French

Our Curriculum Aims:

We aim to develop a lifelong love of the study of the French language and the global French speaking world and civilisations past, present and future amongst our students playing a pivotal role in their journey to becoming inquiring, knowledgeable, responsible citizens of the future with the confidence to travel , ready to work in a global workforce.

Students learn to communicate confidently in French whilst also listening, reading and viewing for personal enjoyment and information. This also develops a great cultural awareness of a whole new world, essential for accessing the subject to maximum. This digital age lends itself perfectly to our work and the French department always embraces the use of new technologies, learning platforms and the extensive resources available for multidisciplinary and multi-sensory learning in and outside of lessons. We ensure careful use of authentic resources at all levels in order to enrich the experience and promote independent learning. The interactive nature of lessons also serves to maximise engagement and develop the ability to understand and manipulate the language.

The study of French and the grammar involves a process which in turn also trains the brain and can keep it healthier for longer and strengthen other academic in new contexts disciplines. From the study of earlier and more personal topics to the challenges of social and global issues such as the protection of the planet, Cybersociety, immigration, politics, the treatment of criminals the protection of heritage and chosen research projects, the French department promotes and reinforces the AGSB values.

We promote a love of learning through academic rigour, stretch and challenge, respect for others through exposure to different language, histories and cultures, responsibility towards our world working as a global community and as individuals and resilience in the face of something new, being prepared and comfortable to make mistakes, learn from them and keep trying. This is also put into practice through participation in competitions and memorable trips to Paris, Nice and Aix-en-Provence.

All of the above is excellent preparation for independent travel to some of the most wonderful places in the world. The opportunity to work with a Foreign Language Assistant from France in lessons, supports students immensely with the enjoyment in speaking the language and enrichment of their linguistic and cultural understanding and competence, contributing hugely to their excellent academic achievement and progress at both KS4 and KS5.

We are proud that our students become highly proficient and fluent and leave us superbly prepared for higher study at Russell Group universities or Oxford and Cambridge in a time where Foreign language skills are increasingly in demand as fewer people study them, they can access a wider range of university options and a richer university and life experience.

The Department Subject Achievement Map identifies the skills and the nature of the knowledge needed to progress in the subject from year 7-11. The Subject Achievement is a document for staff and can be found in the 365- Curriculum – Curriculum Subject Resources.

For each topic studied in Years 7 and 8, Topic Descriptor Sheets detail the knowledge and skills needed to progress in that topic. Topic Descriptor Sheets can be found in pupils’ assessment books and on the walls in practical subjects. They can also be found in 365 – Curriculum –Curriculum Subject Resources.

Key Stage Three Curriculum Overview
Year 7

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points * vocabulary tests at least every couple of weeks in class.
HT 1	Introduction to French and France	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:Greetings / Introductions, dates / birthdays, colours, school items, The alphabet, days of the week and months. Numbers up to 100, describing yourself and others, pets, say where you live , asking questions. Students will learn the following grammar points:* Accented letters, conjugating verbs (avoir and être), gender of nouns, question words, adjective agreement and word order, making nouns plural *Students will learn the following culture:* The geography of France and what some places are famous for Short story- Les escargots rouges. *Students will also be introduced to French phonics and how to pronounce words in French.- Poem Le zoo extraordinaire- reading for enjoyment.*	Quizlet / Languagenut/ Seneca self testing End of Unit Listening reading, writing and grammar test Informal translation tests
HT 2	Free time and weather	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:Weather,seasons, sports, music, other free time activities. Students will learn the following grammar points:* Temperature, using ‘quand’ in a sentence, the verb ‘jouer à’, regular -er verbs, the verb ‘faire’ de plus various hobbies, ‘jouer de’ + instrument. Using ‘on’ + verb *Students will learn the following culture:* Hobbies in France and the ‘bande-dessinée’ Find out about parc Asterix	End of unit reading, listening and writing tests Quizlet / Seneca/ languagenut
HT 3	Where I live Revision of the course	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Town vocabulary, asking for and giving directions, discuss possible activities, describe the area where you live. Make plans and talk about where you are going. *Students will learn the following grammar point:More about adjectives, directions, prepositions, il y a / il n’y a pas de/d’. The verb ‘aller’ Students will learn the following culture:* Learn about a French town / French towns Short story – cadeaux pour le maire	End of Year reading, writing and grammar, listening tests.

