St Ivo School - Modern Languages

Head of Department:: Mrs P Zahner
Teachers:: Mrs A Champley-Potter, Ms K Eagle, Miss T Hay, Mrs C Meadowcroft, Mrs J Moore, Mrs I Sounni

Modern Languages in England are taught through topics, with grammar developed through different vocabulary areas. Below is a very simple outline of pupils' progression.

Key Stage 3: Years 7, 8, 9

At this level the main focus is on giving all pupils a good foundation in basic vocabulary areas.
Grammar is practised through practical examples using the vocabulary of the current topic.
By the end of year 9, pupils will be familiar with examples of the past, present and future tenses.

Year 7 French main language (and year 8 second language)

Greetings
Numbers 1-100
School subjects and classroom
Family
Pets
Where I live (My house, my room)
Time
My town

Year 8 French main language (and year 9 second language)

Family and home
Freetime (weekend, TV. Going out)
Trips
Invitations, acceptances and refusals
Clothes,
Shopping
Eating and drinking (meals, restaurant, market)
Travel and holidays

Year 9 French main language

Media (TV, cinema, print media, ICT)
Daily routine
Future and future plans
Careers
Illness, describing injuries
Healthy living
Understanding advice
Talking about what you used to do
Crime story
Regions of France and travel
Hotel booking

Year 7 German main language (and year 8 second language)

Greetings
Numbers 1-100
Alphabet
School subjects, breaktime snacks and classroom
Time
Clothes
Family
Pets
Freetime activities
Where I live (my house, my room)

Year 8 German main language (and year 9 second language)

Shops and food
Restaurant and picnic
Pocket money
Holidays
After school activities (cinema, TV, texting)
Health (body, illness, doctor’s visit)
Healthy eating

Year 9 German main language

Media (ICT, TV, cinema, print media)
School, future plans
Future, future plans and careers
What’s important to me
The global world
Age limits and rules
Celebrities

Key Stage 4: Years 10 & 11

At this level the main focus is on preparing the pupils for the GCSE exams.
Vocabulary and structures from KS3 are revised and developed.
A new syllabus is being introduced for the current year 10.

GCSE French Specifications | GCSE German Specifications | GCSE Italian Specifications

Speaking and writing are each worth 30% of the final grade. They are tested by assessments throughout the course. Listening and reading are each worth 20% of the final grade, and are tested in final exams in May/June of year 11.

There are 5 major topic areas:

Home and local area

Life in the home, friends and relationships
Local area, facilities and getting around

Health and sport

Sport, outdoor pursuits and healthy lifestyle
Food and drink as aspects of culture and health

Leisure and entertainment (includes online)

Socialising, special occasions and festivals
TV, films and music

Travel and the wider world

Holidays and exchanges
Environmental, cultural and social issues

Education and work

School life in the UK and in the target language country or
Community
Work experience, future study and jobs, working abroad

Post 16: Years 12 & 13

At this level the focus is on preparing pupils for the AS exam, taken in May of Year 12, and the A2 exam, taken in June of Year 13.
Topic specific vocabulary is introduced and practised with increasing use of synonyms and paraphrasing. Grammar is taught more explicitly.
Pupils need to have factual knowledge, relating mainly to events of the last 7 years in the country/ countries they are studying; they are expected to be able to analyse information and react to it with personal opinions, drawing on their wider knowledge.
All 4 skills are tested and equal weighting given to each.

A Level French Specifications | A Level German Specifications

AS topics

Aspects of daily life sub-topics

The family: different structures and relationships; living conditions (housing, shopping and patterns of daily life)
Food, drink, health, obsessions and addictions
Transport: trends and patterns in usage (for the individual and at local and national levels).

Leisure and entertainment sub-topics

Sport (including national sporting concerns and traditions)
Tourism and related themes: tourism as a changing phenomenon; tourism and the environment
Leisure activities: aspects of cultural life, e.g. film, theatre; the arts as part of leisure time.

Communication and media sub-topics

Communication technology: patterns and changes to communication in daily life
Media, e.g. written press; radio; television (roles and influences).

Education and training sub-topics

School and school life: individual experiences; local and national concerns
Work and training: individual experiences; school to work preparation, transition and aspirations.

A2 topics

Society sub-topics

Integration and exclusion: age; gender; race; religion; equality of opportunity
Law and order: trends of crime and punishment; civil unrest; policing
Unemployment: causes and consequences (local, national or global)

The environment sub-topics

The individual and the environment: recycling; reducing individual energy usage and impact; local conservation
Energy management: alternative energy sources; changing use of fossil fuels'; nuclear energy; changing energy demands
Pollution: causes; consequences; solutions
Conservation of the natural world: changing habitats; impact of man and pollution; local, national or global initiatives

Science and technology: impact and issues sub-topics

Medical progress: development and change – impacts on health care, lifestyles, ethics and beliefs
Scientific advances: change and innovation – impacts and issues on society, knowledge, education
Technological developments: change and development – impacts on lifestyles, habits, work and education

Culture sub-topics

Literature and the arts: trends, changes, influences and impacts on the individual and society
Heritage and history: influence and impacts of heritage (including colonial heritage) and historical events (national and international) on contemporary society