MFL Department - Overarching Curriculum Intent (September 2023) 

​

RFSS Curriculum Vision Statement: 

To build an inclusive curriculum which is aspirational for all and empowers our students to make outstanding academic and personal progress.  

MFL Curriculum in Context: 

DfE does not have clear guidance for Modern Foreign Languages in KS2. Schools are not required by law to teach the content. That makes the curriculum in Y7 more challenging as students come from different backgrounds and levels, making French one of the most popular languages in Primary schools but not being taught properly as is a very common practice not to have specialist teachers of MFL in schools. 

​

The curriculum is created based on the literacy levels of students the first term of Y7, making sure that students have the foundations they will need for a second language acquisition. Once this foundation is developed KS3 curriculum is created to empower students. The topics have been selected by MFL teachers that have questioned the following: What is it essential to understand other cultures? What are the main areas of understanding that will help students to communicate and be independent? Which are the key words and grammar structures that will make a difference beyond the classroom? As Federico Fellini said "A different language is a different vision of life." With these answers in place the curriculum was develop making sure that students are supported, and the correct differentiation and scaffolding is in place.  

​

Moving into KS4 the questions get bigger. Considering all the previous point we considered the exams requirements, but we also seek to inspire and engage our pupils through culture and History. Making sure that the learning is always contextualized. 

​

Languages are linked to every subject in the DfE curriculum. Quoting Geoffrey Willans "You can never understand one language until you understand at least two." While students are developing MFL skills they are also developing their English and understanding better the world and people around them. 

Curriculum Aims: 

Our curriculum aims to: 

• Empower our students to communicate effectively and independently in a second language context. 

• Fully support our students’ moral and cultural understanding of the modern world through languages. 

• Inspire our students to explore and improve their linguist skills through culture and History. 

• Empower our students to 

•  Know more about others understanding their languages. 

•  Understand people around them through their culture backgrounds. 

• Do more by applying this knowledge in their life experiences. 

• Becoming more respectful in the school environment and in their future adulthood. 

​

Our curriculum has been developed through the experiences of MFL teachers, that understand what the possible barriers and frustrations are while learning a second language. Also being realistic with the content making sure is contextualized and updated with the students lifes. 

We do this by: 

• Stimulating intellectual curiosity about other cultures and languages, through storytelling, History events or personal experiences. 

• Facilitating collaboration, where students can apply their speaking skills with peers and thinking routines. 

• Promoting challenge for all through vocabulary, listening, speaking, and reading. Developing the four pillars of language acquisition.  

• Promoting curiosity with cultural research of other countries cuisine, art, music, idioms…  

• Sequencing learning creating the strong foundations on literacy and then developing vocabulary and grammar. 

• Revisiting previous learning, languages always need the previous learning to develop longer sentences, stronger statements or better speech.  

Our curriculum is focused on the development of communication, character and cultural capital of each individual student, so they become: 

• Empathetic citizens who understand the power of foreign languages in society. 

• Resilient learners who reflect on their work and understand the steps of language acquisition.  

• Creative thinkers who find ways to express their thoughts and opinions in a second language. 

• Respectful citizens that can understand other’s points of view and way of living. 

• Hard-working students who are committed to fully developing and exploring their ideas. 

• More prepare future workers, ready for a multicultural world. 

Curriculum Outcome: 

As a result of our curriculum, students will leave RFSS competent in the skills of reading, listening, writing and spoken language. They will also be empowered by the ability of speaking and understanding a second language, improving their carriers and life. 

Finishing with one sentence from Nelson Mandela "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart."  

Learning languages make people better in a personal and professional level.