Year 8

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
HT 1	Countries in Europe and beyond	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:Countries in Europe, other countries and continents, transport and travel, talking about what you are (not) going to do and what you can / can’t do. Describe places. Students will learn the following grammar points:Revision of regular verbs, prepositions with towns /countries, the verbs venir, partir, aller, pouvoir+ infintive. Negation and the future tense. Students will learn the following culture:*Learn about the Tour de France.	Quizlet / Seneca/ languagenut End of Unit reading, writing, grammar tests Grammar /Translation tasks in class
HT 2	Staying with a family. Presents and what you have done.	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Talking about the past, using expressions of time, talk about presents and what you have done recently, talk about choices, describe a visit. *Students will learn the following grammar points:The perfect tense of regular verbs. The perfect tense consolidation, the perfect tense of irregular verbs. The perfect tense of negative statements Students will learn the follofv wing culture:* Louis XIV and Versailles, Monet,	Quizlet / Seneca/ languagenut End of Unit reading, writing, listening, grammar tests Grammar / Translation tasks in class
HT 3	Travel plans	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Discuss travel plans, the 24 hours clock, asking for and understanding rail information. Talk about air travel, describe a journey and a day out. Describe what you did recently and a journey in the past. *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Revise the verb être, the perfect tense with être and past participle agreement, il faut + infinitive C’était + adjective *Students will learn the following culture:* William the Conqueror	Quizlet / Seneca/ languagenut End of Unit reading, writing, listening, grammar tests Speaking assessment Translation tasks in class
HT 4	School life in France and in your school.	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Talk about your school, subjects (and opinions), facilities, uniform and clubs. Describe morning and evening routines and daily activities. Talk about what you do and don’t want to do. Describe a school trip. Exchanging contact details and arranging to go out. Describing a holiday and leisure activities. *Students will learn the following grammar points:The verbs apprendre /comprendre. Making comparisons. Reflexive verbs. Reflexive verbs in negative sentences. Using the verb ‘vouloir’ in negative sentences. Using the verbs ‘dire’, ‘lire’, ‘écrire’ . The present tense of the verb ‘sortir’. Using three tenses, past present and future. Students will learn the following culture:* Louis Xiv	End of Unit reading, writing, listening, grammar tests Vocabulary tests Quizlet / Seneca/ languagenut
HT 5	Discussing clothes, appearance and illness Revision of the year	*Students will recap the following content:* All of the Year 8 content *Students will learn the following:* Discuss clothes and what to wear, describe a person’s appearance with more adjectives. Bodyparts, illness and visiting the Doctor. How to succeed in exams- revision and exam techniques *Students will learn the following culture:* French songs	End of Year exams in Listening, Reading, Writing and Translation Quizlet / Seneca/ languagenut
HT 6	Going into town	*Students will learn the following:* Shops, shopping, money, prices *Students will learn the following grammar points:* *Quantities,- revsision of regular -er -re and -ir verbs, the partitive article, ‘some’* *Students will learn the following culture:* Find out more about shopping in France	Quizlet / Seneca/ languagenut

Year 9- In Year 9 the topics are more in depth and so overlap half terms. Students are taught to go into more detail than in Key Stage 3 as they have more confidence and fluency.

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
Term 1	Relationships with family and friends, marriage and partnership.	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Getting on with family members and reasons why, different types of families in a modern world, thoughts on marriage, what makes a good friend. *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Revise avoir, être and possessive adjectives. Reflexive verbs, adjective agreement and position, comparative and superlatives, using qui and que, the immediate future and the future tense, direct and indirect object pronouns	End of Unit 1 assessments- end of November Listening, reading , writing. Speaking assessment- Dec
Term 2	Technology in everyday life- social media and mobile technology	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Technology in everyday life, using social media, online safety, trends in mobile phones, positives and negatives of mobile technology, the uses of social media *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Revise the present tense of -er verbs and common irregular verbs. Using avec and sans, using grâce à, ‘it’ and ‘that’, interrogative adjectives, emphatic pronouns *Students will learn the following culture:* Young people and technology / social media in France	End of Unit assessments- February.
Term 3a	Free time activities	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Music types, films and, Type of TV programmes, traditional French food and eating habits, sports and other free time activities *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Revision of the present tense of regular verbs, Question words, Revision of the perfect tense with avoir and être., quantities, adverbs of frequency, verb plus infinitive, the pronoun en, subordinating conjunctions, jouer à, faire de, developing sentences using quand, lorsque and si. Opinion verbs *Students will learn the following culture:* Traditional French food and eating habits, sports, popular French musicians/bands. Extreme sports popular in France.	End of Year exams.
Term 3b	Customs and traditions	*Students will learn the following vocabulary* Students in learn about different customs and traditions in France and French speaking countries and cultures. *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Using the perfect tense. The perfect tense with reflexive verbs, using en/à/ au/aux with countries. The imperfect tense, indefinite adjectives. Deciding between the perfect and imperfect tenses. *Students will learn the following culture:* Customs /traditions and celebrations in the French speaking world.	Presentations about French customs and traditions.

