Modern Foreign Languages

Welcome

The study of modern foreign languages is an important part of the curriculum at Balcarras. The department is staffed by eleven well-qualified language teachers and is supported by three foreign language assistants.

MFL and the whole school curriculum

Our MfL curriculum aims to 

  • be broad and balanced 

  • be relevant to students and to help them develop essential linguistic and cultural knowledge and skills regardless of gender, ability, ethnicity, or social background 

  • ensure equal access to learning for all pupils, with high expectations for every pupil and appropriate levels of challenge and support as the MfL curriculum becomes more complex 

  • encourage students to enjoy their learning through a variety of activities during lessons and promote a sense of success through their achievements 

  • foster literacy skills in each year group 

  • support pupils’ social and cultural development through independent research about the countries where the languages on our curriculum are spoken 

  • generate a wealth of cross-curricular activities including events (speaker sessions, debate competitions, House Languages competitions...), clubs (Italian, Chinese, …) and trips (France, Spain and Russia) open to all 

  • equip pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital to encourage pupils to have a global and more outward thinking view of the world 

  • prepare students for the next stage in their lives by encouraging resilience, self-reliance, and an understanding of their responsibility to take ownership of their own learning as their linguistic skills build up 

French Learning journey

Year 7  

Vocabulary : be able to talk about yourself, your family and friends, pets and describe your school life. 

Grammar : to learn the basic of French grammar including gender, articles, adjectival agreement and regular -er verbs conjugation in the present tense + avoir and être. Pupils should also be able to recognise the past tense. 

Phonics : Pupils are introduced to most common sound patterns in French  

Year 8 

Vocabulary: Talk about free time activities, be able to talk about where you live and talk about holidays. 

Grammar: to review what pupils studied in Year 7 and add modal verbs, comparative forms, preposition and negative forms. Pupils should also be able to recognise the future tense. 

Phonics: Pupils are reviewing the sound patterns studied in Year 7 and exposed to new ones. 

Year 9  

Vocabulary: Talk about relationships, festival, the medias and school life  

Grammar: To review what pupils studied in Year 7 and 8, become more confident using three tenses and to use reflexive verbs  

Phonics: Pupils are introduced to ‘liaison’ : the link between final consonants and vowels which follow. 

Year 10 

 

Vocabulary: Focus on learning vocabulary for Theme 1 (Identity and culture), Theme 2 (National, international and global areas of Interest) from the AQA specification. 

Grammar:  Revision of verb tenses, adjectival agreement and other grammar points studied in KS3. Adding more complex grammar points such as perfect/imperfect, superlative forms, venir de, object pronouns for example. 

Exam skills : prepare students for speaking and writing skills. 

Year 11 

 

Vocabulary: Focus on learning vocabulary for Theme 2 (National, international and global areas of Interest) and Theme 3 (Current and future study and employment) from the AQA specification. 

Grammar:  Revision of verb tenses, adjectival agreement and other grammar points studied in KS3 and Year 10. Adding more complex grammar points such as conditional, using en+ present participle, avant de, subjunctive, passive voice,… for example. 

Exam skills : prepare students for speaking and writing skills. 

Year 12 

Content: Students study a range of topics based on France and the French-speaking world. They include: 

Theme 1: Aspects of French-Speaking society : current trends (family/cybersociety and volunteering) 

Theme 2: Artistic culture in the French-speaking world (heritage, music and cinema) 

Students also study the film L’auberge espagnole, directed by Cédric Klapisch 

Grammar: Students review French grammar and gain an in-depth knowledge of more complex grammar. 

Year 13 

 

Content: Students study a range of topics based on France and the French-speaking world. They include: 

Theme 3: Aspects of French-Speaking society : current issues (diversity/ marginalised and criminals) 

Theme 4: Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world (politics, trade union and immigration) 

Students also study a novel  Un sac de billes, by Joseph Joffo 

Grammar: Students review French grammar and gain an in-depth knowledge of more complex grammar. 

 French Curriculum map

Spanish Learning Journey

Year 8 

Vocabulary: be able to talk about yourself, your family and friends, pets and talk about free time activities, the weather and where you live. 

Grammar: to learn the basics of Spanish grammar including gender, articles, adjectival agreement, and regular verbs conjugation in the present tense + tener and ser. Pupils will also learn to conjugate the near future tense.  

