MFL

Introduction to the Team:

Miss Titus-Glover aka Miss T-G (Curriculum Lead)

Speaks – English (mother tongue), French and German,

as well as – Patwa (a West-Indian dialect), verlan (a Parisien dialect), Saarlaendisch (a German dialect)

Mrs Yaker

Speaks – French (mother tongue), English, Spanish and Arabic

as well as – verlan (a Parisien dialect),

Ms. Yap

Speaks – English (mother tongue), French and Spanish,

as well as – Patwa (a West-Indian dialect)

Miss Jagpal

Speaks – English (mother tongue), French, Spanish, Italian and Punjabi

Subject Aims/Intent:

French and Spanish are the languages currently being taught at Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy. It is a compulsory subject at KS3. Students are then encouraged to continue studying French or Spanish at GCSE level in Year 10 and Year 11.

At OSCA, our aim is to accompany and guide our students in becoming confident, curious, ambitious, and open-minded learners. We believe that studying a foreign language goes beyond learning the language and that it serves a cultural purpose as it exposes students to a multitude of cultures, therefore promoting global citizenship. It also underpins our school’s values of Opportunity, Scholarship, Compassion and Aspiration. Mirroring Sandwell Vision 2030 number one’s ambition, we trust that young people, whatever their background, should be given all the necessary tools and skills they need to aspire in becoming the best version of themselves and becoming whoever they aspire to be in the future. Being able to communicate in several languages will also ensure that our students are put at an advantage later in their professional life.

We aim to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for MFL whilst creating linguists, who will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the wider world in their MFL lessons. The focus of the MFL department is on developing ability to communicate in French and Spanish, so that our students are able to express their ideas and thoughts in another language, both orally and in writing, using the language confidently, independently and creatively. Teaching will also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language.

The MFL department has inspired its curriculum following the Pearson Edexcel Dynamo (French) and Viva (Spanish) textbooks at KS3 and Studio GCSE and Viva GCSE textbooks at KS4 and uses a wide range of resources to deliver it, including new technology, textbooks, and websites to help ensure pupils develop the skills and knowledge they need to become independent language learners. We also diversify our strategies for teaching by implementing NCELP and Gianfranco Conti pedagogies in our curriculum. We also use authentic resources to offer authenticity to the MFL learning experience. Study of foreign language films, music, YouTube videos and texts are all commonplace in the MFL classroom.

There are opportunities for students to engage in exciting real-life situations, and the department offers extra-curricular activities designed to extend students’ language skills and enrich their knowledge of French and Spanish culture. As a department, we offer a broad range of opportunities beyond lessons. For example, participation in events such as the European Day of Languages and the French and Spanish cultural events; or in becoming one of our French or Spanish Ambassadors. Furthermore, all our students benefit from an educational visit to France or Spain, which being cross-curricular in nature, offers an experience which is not only linguistic, but which supports and promotes many other areas of the curriculum.