What can parents do to support their sons?

Check that your son is working on his vocabulary – this should be done on a regular basis, revisiting old vocabulary constantly too. He should always revise vocabulary, even when tests are not set. He can access all of the vocabulary needed via Quizlet / languagenut / Seneca (he has usernames and passwords). He also has an assessment booklet, in which he should highlight the vocabulary he knows from each module and continue to highlight it regularly. You could test him using this.
Check he is working on his grammar – this, again, should be done on a regular basis. Grammar notes are in his exercise book and available in many other places (he has the usernames and passwords for the numerous websites). He has a grammar review section in the coursebook and on Kerboodle.com so you can quiz him on the grammar topics too. Year 9 and above have a GCSE Verbs booklet.
There are a number of other websites that your son should visit to help him. Please ask him about them.
Any opportunity for your son to experience authentic French would be a real confidence booster for him, for example, visiting France, reading online news articles via the newshound app, watching French Youtube videos, Age appropriate Netflix programmes -with French subtitles and working with our Language Assistant.

GCSE Course Followed: French

Specification: AQA Syllabus Code 8658

Why Choose GCSE French?

If you enjoy learning about different countries and cultures, communicating with other people, finding out how language works, then studying GCSE French is an excellent choice for you! You will choose an MFL GCSE from the two languages you are currently studying – why not consider choosing two?

There are many reasons for taking this GCSE:

You will be able to share your interests, ideas and opinions with other people who speak French.
You will learn about France and get a lot more out of a trip there.
You will add an international dimension to your choice of GCSE subjects, which is something many future employers and higher education providers look for. French is one of the most sought-after foreign language for businesses in the UK and an official language of the UN, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the international Olympic committee , the International Red Cross and International courts.
You will learn many skills which are useful in a wide range of future careers, such as the ability to communicate clearly, being confident about speaking in public, critical thinking, using problem-solving strategies, etc.
If you continue with languages beyond GCSE to A Level, you will be able to combine French with many different subjects at University, e.g. Medicine, Law, Business and many more.
You will create greater opportunities for yourself to work abroad, or for companies in the UK with international links. The UK imports a lot of goods from France

What do I need to know?

You have started your GCSE course in Year 9 so you already know a lot of the vocabulary and grammar you’ll need for GCSE. You know how to talk about yourself, your family and friends, your hobbies, where you live, school, holidays, food and drink. You will build on these topics over the next two years, as well as moving on to new topics.

You are already part way there!

Four skills are tested in a formal exam at the end of Year 11. Each skill is worth 25% of your total GCSE. You will be entered for either Foundation or Higher tier. The exams are set out below:

Listening:
You will answer questions on recorded material from different topic areas. Some material will be formal (for example a telephone message) and some informal (for example a telephone conversation between friends).

Reading:
You will answer questions about short texts on different topics in various forms such as text messages, adverts, emails, blogs and letters. You will also translate a paragraph from French into English.

Speaking:
This exam will be conducted by your teacher. You will have range of activities to complete. You will take part in a role play with your teacher, you will answer questions about a photo and the related sub-topic and then have a general conversation on a topic you have previously studied.

Writing:
There are three main tasks to complete. First you will write a short response to bullet points on a certain topic. You will then show off all of your language skills in a more detailed response to bullet points and finally you will translate a short passage from English into French.

