Intent

We believe that learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. It should foster students’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world, as well as providing opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and access authentic materials (including access to culture -film and literature) in the original language. It should provide the foundation for further language learning, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.

Objective

We strive to create an Languages curriculum which:

• Enables students to make substantial progress in one language.
• Lays the foundations for further language learning at Key S4, motivating students to continue studying the language at GCSE.
• Focuses on practical communication: understanding and communicating ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing.
• Features an appropriate balance of spoken and written language, as well as developing the skills of listening and reading in the target language.
• Develops knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary.
• Encompasses numeracy and broader literacy skills where appropriate.

Implementation

The Year 7 and 8 curriculum is based around key themes: describing self and others; talking about school; free-time; family life; home & local area; technology; visiting a French-speaking country; ambitions and future plans. Key grammatical concepts such as the importance of gender and singular / plural, adjectival agreement and verb conjugation are introduced. In Year 8, students start to be able to express themselves using a second tense (past events or future plans).

The Year 9 curriculum provides for in-depth study of the theme of Identity and Culture (self, family & friends; free-time & hobbies; festivals & traditions). Students’ vocabulary is broadened and their grasp of grammar is deepened, with a constant focus on developing the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing (each of which comprises 25% of the eventual GCSE examination).

Year 10 and 11 focuses on continued study of the remaining GCSE themes of Local, National, International and Global Areas of Interest (holidays; local area; environmental & social issues) and Current & Future Study & Employment.  As well as the continued focus on grammar and vocabulary, there is an emphasis on developing the specific skills required for the AQA GCSE examination.

The focus throughout is to help learners develop long-term knowledge and skills. The Languages curriculum reflects core school values, including the fundamental of respect towards others, and the rigorous nature of the curriculum engenders resilience and individual responsibility.   

Further Information

To find out more about the content of the curriculum for each year group, please see our five year Languages curriculum maps.

If you require more detailed information, please email the Head of Department. Mr Gleisner’s email address is dgleisner@roydsschool.org.