At Brompton Hall school we teach a foreign language to all of our Year 6, 7 and 8 students as part of our school curriculum.
We believe that a Modern Foreign Language prepares our students to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are often carried out in languages other than English. Spanish is the modern foreign language that is taught at Brompton Hall. By studying the Spanish language in the context of everyday life, students will be able to gain experience of the language, build up an understanding of other cultures and thus, hopefully increase their appreciation, respect and tolerance of other beliefs, views, opinions, values and principles of others. Increased capability in the use of another language promotes initiative, confidence and independent learning and encourages diversity within society.
Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of learning a modern foreign language in at Brompton Hall school are:
- To foster an interest in learning other languages;
- To introduce our students to another language in a way that is enjoyable and fun;
- To make our students aware that language has a structure, and that the structure differs from one language to another;
- To help our students develop their awareness of cultural differences in other countries;
- To develop their speaking and listening skills;
- To lay the foundations for future study
The Curriculum
The Year 6 class have one weekly Spanish lesson and the Year 7 and 8 students have one weekly Spanish lesson for 1 ½ terms of each academic year, in order to ensure progression and skills development.
The curriculum that is followed is based on the guidance given in the National Curriculum, and is supported in Years 7 and 8 through the use of the ‘Viva’ programme and resources.
The students are taught to know and understand how to:
- Ask and answer questions;
- Use correct pronunciation and intonation;
- Memorise words;
- Interpret meaning;
- Understand basic grammar;
- Work in pairs and groups, and communicate in Spanish;
- Look at life in another culture.
During Spanish lessons our students are given the opportunity to work as a class, as individuals and as part of a group. The choice of class organisation is determined by the learning task. By its nature MFL will involve lots of interaction with visual, auditory and kinaesthetic prompts.
Assessment, Recording and Reporting
Assessment in MFL is carried out in line with the Whole School Policies on Marking and on Assessment, Recording and Reporting. Most assessment is formative and is used to support teaching and learning and inform future planning. The MFL teacher assesses the children's progress in the target language based on their achievement of the learning objectives in lessons. If any written MFL work is produced, it is marked in line with the school policy on marking.
Monitoring
Monitoring is carried out by the Senior Leadership Team, in the following ways:
- Informal discussion with staff and pupils
- Planning scrutinies
- Work sampling
- Classroom observation