Modern Foreign Langauges

Overviews are subject to change in order to accommodate group dynamics.
In other words the overviews are a rough guide as to the topics, grammar points and suggested homework covered in any one term.  However they are not a definite guide, as teachers have to respond to the needs of individual students and classes.
As a general rule students are set a learning homework, which means they have to learn the meaning and spelling of the words and structures introduced during the week. You can support your son/daughter by testing them on the words and structures learnt (see vocabulary booklet). Additionally to that, they are set a reading and/ or writing homework or a research task regarding the target language countries.
Please check out the website for updates as we strongly believe in keeping it current.
Thank you for all your support and please view some of our other subject specific folders such as how to learn vocabulary, G&T in MFL, useful websites etc. to support your child’s progression in languages.

Andrea Tepe
(Subject Leader of Modern Foreign Languages)

G & T pupils in MFL:
• Have a desire to put language together by themselves
• Show creativity & imagination when using language
• Have a natural feel for language
• Pick up new language & structures quickly
• Make connections & classify words & structures to help them learn more efficiently
• Seek solutions & ask further questions
• Have an insight into their own learning style & preference
• Show interest in cultural features of the language being studied

The Modern Foreign Language Department at Paddington Academy

Within the department we aim to foster gifted students by:
• Providing differentiated and extension activities within lessons.
• Suggesting extension and enrichment activities for further study at home.
• Offering an after school Languages club.
• Furthermore, students may borrow Language learning books as well as fiction for extension. 

As a parent or guardian of a student, gifted in Modern Foreign Languages, you can help your child progress in many ways:
1. Encourage them to maintain/ increase their interest in French/Spanish.
2. Check that your child is learning vocabulary regularly. A learning homework (pupils have a vocabulary booklet) is set once a week and you could help him/her by simply reading out the English and getting them to give you the answer orally or in writing.
3. Encourage them to say phrases, idioms and sentences that they’ve learnt at school even if you don’t understand what they are saying. Ask them to explain what they’ve said.
4. Enrol them at language institutes such as ‘L’Institut français’ (The French Institute Language Centre, 14 Cromwell Place, London SW7 2JR, Telephone: 020 7581 2701) where they can loan an unlimited films, cartoons and books in French for £25 per year.
5. Allow them to spend time on the web on the sites specified below, where they can have fun learning French and Spanish vocabulary and grammar or other language websites. See attached sheet.
6. Motivate them to watch films with French/Spanish subtitles. As they sometimes watch films several times, you could challenge them to watch it in French on the second or third occasion.
7. Encourage them to listen to French or Spanish radio and music or watch television on the internet or via satellite.
8. New computer games which they enjoy playing, for example, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, have commentary in Spanish so they could sometimes play games in Spanish.
9. If you can, go on Holidays to Francophone or Spanish speaking countries. Alternatively, you could send them to summer camps in countries where these languages are spoken. Several companies such as: Villagecamps and La Giraudiere offer amazing fun packed summer camps where children play and learn French/ Spanish and make friends. Although expensive, they are a fantastic and enriching experience for your child.

Here is a list of useful websites that your child can use to progress in Modern Foreign Languages:

Sites covering both languages French specific sites Spanish specific sites
www.linguascope.com
www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/french/talk www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/spanish/talk
www.linguastar.com www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/french/experience http://oye.languageskills.co.uk
www.languagesonline.org.uk
www.bonjourdefrance.com www.spanish.about.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
www.frenchrevision.co.uk http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/spanish/
http://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/
modlang/index_students.htm www.french.about.com 
http://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland/resources www.zut.org.uk (available free of charge before 9am and after 4pm) 
http://www.mflresources.org.uk/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/french 
http://www.languageguide.org/  

The Modern Foreign Languages department at Paddington Academy has subscribed to www.linguascope.com and www.linguastar.com.
The other websites are free of charge and come highly recommended.