What can I do after I have completed the course?
People with language skills and knowledge are highly thought of in the modern world. They stand out as talented, confident and successful people, with broad and exciting horizons. Being able to speak more than one language has been scientifically proven to give people higher cognitive ability. Taking GCSE language(s) means you will have much more fun when travelling and be able to continue your language learning to A Level. You will add an extra dimension to your personal skills profile which will impress anyone who reads your CV and you will be in a stronger position to get a job in companies with international links or to work abroad. You will also be able to choose between many careers that you may not have previously thought of such as working as a calls interceptor for MI5, being responsible for international links in global companies or even opening new franchises in foreign countries. The options are endless!

Key Stage Four Curriculum Overview
Year 10

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
Term 1	My home and local area	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Describing your home, your ideal home, compass points, describing the surrounding area (town and region). *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Revision of the position and agreement of adjectives, revise plural of nouns, negative phrases followed by de, partitive articles, habiter and vivre, demonstrative adjectives, prepositions, possessive pronouns, revision of comparatives and superlatives. The conditional mood. (Si + imperfect + conditional) *Students will learn the following culture:* Popular towns in France and some other key French speaking areas.	End of Unit assessments. vocabulary tests. Speaking preparation assessments
HT 3	Social issues 1	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Describing charity work, understanding the importance of charities. *Students will learn the following grammar points:Further use of the conditional mood, En + present past participle, vouloir que + subjunctive or full introduction to the subjunctive, using ce que.. Students will learn the following culture:* Voluntary / charity work in France / Francophone countries	End of Unit tests vocabulary tests
HT 4	Social issues 2	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Comparing old and new health habits. Describing health resolutions *Students will learn the following grammar points:* The imperfect tense, expressions of quantity, recognising the pluperfect tense. Il vaut, il vaudrait mieux, revision of negative constructions *Students will learn the following culture:* Attitudes toward health in France	End of Unit tests Vocabulary tests
Term 3	Environment and poverty and homelessness	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Environmental problems and solutions, Discussing inequality, poverty across the world. *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Si + present tense, si+ present + future, recognizing and using the imperfect tense, revision of en and y. verbs of possibility, permettre de + inifinitive. The subjunctive *Students will learn the following culture:* Attitudes in France and French speaking countries towards these issues.	Trial Exam

Year 11

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
Term 1	Holidays and travel, regions of France.	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Talking about holiday preferences, describing a holiday in detail, talking about visiting different places in France, visiting French towns and cities. *Students will learn the following grammar points:* Sequencing words and phrases, Depuis +present tense, the pronoun y, using the perfect and imperfect tenses together, après avoir / être + past participle, venir de + infinitive, revision of the imperfect tense, using three time frames, past present and future *Students will learn the following culture:* Holiday habits of the French, holiday destinations in France and the French speaking world.	Weekly vocabulary tests End of Unit tests Speaking preparation assessments Past paper practice Trial Exams (including speaking exams)
Term 2	Post 16 choices	*Students will learn the following vocabulary:* Describing a school day, school life in different countries, talking about school life in France and different countries. School rules and the ideal school *Students will learn the following grammar points:* All revision nothing new – the perfect tense, emphatic pronouns, adverbs of time and place . The verbs pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, il faut + infinitive or subjunctive. Time phrases, the conditional mood	Weekly vocabulary tests End of Unit tests Speaking preparation assessments Past paper practice
HT 4-5		Students prepare for their GCSE French exams in the following ways: Revise every module- especially key voabulary Revisit each grammar point Past papers in class Preparation for the speaking exam Increased practice of 90 word and 150 writing tasks. Practise lots of translations into French and English	GCSE Exams

Recommended Revision Guides for GCSE

Students have a published GCSE vocabulary book, which they should be using regularly to learn vocabulary.

They should also purchase “CGP: Complete Guide to GCSE AQA French For the Grade 9-1 Course” . If possible the supplementary resources such as translation practice, grammar workbooks, translation workbooks, flashcard for vocabulary and grammar / Translation and the knowledge organiser bundle. ** We will issue a letter to parents in Year 10 providing the opportunity to offer these at heavily discounted prices only available to schools.

Students have access to various websites to help with their vocabulary, reading, listening and grammar revision. All pupils have a list of useful websites and they should refer to this.

Kerboodle allows students to access the core GCSE textbook and interactive activities.

Support available for GCSE Students
For Year 11 students there are extra listening, and speaking sessions every week to enable the students to practise the skills that they need more help with. Subject teachers may also offer one-to-one sessions for GCSE students to have very focused practice with feedback