Modern Foreign Languages
“One language sets you in a corridor of life. Two languages open every door along the way.” (Frank Smith)
Languages are ‘a skill for life’: in a global community, understanding the principles of different languages and how to apply them to learning new ones is a vital skill a young person develops. The knowledge of an additional language adds to young people’s marketability. Linguists are well regarded by universities and employers since Languages GCSEs and A-Levels give students an advantage in the job market thanks to the many transferable skills which they will have mastered during their journey. UK employers consider that an additional language is one of the most desirable skills in a worker as linguists strengthen the international dimension and epitomize the awareness of cultural differences. At Park Academy West London, we are equipping our students with the necessary means of communication and cultural awareness so that they can compete in a competitive job market and meet the demands of a modern world of work.
Languages are the ideal opportunity to widen students’ knowledge of the world and other cultures. What drives our curriculum is the curiosity to understand how languages work to enable effective communication while discovering new cultural concepts to broaden horizons. We want to enable our students to equally express themselves and understand others in a different language. Our students will learn about others’ language, culture, customs, and habits to foster the respect for differences.
An important part of the curriculum will focus on the teaching of grammar. Students will learn to draw parallels and analyse patterns between the foreign language and English hence improving their command of both. In Years 7 and 8 French or Spanish are taught during 3 fortnightly lessons. In Year 8, students also begin to explore modern foreign languages as part of the wider ATL curriculum. Our current year 9 cohort will all continue to study French during 3 fortnightly lessons. Languages as an option for GCSE is gaining momentum, which ties in with the vision of the department to make Languages accessible and enjoyable for ALL. The MFL department fully embraces the ethos of catering for all students: we ensure that all our students can increase their human potential by using a foreign language to explore different cultures and open doors that they did not even know existed.
We are committed to establishing a learning environment that encourages students to feel confident about taking risks. We want students to reflect on and enhance their skills, ask questions, and enjoy challenges. Our pupils learn languages in a positive and encouraging environment where they master the rules of grammar and develop the confidence to communicate well in their chosen language. Lessons will promote an intensive use of Target Language as well as cover all four skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking. As they progress, we expect more intellectual rigour in the target language at KS4, including discussions about social and global issues.
There will be opportunities to independently extend their skills beyond the classroom and therefore prepare for life beyond Park Academy West London through a penpal programme and through a programme of visits abroad.
Our department is enthusiastic about pedagogy and plans collaboratively by sharing ideas and resources which brings consistency across classrooms. Students know what to expect when entering the MFL department and they all have the same quality experience thanks to the well-established routines which maximise the use of the Target Language and promote independence.
In the last academic year, we successfully introduced Spanish into life at Park Academy West London as we recognise the growing influence of Latin American culture on the global stage. We will now strive to create a place for KS5 MFL on the sixth-form curriculum map at Park Academy West London to fully achieve our vision of ‘Languages for ALL’.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, students can study French or Spanish at GCSE
AQA GCSE French (8658)
Paper 1: Listening
Paper 2: Speaking
Paper 3: Reading
Paper 4: Writing
AQA GCSE Spanish (8698)
Paper 1: Listening
Paper 2: Speaking
Paper 3: Reading
Paper 4: Writing
Curriculum Maps