Spanish
At Lanfranc we encourage our pupils to embrace the opportunity to learn another language and to broaden their horizons, inspiring them to step beyond familiar cultural boundaries and fostering their curiosity to develop new ways of seeing the world. Our aim is to develop passionate, confident and successful language learners who also appreciate the target culture of Francophone countries.
Our teaching enables pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It also provides opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking, and develop an appreciation of a range of topics in the language studied.
Lessons are structured to incorporate all skills required of the modern linguist in terms of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Translating, as well as supporting the development of a broad range of Vocabulary and Grammatical structures. Students are further immersed in Francophone and Hispanic culture through the use of authentic resources and cultural studies, including critiquing music, reviewing films and delving into great works of literature.
Our curriculum design is underpinned by interleaving and retrieval practice so that our linguists are able to revisit and build upon existing knowledge. The topic areas and grammatical structures which are introduced at KS3 are seen as building blocks for more in-depth learning at KS4 (and as a solid foundation for further study at KS5).
There are several benefits to learning a new language, including developing communication skills and improving problem-solving skills, as well as gaining knowledge of different cultures. In our fast-paced globalised word, being able to speak a foreign language can also boost pupils' chances of landing jobs amongst a group of other candidates with similar abilities, but who are monolingual.
We aim to build passion and enthusiasm for language learning so that pupils use their knowledge and skills in their everyday lives and future careers, taking every opportunity to progress independently.
Exam Board
AQA
Course Title and Syllabus
GCSE French has a Foundation Tier (grades 1-5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4-9). Students study all of the following themes on which the assessments are based:
- Identity and culture
- Local, national, international and global areas of interest
- Current and future study and employment
Details of Papers
Listening - 25% of GCSE
Written exam:
- Foundation Tier: 35 minutes, 40 marks
- Higher Tier: 45 minutes, 50 marks
Each exam includes 5 minutes' reading time of the question paper before the listening stimulus is played.
Section A: Questions in English, to be answered in English or non-verbally
Section B: Questions in Spanish, to be answered in Spanish or non-verbally
Speaking - 25% of GCSE
Non-exam assessment
- Foundation Tier: 7-9 minutes + preparation time, 60 marks
- Higher Tier: 10-12 minutes + preparation time, 60 marks
The format is the same at Foundation Tier and Higher Tier, but with different stimulus questions for the photo card and different stimulus materials for the role-play. The timings are different too:
- Photo card - 15 marks (2 minutes at Foundation Tier; 3 minutes at Higher Tier)
- Role-play - 15 marks (2 minutes at both Foundation and Higher Tiers)
- General conversation - 30 marks (3-5 minutes at Foundation Tier; 5-7 minutes at Higher Tier)
Reading - 25% of GCSE
Written exam:
- Foundation Tier: 45 minutes, 60 marks
- Higher Tier: 1 hour, 60 marks
Section A: Questions in English, to be answered in English or non-verbally
Section B: Questions in French, to be answered in Spanish or non-verbally
Section C: Translation from Spanish into English (a minimum of 35 words at Foundation Tier and 50 words at Higher Tier)
Writing - 25% of GCSE
Written exam:
- Foundation Tier: 1 hour, 50 marks
- Higher Tier: 1 hour 15 minutes, 60 marks
Overview
| Year | Term | Topic(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | Autumn |
Introduction to French sounds and grammar |
| Spring |
Life at school: opinions about subjects, teachers, rules, uniform |
|
| Summer |
Hispanic countries and pre-Columbian civilizations |
|
| Year 8 | Autumn |
Talking about holidays |
| Spring |
Describing and shopping for food |
|
| Summer |
Describing what you can do in town |
|
| Year 9 | Autumn |
Free time activities and hobbies |
| Spring |
Healthy lifestyles and healthy eating |
|
| Summer |
Meeting and greeting |
|
| Year 10 | Autumn |
Holiday destinations and accommodations |
| Spring |
Family and friends |
|
| Summer |
Places in town |
|
| Year 11 | Autumn |
Jobs and careers |
| Spring |
Mock feedback |
|
| Summer |
Mock feedback |
