Modern Foreign Languages
Learning another language is the best way to get to know another country and its people. At Stanborough we aim to provide a climate which will enthuse and inspire students as well as develop the confidence and competency of all students to communicate in the foreign language. We encourage students to develop their skills in speaking, reading, listening and writing at all Key Stages, by developing a curriculum suited to their needs and abilities.
Head of Department: Mis H Abbott
Email: habbott@stanborough.herts.sch.uk
What will students study?
In KS3:
In Year 7 students will be allocated either French or Spanish. They will study this language for four lessons per fortnight, which is taught in mixed ability groups. Students will then have the choice to study this language to GCSE in Year 10 and 11.
In KS4:
When choosing their options in Year 9, students can decide to continue their French or Spanish studies to GCSE. We follow a two year course and the AQA specification. This can be seen at:
The final exam consists of the four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing which are equally weighted at 25%.
In KS5:
AS and A Level French and Spanish are taught as part of the Welwyn Garden City Consortium.
We follow a two year course and the AQA specification.
How can I support my child in this subject?
French:
In KS3, students follow the Dynamo course which covers a wide range of topics, vocabulary and grammar whilst also integrating skills which students would need to acquire and apply if they study French to GCSE level.
Students have a classroom language sheet glued in at the back of their books with lots of phrases in French they can use in class to communicate. You can practice these at home as when students regularly use them in class, the class teacher rewards students with a silver award on Class Charts. Students will all have the relevant vocabulary sheets in their books which you can test them on.
In KS4, we follow the AQA GCSE French course during Year 10 and Year 11. Students will need to consolidate a wide range of grammar and vocabulary. Students should be regularly practicing the specific vocabulary provided by the exam board as this is the vocabulary students will see in all four exam components and are expected to apply to their own work and answers. The vocabulary lists can be found here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/files/resources.french.AQA-8652FH-SSV_XLSX/68705bf95fe7d0067397206b593596b309cdc089.xlsx
Spanish:
In KS3, students follow the Viva! course which covers a wide range of topics, vocabulary and grammar whilst also integrating skills which students would need to acquire and apply if they study French to GCSE level.
Students have a classroom language sheet glued in at the back of their books with lots of phrases in French they can use in class to communicate. You can practice these at home as when students regularly use them in class, the class teacher rewards students with a silver award on Class Charts. Students will all have the relevant vocabulary sheets in their books which you can test them on.
In KS4, we follow the AQA GCSE Spanish course during Year 10 and Year 11. Students will need to consolidate a wide range of grammar and vocabulary. Students should be regularly practicing the specific vocabulary provided by the exam board as this is the vocabulary students will see in all four exam components and are expected to apply to their own work and answers. The vocabulary lists can be found here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/files/resources.spanish.AQA-8692FH-SSV_XLSX/a85299188f4f2907a37963ad41392e30d3c147a9.xlsx
Online and Interactive Resources:
Students can access a range of online resources and interactive learning tools to help support their language studies:
- Student Hub -> Student Files -> MFL
- Quizlet
- Linguascope (login and password can be provided by class teacher)
- Duolingo
- Seneca
- GCSE AQA Spanish website for resources, materials and past papers
- GCSE AQA French website for resources, materials and past papers
- Netflix (watch a series / film in the language)
- Online French radio stations
- Online Spanish radio stations
- BBC Bitesize
What equipment does my child need for this subject?
We encourage students to purchase their own French or Spanish dictionary and to bring it to every language lesson. Students also need at least two different colour pens, a ruler and a board pen to write on their mini whiteboards, as this forms an integral part of language learning in our lessons.
Celebrating successes in this subject
Students are rewarded in a variety of ways: Bronze and Silver awards are given for good work or class contributions, and a Gold award for exceptional homework or contribution in languages. Students are also nominated for school presentation awards, which take place on a termly basis.
Students are also encouraged to come and support in the younger years alongside their sixth form studies. Our current sixth formers have worked well and inspired our students in lessons with their languages.
