Modern Foreign Languages
Willkommen!, 欢迎, ¡Bienvenido! to the Modern Foreign Languages Faculty at the UCL Academy. Here at the UCL Academy we believe that every student is entitled and enabled to study a modern foreign language up to GCSE level and beyond. All students at the Academy will choose to study one of three exciting modern foreign languages up to GCSE level: German, Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. Following on from GCSE, we are also one of only a few schools in the country to offer sixth form students the opportunity to study A Levels in German, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
Our aim in MFL is to provide every MFL student with a personalised world-class language learning experience that results in curious, confident and open-minded global students.
MFL learning is fun at the UCL Academy. We adopt a communicative approach to vocabulary and grammar learning and combine this with an active use of language and linguistic structures in real life situations (reading, listening, speaking and writing) across a variety of topics, cultural opportunities and cross-curricular themes. To support developing curious and mindful students we run annual residential trips to China, Spain and Germany, as well as local trips to cultural institutions in London (China Town, Royal Opera House, BFI etc). In addition we place a strong emphasis on teaching study skills that enable students to become independent and confident learners.
Key Stage 3
Our new Foundation students are given the opportunity to try out all three languages within the first half term of their time at the UCL Academy as part of a languages carousel. After our languages carousel Foundation students rank the languages in order of study preference as part of an options process. Students will then study one of their chosen languages from that point on for the remaining time at the Academy until GCSE level.
Foundation and Level 1 students receive 2x 50 minute teaching sessions per week, where they learn and cement the building blocks of the language, grammar and culture across 5 topic areas.
Level 1 Plus students receive 3x 50 minute teaching sessions per week, where they build on the knowledge and structures learnt in Foundation and Level 1 and explore more complex language and grammatical structures and tenses.
Alongside weekly low-stakes vocabulary tests, verbal teacher feedback and self- and peer- feedback, KS3 students are summatively assessed in the 4 language skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) at the end of each topic. Students receive concise and targeted feedback aimed at individual progression.
Key Stage 4
All students at the UCL Academy study one foreign language at KS4: German, Mandarin Chinese or Spanish, following the AQA specification. There is no coursework and all exams take place at the end of Level 2 Plus. Pupils are assessed on their ability to understand (listen and read) and actively produce (speak and write) across 3 themes.
Level 2 students receive 4x 50 minute lessons per week. One of these lessons is focussed purely on exams skills and strategies.
Level 2 Plus students receive 3x 50 minute lessons weekly.
A complete overview of the themes, core grammar and structures, vocabulary and assessments can be found on the AQA website (see Exam Specification links below).
Curriculum Map
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