Welcome to the MFL Department at Eastbrook. Foreign Language skills are a great asset for pupils, their future careers and for society in general. At Eastbrook School, we aim to foster a love of language learning and to engender the confidence and curiosity needed to succeed on the long journey towards fluency and becoming independent speakers and writers of the Target Language. We offer two languages, French and Spanish at KS3, KS4 and at KS5.
The MFL team aims through the three key stages for pupils to develop fluency in the TL as well a passion for languages and a curiosity to know more about other cultures. We develop linguistics knowledge and skills sequenced in a clearly delineated structure within the wider school Character and Academics’ approach to curriculum.
MFL department equips learners with language skills that allows for spontaneity and manipulating grammar knowledge independently and creatively in every day real life situations.
Above all, over a five to seven years journey of Character and Language development, we teach language that serves a real purpose in the outside world. Multilingualism and diversity are highly valued, as is developing cultural understanding and tolerance. We use the learning of Modern Foreign Languages to help pupils become understanding, disciplined, persistent, curious, tolerant, motivated and independent, building up French/ Spanish language skills that direct them towards the future, prepare them to meet the demands of everyday life and develop them into proficient global communicators of the 21st century.
Key Stage 3
Our French and Spanish curriculums start with an understanding on what pupils have studied in KS2 and seek to capitalise on this knowledge and understanding.
At KS3, pupils learn enough topics and transferable vocabulary related to the five GCSE themes. In conjunction with vocabulary acquisition and grammar understanding, pupils gradually develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. We will also develop out skills in translation and literature comprehension in each topic.
The PROUD key character virtues are also explored and developed at this stage through the modules, the development of the above skills and intercultural understanding. Pupils reflect on the virtues and the ways in which they demonstrate these in the MFL lessons and in their general school life. We re-visit them regularly throughout the teaching process to bring the lessons’ content back to the character virtues.
By the end of KS3, we expect all pupils to be ready and willing to take risks and to embrace the challenge of decoding less-familiar language and structures. As a result of this, pupils will have a secure foundation of knowledge, understanding to transition to KS4.
Key Stage 4
At KS4, pupils build up on the knowledge and skills they have learnt in KS3 and advance further in all skills. We focus in greater depth on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Pupils have rich and engaging classroom experiences underpinned by solid grammar training, authentic materials, native language assistant, after school clubs and trips to broaden their horizons further.
In year 10; at this stage, pupils practise and use the combination of a range of common tenses, narrations, and well-justified personal opinions. They develop their knowledge and skills to deal with topics related to the world around them such as Identity and culture, locale local area, holidays, and school life. Our curriculum focusses on strong grammatical progression which encourages pupils to manipulate a set of complex grammatical structures creatively.
In year 11; pupils deal with topics related to their pupils’ future aspirations, studies, work, and discussions around problems facing the world, protecting the environment, and volunteering. Pupils are introduced to more complex grammatical structures and exposed to French or Spanish culture through mainly authentic texts from literature.
Pupils explore different cultural and literary topics to deepen their cultural understanding and develop their character virtues. Pupils are expected to be more adventurous, resilient, understanding, disciplined, analytical, and creative in order to produce written and spoken language spontaneously and independently, ensuring pupils’ readiness for the demands of the KS5.
Key Stage 5
The KS5 curriculum maintains the priorities embedded at KS3 and KS4 of being spontaneous, board and planned to meet the needs of pupils as they prepare for life beyond Eastbrook school.
Our AS and A Level pupils take the skills they have learnt at GCSE and expand on them more independently. Pupils study social issues and trends, political and artistic culture, grammar, literary texts, and films. We aim to enhance their linguistic skills and promote and develop their capacity for critical thinking based on their knowledge and understanding of the language, culture, and society of the country where the language is spoken. Pupils develop their ability to sustain communication and build fluency and confidence to interact effectively with users of the language in speech and in writing.
As a result, by the end of KS5, our Character and Language development equips learners with the multi-faceted skills and confidence required to become proficient global communicators. We aim to ensure that they are equipped fully to undertake the challenges they may face as they move to employment or higher education.
Curriculum Enrichment
In addition to school trips and after school clubs, we are currently developing links with other schools via email and traditional correspondence that will enhance our pupils’ linguistic and multicultural world awareness by bring language learning to life.
Homework
Students complete weekly homework. This is mainly set online via the Show My Homework website.
At KS3: Homework is centred on learning vocabulary and structures, research for the end of topic mini projects, describing people and events, writing and quiz questions based on class learnings and revision for the end of module assessments.
At KS4: Homework is mainly centred on extending writing and GCSE questions (Translation, presentations, conversation…) with a focus of developing further pupils’ reading, listening, writing and communication skills and exploring in depth authentic materials (songs, poems, videos clips, films…)
Career Opportunities
We teach languages that serve a real purpose in the outside world and celebrate many soft skills valued by employers. Language skills can be used in almost any career, and particularly in businesses that trade internationally.
Eastbrook linguists may even go on to study, work and thrive in a foreign country, accessing authentic culture, literature and film as a whole new world opens to them. These are some of the careers learning a second language can lead you to.
Get a career as an interpreter – Become a translator – Tour Guide – Classroom teacher- International correspondent- Blogger, Flight attendant- Subtitle translator- Game translator – Diplomatic service officers…
Exam Board (Edexcel)
French:
Course title: Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in French
Specification codes: 1FR0
Link to the specifications: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/french-2016.html
Spanish:
Course title: Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9 – 1) in Spanish
Specification code: 1SP0
Link to the specifications: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/spanish-2016.html
Support for exams:
https://apprendre.tv5monde.com/en/homepage/
https://www.duolingo.com
https://www.memrise.com
https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/
“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”
Frank Smith
