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Ribston Hall High School

Ribston HallHigh School

Modern Foreign Languages - French

 

Key Stage 3 

Description

Modern Languages are accomplishments that give a strong advantage in job applications. Linguists are great communicators with well-trained, logical, mature minds. They have cultural awareness and take on a challenge. Excellent opportunities exist for able linguists in many professional spheres.

At Ribston we teach Modern Languages in lively and interesting ways, with as many opportunities as possible to practise communication through creative immersion in authentic language.  Students learn to speak and write as children do in real life. Students are therefore able to develop a good accent and strong listening skills as well as the confidence to produce their own language.

We tailor our teaching to the particular needs of students, with support and extension sessions as needed. Our friendly teaching staff share skills and experiences drawn from teaching languages abroad. Our extra-curricular and travel programmes ensure that every pupil is given the opportunity to develop their language skills in the most effective way. We aim to offer courses that are rigorous and enjoyable and that open the eyes of every student to the rich diversity of European and global culture.

The National Curriculum informs the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages at Ribston Hall High School, based on the core skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. The Key Stage 3 curriculum allows students at Ribston Hall High School to learn more about the French-speaking world, to appreciate and respect other cultures, and to develop the practical skills needed to communicate successfully. The curriculum promotes a secure knowledge and understanding of vocabulary, grammar and phonics. Alongside this, we provide our students with opportunities to develop cultural capital through the study of customs and festivals in Francophone countries. Across the three-year programme of study, we cover topics which prepare students for those studied at Key Stage 4 (GCSE).

Content

 

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Autumn

C’est perso! (All about me)

Ma zone (Hometown and local area)

Spécial vacances (Holidays)

Spring

Mon collège (School life)

Ma vie d’ado (Life as a teenager)

À l’horizon (Employment and aspirations)

Summer

Mes passetemps (Hobbies and interests)

Paris, je t’adore (I love Paris)

Moi dans le monde (Daily life and dreams for the future)

Extra-curricular opportunities

  • European Day of Languages celebrations
  • MFL Bake-Off
  • Christmas celebrations around the Francophone world
  • ‘La Chandeleur’
  • Languages and Careers Days
  • Enrichment trips to Lille Christmas Market, the Battlefields, Strasbourg and Paris

Key Stage 4 

Exam board

GCSE Specification: French AQA 8657 (consult website for full information)

Description

The Key Stage 4 curriculum greatly advances students’ ability to communicate confidently in a wide range of situations. It also develops students’ cultural knowledge of the French-speaking world.  Students are given many opportunities to encounter customs and festivals in Francophone countries. Topics are in three main themes: Identity and Culture; Local, National, International and Global Areas of Interest; and Current and Future Study/ Employment.

The GCSE course is linear (all assessment is at the end of the two-year course).

There are four papers:

Paper 1: Listening (25% of GCSE)

Paper 2: Speaking (25% of GCSE), based on a role-play, discussion of photo card and general conversation

Paper 3: Reading (25% of GCSE)

Paper 4: Writing (25%of GCSE)

Content

 

Year 10

Year 11

Autumn

Topic 1: Qui suis-je? (Who am I?)

Topic 2 : Le temps des loisirs (Hobbies and Interests)

Topic 5: Le grand large (Holidays)

Topic 6: Au collège (School life)

Spring

Topic 3: Jours ordinaires, jours de fête (Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations)

Topic 4: De la ville à la campagne (Local Area)

Topic 7: Bon travail! (Post-16 studies and Employment)

Topic 8: Un oeil sur le monde (Social and Global issues)

Summer

Topic 5: Le grand large (Travel and Tourism)

End-of-year Grammar revision

Examination Skills Practice

Extra-curricular opportunities

  • European Day of Languages Celebration
  • Activities showcasing Christmas around the Francophone world
  • Trip to the French Christmas Market in Lille
  • Other trip opportunities to various parts of France.

Key Stage 5 

Exam board

Exam Specification: French AQA 7652 (consult website for full information)

Description

The A-Level French course empowers students to broaden their minds, discover a world beyond their own culture, and acquire new ways of thinking. More than 200 million people speak French on five continents, and it is one of the most important languages in professional fields such as diplomacy, engineering, law, medicine, and international charity work.

Students develop independent, alternative views of the world by reading articles and listening to news clips from the leading French-language media.  They master the four core skills of Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking in many and varied contexts.  The course is notable for training students to analyse and evaluate important contemporary topics through debate and discussion, and is thus a strong preparation for university applications, and for studying in higher education. Fluency in French is a major advantage in the job market, opening doors to companies all over the world for students to travel, work and live abroad.

The course is organised around three broad themes – Social Issues and Trends (Theme 1), Political and Artistic Culture (Theme 2), and Literary texts and Films (Theme 3). The course is linear, with all exams at the end of the two-year course.

There are three papers:

Paper 1: Listening, reading and Writing (50% of A Level) - assessing Themes 1 and 2

Paper 2: Writing (20% of A Level) - assessing Theme 3

Paper 3: Speaking (30% of A Level), based on a discussion of a sub-theme from Themes 1 and 2, and a presentation/discussion of an Individual Research Project

Content

Year 12

Year 13

La famille en voie de développement (Changing nature of the family)

Les aspects positifs d’une société diverse (Positive aspects of living in an ethnically diverse society)

La cyber société (Cyber-society)

Quelle vie pour les marginalisés ? (Marginalised groups)

Le rôle du bénévolat (Volunteer Work)

Comment on traite les criminels? (Attitudes to crime and punishment)

Patrimoine (Cultural Heritage)

Les ados, le droit de vote et l’engagement politique (French political system and voting rights)

La musique francophone  (Francophone music)

Manifestations et grèves (Trade Unionism, protests and strikes)

Le cinéma (Cinema)

La politique et l’immigration (Politics and Immigration)

Cultural Topic: Film directed by Mathieu Kassovitz: La Haine

Cultural Topic: French Literature - No et moi, Delphine de Vigan

Individual Research Project

Individual Research Project

Extra-curricular opportunities: Students are encouraged to participate in work experience overseas and become hosts to foreign visitors in the school. University outreach programmes are strongly subscribed by our students, including Language Open Days, Film Webinars and Lectures. Day trips include visits to the British Film Institute and the Alliance Française in London.

Extra-curricular opportunities 

  • Regular trips – exchanges, field work, cultural or industry trips.
  • Clubs – lunchtime activities, fixtures, performance opportunities, practical work.
  • Industry links or careers/work experience.