Phonics:  Phonics linked to the Viva Phonics building pack and GCSE sounds matching chart. 

Year 9  

Vocabulary: be able to talk about holidays, food and mealtimes, telling the time, places in touch, daily routine, making plans to go out. 

Grammar: recap present tense and future tense, learn the preterite tense. Use three tenses together, recap of year 8 grammar. Prepositions of place, stem-changing verbs, infinitive structures. 

Phonics: Phonics linked to the Viva Phonics building pack and GCSE sounds matching chart. 

Year 10 

 

Vocabulary: Focus on learning vocabulary for Theme 1 (Identity and culture), Theme 2 (National, international and global areas of Interest) and Theme 3 (Current and future study and employment) from the AQA specification. 

Grammar:  Present tense, preterite tense, imperfect tense, perfect tense, adjectives, infinitive structures, desde hace, direct object pronouns, using different structures to give opinions, the present continuous tense, using para and the infinitive, using ser and estar, using soler + infinitive. 

Exam skills : prepare students for speaking and writing skills. 

Year 11 

 

Vocabulary: Focus on learning vocabulary for Theme 1 (Identity and culture), Theme 2 (National, international and global areas of Interest) and Theme 3 (Current and future study and employment) from the AQA specification. 

Grammar:  all from year 10 and se puede/pueden, demonstrative adjectives, the conditional tense, the simple future tense, the passive voice and avoiding it, reflexive verbs, using expressions with the infinitive,, sabes vs conocer, indirect object pronouns, subjunctive with cuando and the future, giving commands, using the pluperfect tense.  

Exam skills : prepare students for speaking and writing skills. 

Year 12 

Content: Students study a range of topics based on Spain and the Hispanic world. They include: 

Theme 1: Aspects of Hispanic society: Modern and traditional values, cyberspace and gender equality. 

Theme 2: Artistic culture in the Hispanic world: Modern day idols, Spanish regional identity, cultural heritage. 

Students also study the film María llena eres de Gracia, directed by Joshua Marston. 

Grammar: Students review Spanish grammar and gain an in-depth knowledge of more complex grammar. 

Year 13 

 

Content: Students study a range of topics based on Spain and the Hispanic world. They include: 

Theme 3: Multiculturalism in Hispanic society: Immigration, racism, integration.  

Theme 4: Political life in the Hispanic world: today’s youth, tomorrow’s citizens, monarchies and dictatorships, popular movements  

Students also study a play: Las bicicletas son para el verano by Fernando Fernán-Gomez 

Grammar: Students review Spanish grammar and gain an in-depth knowledge of more complex grammar. 

Spanish Curriculum map

 

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 8

Greetings;  introducing yourself & the basics

Nouns & gender

Adjectives & adjectival agreement

Family and personal descriptions

Free time activities

Weather and sports

Present tense

Free time

The near future tense

Year 9

Holidays

The preterite tense

Holidays

The near future tense (revision)

Food & mealtimes

Using present and preterite tenses

Free time & using 3 tenses together

Town and city

invitations to go out

Daily routine and clothes

Reflexive verbs

Year 10

Holidays

The present tense

The preterite tense

School

Opinions & adjectives

Near future tense

Family, relationships & new technologies

Family, relationships & new technologies

Free time & sports

The imperfect tense & the perfect tense

Free time continued

Role models

Year 11

Talking about where you live & shopping

Food, mealtimes & fiestas

Trial exam

Employment, including work experience

Social and global issues

Exam prep

 

Year 12

Cyberspace

Traditional & modern values

 

Cyberspace

Traditional & modern values

 

Film:  María llena eres de gracia

Equal rights

Regional identity

 

Trial Exam

Equal rights

Regional identity

 

Cultural heritage

Idols

Completion of outstanding topics Introduction to IRP Spanish Civil War

Full mock paper

Year 13

Young people today

Immigration

Play:  Las Bicicletas son para el verano

Immigration

Revision of film:  María llena eres de gracia

Introduction to IRP

Play

Monarchies & Dictatorships

Racism

Play

Trial Exam

Popular movements

Coexistence

Play

Exam prep

 

Russian learning journey

Year 8 

Vocabulary: Introduce yourself in Russian, talk about family members and pets and describe where you live. 

