MFL (French)

French – Curriculum Adventure

To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world – Chinese proverb

Our Vision for Languages at Da Vinci Academy

Our primary aim in the French department is to foster a love of learning languages for all of our students. We are passionate about our subject and believe that knowledge of a foreign language can open doors for our students, both as future professionals and as globally minded citizens of the world.

As teachers, our aim is to provide an excellent learning experience for our students. We hold high expectations of our students and what they can achieve. Similarly, as teachers, we continually reflect on our teaching to develop our evidence-informed practice. We follow a carefully sequenced and knowledge-rich curriculum, which facilitates students’ development in the key four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Key knowledge is chosen and built upon with consideration and shared with our students through the use of knowledge organisers. We use regular assessment to check that this vocabulary knowledge is learned and remembered over time. Our curriculum is designed to be ambitious yet accessible to all students. We place a strong emphasis on pronunciation, supported by our teaching of phonics, and are passionate about the teaching of literacy. At Da Vinci, we believe that the French curriculum also has an important role to play in the promotion of British values, particularly concerning respect for the diversity of cultures within the Francophone world. We also embed cultural learning throughout the curriculum, building students’ cultural capital through the study of Francophone literature, music, history and media.

5 year roadmap in brief

Y7 – the fundamentals (greetings, numbers, etc); Moi, mes amis et ma famille (describing oneself and others); Mes passe-temps (discussing one’s hobbies, discussing holidays)

Y8 – Les médias (tv, literature, film, etc.); Mon identité (describing personality and personal style – e.g. clothes, music), Paris & Chez moi, chez moi (comparing Paris and Derby)

Y9 – Ma vie sociale (describing oneself/one’s friends in more detail; discussing past and future events; social media), Bien dans ma peau (healthy living, food & sport), À l’horizon (discussing future careers & ambitions), Spéciales vacances (discussing holidays in 3 tenses)

Y10 – Qui suis-je? (discussing family relationships & friendships;consolidation of key 3 tenses); Les temps de loisirs (hobbies – sport, music, literature, technology); Jours ordinaires et de fête (discussing daily life and routine and celebrations & festivals); De la ville à la campagne (discussing home & local area); Le grand large (discussing holidays in depth, including the conditional tense)

Y11 – Au collège (discussing school & higher education in both the UK & France); Bon travail (discussing future careers and ambitions in the conditional, near and simple future tense); Un œil sur le monde (discussing the environment, poverty and other global issues).

Topic vocabulary is regularly interleaved throughout the 5 year course of study, with major topics – e.g. hobbies, family, jobs and holidays – featuring heavily at both KS3 and KS4. As students progress through the curriculum, they will be able to tackle topics with greater complexity, both in terms of range of vocabulary and grammar, including tenses.

French at KS3

All students at KS3 study French for 2 hours as part of their timetable. We study a variety of topics (e.g. free time & leisure, festivals, travel & tourism, the environment and volunteering, etc.) which are revisited in more depth at KS4. From the beginning of Year 7, we place a strong emphasis on accurate pronunciation to develop confident French speakers. Similarly, we model and encourage students to produce high-level extended written work. Homework consists of vocabulary learning, supported by students’ knowledge organisers. By the end of KS3, we expect students to possess strong linguistic foundations, including an ability to communicate confidentlyin at least three tenses, so that they are well prepared for success at KS4.

Students are assessed formatively throughout the year, including through regular vocabulary quizzing. Summative assessments are carried out at three points throughout the year, to identify and close gaps in students’ knowledge. Assessments focus on the key skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking.

Enrichment opportunities are provided as part of the extended curriculum, where students are able to participate in French club. At French Club, we particularly focus on authentic French media, including music and film.

French at KS4

As a well-regarded academic subject, forming part of the English Baccalaureate, we would strongly encourage students to opt to study French at GCSE. At Da Vinci Academy, we follow the AQA French GCSE Course. The French GCSE is assessed by four exams at the end of Year 11, with separate exams in speaking, writing, reading and listening. There are two tiers for the final exams: Foundation, where students can achieve grades 1-5, and Higher, where students can achieve grades 4-9. The tier for which a student is submitted is decided in Year 11 and will be based on mock results and target grades.

All exam content is based on the following three themes:

Culture and identity
Global and national issues and travel
School life, post-16 education, and future ambitions and employment.

To be successful in the French GCSE course, students must be able to respond spontaneously to questions both when speaking and in writing. These responses should be developed and include opinions and different tenses.

To support their classwork, KS4 students will be set regular homework, including vocabulary learning, supported by their knowledge organiser, and other tasks, such as grammar or comprehension exercises. Students will also be expected to complete independent revision at KS4, using a range of resources as directed by their class teacher.

Further study & future employment

Students who follow the French GCSE course will be encouraged to pursue languages both at A-level and at university. There is a shortage of foreign language speakers in the UK, with foreign language qualifications highly sought after by top universities, other higher-education providers and employers in a wide range of sectors.

At university, French can be studied as both a single-honours degree, or commonly alongside another subject as a part of a joint-honours degree – for example, one can study a degree in French and Law; French and English Literature; or a degree in French combined with beginner’s Russian, Chinese, Spanish or Arabic. A language degree offers a year abroad where university students can study or work in another country, providing valuable professional experience and widening future career prospects whilst also representing an exciting opportunity for students to travel, meet new people and expand their horizons. Even if you do not wish to study languages at university, having an A-level in French is still highly advisable as languages are classed as ‘facilitating subjects’ – this means that top universities will look favourable on candidates who possess a French A-level, especially when making admissions choices for particularly competitive courses in areas such as law or medicine, or for courses at universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.

There are many careers where languages are useful, and a qualification in languages can show an employer that you are an effective communicator who can articulate ideas and opinions, work in a team or independently, and gather and interpret information. In addition, it shows that you are culturally aware and quickly able to adapt to new surroundings and ideas. These skills are demanded more and more in our increasingly globalised jobs market and can often make you stand out from the crowd. Language graduates work for a huge variety of employers and sectors, including, but not limited to:

business services
charity work
engineering
foreign office and diplomacy
interpreting and translation
leisure, sport and tourism
marketing
media
museums and libraries
public administration
teaching and education
transport and logistics.