary and more complex grammar. Ultimately, we want our students to have a love of languages and aim to achieve this by nurturing a linguistic curiosity.
Course Details
Pearson Publications Dynamo 1 and 2
Course Description
Dynamo is a new course for KS3 French produced by Pearson publications with up-to-date cultural content and an active approach to learning grammar.
The course aims to:
- Build key language skills at KS3 providing a seamless transition to the Studio course for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) French qualification, ensuring pupils are ready for the demands of the new GCSE.
- Offer a robust and pupil-friendly approach to the challenges of learning grammar, promoting active engagement and building on logical progression.
- Give pupils a real taste of French culture, with up-to-date resources that bring language learning to life.
- Meet learners’ individual learning needs with differentiation, included in both the print and interactive digital resources.
- Allow effective assessment and help pupils familiarise themselves with GCSE-style tasks.
Programme of Study
Year 7
Content for the course is organised into an introductory module and five themes presented in five modules, each broken down into sub-topics, covered throughout the school year. Students follow the programme of study which is designed around these themes, developing their grammatical and vocabulary knowledge in addition to speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
1) Step Up to KS3 (Revisiting key vocabulary and grammar from KS2)
- Introducing and talking about yourself.
- Revision of KS2 key learning (numbers, days and months, alphabet, etc.)
- Key French sounds which are revisited throughout the year.
2) La rentrée (Going back to school)
- Introducing and talking about yourself.
- Formation and use of larger numbers in French
- Key French sounds which are revisited throughout the year.
3) En classe (School Life)
- Developing pupils’ ability to give information about themselves and use key verbs correctly.
- Expressing and justifying opinions using a range of opinion verbs.
- Learning more about French culture including school life in France and Christmas in Francophone countries.
4) Mon temps libre (My Free Time)
- Developing pupils’ use of verbs, opinions and adjectives to talk about their interests
- Learning more key French sounds.
- Learning more about French culture including different sports played in Francophone countries.
5) Ma vie de famille (Family Life)
- Developing pupils’ ability to give information about family life
- Expanding pupils’ knowledge of French grammar to be able to use verbs into the 3rd person singular and plural and 1st person plural forms to talk about others.
- Learning more about French culture including home-life in Francophone countries as well as about Bastille Day celebrations.
6) En ville (In Town)
- Learning key transactional language (e.g. for use in a café)
- Learning how to talk about future events using the near future tense.
- Learning more about French culture including popular French snacks and drinks and the capital of France via a virtual visit to Paris.
Year 8
There are two Dynamo courses for Year 8 – a foundation (vert) and higher (rouge) course, but both courses cover mostly the same content and are organised into five themes presented in five modules, each broken down into sub-topics, covered throughout the school year. Students follow the programme of study which is designed around these themes, developing their grammatical and vocabulary knowledge in addition to speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Teaching in Year 8 incorporates resources from both courses to meet the needs of all students.
1) J’adore les fêtes! (Celebrations and Festivals)
- Developing pupils’ ability to talk about their likes/dislikes
- Expanding their transactional language in context of buying food at a market.
- Learning more about French culture including festivals and celebrations in the Francophone world and traditional French cuisine.
2) Vive les vacances! (Holidays)
- Developing pupils’ ability to talk about holidays.
- Enabling students to talk about the past by Introducing the perfect tense.
- Enabling students to express themselves in multiple timeframes by using the perfect and present tenses together.
3) À loisir (Free Time)
- Developing pupils’ ability to express opinions about TV and digital technology
- Developing further their transactional language in the context of arranging to go out.
- Expanding pupils’ grammar knowledge to communicate in three timeframes.
- Learning more about French culture including leisure activities in different Francophone countries.
4) Le monde est petit (Where I live)
- Developing pupils’ ability to talk about where they live and give opinions
- Expanding pupils’ grammar knowledge to be able to use modal verbs and reflexive verbs to talk about daily routine.
- Learning more about geographical aspects of France and Francophone countries as well as about famous French painters and their works of art.
5) Le sport en direct (Sport and Health)
- Developing pupils’ ability to express their preferences by using comparatives.
- Gaining further practice with transactional language in the context of talking to the doctor.
- Learning how to form the imperative to be able to give and understand directions in French.
- Learning more about French culture including learning about some famous sportspeople in the Francophone world.
Assessment
In addition to in class self, peer and teacher assessment, the following assessments take place:
- 1 skill (listening, speaking, reading or writing) is assessed formally at the end of each half term.
- At least 1 piece of work is formally assessed by the teacher each half term.
Assessment is based on Dynamo 1 and 2 assessment materials which are designed to help students develop the skills required for the current specification GCSE exam.
Home Learning
Students will be given a homework task each week which should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. These will be set in class and published on Show My Homework and include activities such as:
- Grammar practice exercise to reinforce learning in class
- Reading comprehension tasks
- Research of an aspect of French culture
- Writing assignments on one of the key themes
- Vocabulary revision
Where can French take you
Learning a language will be an advantage in almost any career which relies on excellent communication and interpersonal skills and top companies list French as one of the languages they would most like their employees to know.
Further Study
Taking GCSE French means you will:
- Add an extra dimension to your personal skills profile which will impress anyone who reads your CV Be in a stronger position to get a job in companies with international links or improve employability if you would like to work abroad
- Be able to work or study in a French-speaking country in later life
- Be able to study A level French courses to further your knowledge of the language and culture
- Find it easier to learn other languages later if you want to.
Careers
- teacher, private tutor or online tutor
- interpreter
- translator
- blogger, speaker and seller
- YouTuber or podcaster
- tour guide
- liaison officer
- charities administrator
- human resources officer
- journalist
- logistics/distribution manager
How can parents support their child’s learning
- Ask your child to about what they have learnt in their French lesson.
- Get your child to teach you something they learnt today, as this will help ensure they understand it and consolidate their own learning
- Help your child to revise by testing them using their exercise books /revision materials, so they can identify gaps in their knowledge.
- Encourage your child to take an interest in the francophone (French speaking) world including current affairs and culture.
Useful Links
Activelearn – https://www.pearsonactivelearn.com/app/Home
This is the online version of the Pearson Dynamo textbooks we use in class in Years 7 and 8. Students have individual login and password details and exercises are set to allow students to access at home and revise. The advantage of using this package to revise is that it covers exactly the same topics, vocabulary and structures which study in class. There are grammar, reading and listening activities.
Thisislanguage– https://www.thisislanguage.com/
This package is available to Year 8 in KS3 and in one of their French lessons each week, they follow a separate IT scheme of work using this package which compliments and supports their work in their other French lessons . It provides grammar and comprehension exercises using recordings of native French speakers. Students have individual login and password details and exercises can be set to allow students to access at home and revise. Students revise by completing exercises and play interactive games.
Linguascope – https://www.linguascope.com/
Students in KS3 can access this package at home and reinforce learning of core vocabulary by revising and testing their knowledge through online language games and activities.