Grammar: To learn how to use pronouns to talk about others. To learn how to use the prepositional case to talk about where things are. To learn how to use adjectives to describe places in town. 

Phonics: Pupils are introduced to sounds of the handwritten form of the Cyrillic alphabet. 

Year 9  

Vocabulary: Talk about free time activities and food.  

Grammar: To learn how to conjugate regular verbs in present, past and future tenses. Introduction to the instrumental case to be able to say whom you do something with. 

Phonics: Pupils are introduced to the printed form of the Cyrillic alphabet to enable them to read a range of texts. 

Year 10 

 

Vocabulary: Focus on learning vocabulary for Theme 2 (Local area, holiday, travel), Theme 3 (School) and Theme 4 (Future aspirations, study and work) from the Pearson Edexcel specification. 

Grammar:  Revision of verb tenses and an introduction and review of Russian cases (basic use of prepositional, accusative, genitive and instrumental). Adjectival agreement. 

Exam skills : prepare students for speaking and writing skills. 

Year 11 

 

Vocabulary: Focus on learning vocabulary for Theme 1 (Identity and culture) and Theme 5 (International and global dimension) from the Pearson Edexcel specification. 

Grammar:  Conjugation of regular and irregular verbs across different tenses. Revision of cases and adjectival agreement. Introduction to complex structures. 

Exam skills : prepare students for speaking and writing skills. 

Year 12 

Content: Students study a range of topics based on Russia and the Russian-speaking world. They include: 

Theme 1: The development of Russian society (The life of young Russians, education and work) 

Theme 2: Culture in the Russian-speaking world (media, mass culture and holidays/festivals) 

Students also study the film Burnt By The Sun, directed by Nikita Mikhalkov. 

Grammar: Students review the Russian case system and gain an in-depth knowledge of how cases are used in the language. Students also begin to explore complex grammar such as compound conjunctions and negatives. 

Year 13 

 

Content: Students study historical and geographical topics based on Russia and the Soviet Union. They include: 

Theme 3: Moscow (population change, social issues, environment) 

Theme 4: Final years of the USSR (Perestroika, Glasnost’, 1991) 

Students also study the short story Queen of Spades, by Pushkin. 

Grammar: Students review the Russian case system and both regular and irregular verbs. They focus on areas of complex language to develop their level of speaking and writing. This includes participles and verbs of motion. 

Russian curriculum map

 

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 8

Cyrillic Alphabet Part 1

Basic greetings

Cyrillic alphabet Part 2

Numbers and age

Family and Pets

Introducing yourself in Russian

My town:

Where I live

 

My town:

Places in town

        My town:

Descriptions and weather  

Year 9

Free time:

Sports and instruments

Free time:

Likes and dislikes

Introduction to verb conjugation

Free time:

Referring to past, present, future events

Food:

Likes and dislikes

Food:

Ordering food and understanding prices

High frequency verbs and describing photos

Year 10

GCSE THEME 2: Holidays

GCSE THEME 2:Town

GCSE THEME 2: Town

GCSE THEME 3: School

GCSE THEME 3

Year 10 exams

GCSE THEME 4: Future plans

Year 11

GCSE THEME 5: Environment

MOCK EXAMS

GCSE THEME 1: Freetime activities

GCSE THEME 1: Daily routine, family & friends

GCSE Theme 1-5 Recap

Speaking Exams

Exam practice

 

Year 12

Theme 1: Education

Theme 2: Music

Theme 1: Work

Theme 2 : Circus, dance

Theme 1 : Life of young Russians

Theme 2: festivals, celebrations

 

Theme 2: Mass Media

Paper 2: Study of film ‘Burnt by the Sun’

Essay writing skills

 

Revision of themes 1 and 2

Yr 12 exams (paper 1, 2 and 3)

Introduction to Year 13: IRP and introduction to USSR

Year 13

Theme 3: Life in Moscow

Theme 4: Perestroika, Glasnost

Theme 3: Environmental issues

Paper 2: Study of text ‘Pikovaya Dama’

Yr 13 Mock exam

Theme 3: Social problems in Moscow,

Theme 4: 1991, putsch, collapse of USSR

Themes 1 and 2 : Recap

 

 

 

 

Exam prep

 

Language lessons are taught in a purpose built suite of classrooms. Each room is equipped with an interactive whiteboard and all staff use the latest technology and language software in their daily teaching. The department also has a dedicated teaching room with 27 computers, and this has led to the increased use of ICT, particularly web-based, to support language learning.

 

Key Stage 3

In Year 7 all pupils study French and follow the National Strategy for Language Learning. They learn to speak about themselves, their families and their interests, and how to use the language for real purposes of communication. Year 7 pupils are introduced to the basic language patterns and grammatical features which gives them an understanding of how the language works. They are also taught skills in order to better equip them throughout their language learning experience at Balcarras, such as dictionary skills and pronunciation strategies.

In Year 8 and 9, pupils continue to study French and are also introduced to a second language: either Spanish or Russian. The study of a second language enables pupils to build upon their prior knowledge of French and also to draw on the generic language-learning skills which they have developed in Year 7. We also have other activities going on during the course of the year to encourage pupils in their language learning.  Please see photos below.

Visit by French pupils to do class activities with Key Stage 3 students of French

 

Year 8 pupils learning Chinese fan dancing on curriculum day
Year 8 pupils learning salsa dancing during curriculum day

GCSE

At key stage four pupils may choose at least one of these languages to study to GCSE level, but it is not compulsory. However, the vast majority of pupils do opt to take at least one language to GCSE and are advised to do so, particularly if they wish to go on to study at university. Pupils follow the AQA syllabus in French and Spanish and the Edexcel syllabus in Russian. At GCSE level, they are taught to communicate effectively in a variety of situations and to develop and apply their grammatical understanding.

A Level

All three languages are taught to AS and A level and excellent numbers join these courses each year. French and Spanish are taught following the AQA syllabus, while Russian follows the Edexcel syllabus. At this advanced level, pupils are taught to develop their language skills and emphasis is placed on the real world. All AS and A level students spend time working individually with a native language assistant to hone their linguistic abilities and to prepare for the speaking exams. Work experience placements in France and Spain also prove to be popular and have a significant impact on the confidence of the pupils. Residential and/or study visits are also run to all three countries. Our pupils enjoy great success at A level and our department has a strong tradition of students going to study languages at Oxbridge as well as many Russell group universities.

Extracurricular Languages

The department is committed to providing a variety of opportunities for enthusiastic and talented linguists at Balcarras.

Latin Club runs every Thursday lunchtime for pupils in Years 7-9. Here pupils learn Latin in a fun and relaxed way, following the Cambridge Latin Course. The pupils learn the Latin language, its grammatical structures and about life under the Roman Empire. The weekly sessions involve translation exercises, interactive computer activities and games. The pupils who attend this club enjoy it very much and have commented on how it has helped with their understanding of French, English and history.

Pupils in key stages 3 & 4 have the opportunity to attend Mandarin Chinese Club. We are fortunate to have the skills of a highly qualified native speaker, whose lessons the pupils greatly enjoy. The club runs on several different days depending on the level.  Intermediates have a double session, as they are working towards taking their GCSE.  The advanced group just sat their GCSE last summer and achieved fantastic grades – all of them attaining either A*, A or B, which is a wonderful achievement given that all of the lessons take place out of regular school hours.

Chinese New Year celebrations at a local Chinese restaurant
GCSE students sample home cooked Chinesee food in class
Students learn Latin at lunchtime

Finally, we also run GCSE Italian after school on Tuesdays to pupils in key stage four. This has been very popular and on average 12-15 students sit the exam every other year. It is a rolling programme and the course takes 2 years to complete. All candidates in Italian last year achieved an A*-C grade and 50% of them achieved an A*!

The extra-curricular languages which we run bring a dynamic element to the MFL department and also help to offer a degree of flexibility to the pupils. Modern foreign languages flourish at Balcarras and we look forward to what the future holds. As languages are a vital part of our ever-changing world, so we look to equip our pupils with the skills which are necessary in order to be successful, in the work environment and also on a social level.

Trips

The department runs a broad range of educational visits for all year groups. These include a four day residential visit to Normandy for Year 7, a seven day visit to Moscow for all students of Russian, and a homestay and study visit to Málaga for sixth form students of Spanish, amongst others.

Sixth form study visit to Paris

 

Year 7 cultural to Paris

 

Cultural & study visit to Malaga for students of Spanish
Study visit to Malaga for A Level students of Spanish
Cultural visit to Moscow for students of Russian