Modern Languages

At CSG, we aim to enable our students to become culturally aware and highly competent linguists. We encourage students to be curious, open-minded and resilient, and to reflect on and enjoy foreign languages and cultures. Through their learning journey, we want students to develop their oracy, and gain valuable skills and knowledge for an increasingly diverse and global world.

The MFL department is committed to providing high-quality and inclusive language learning for all students who study either French or Spanish at KS3 and KS4, following the AQA specification at GCSE. It becomes optional at KS5, where we follow the Edexcel specification.

We deliver fast-paced, interactive lessons that help students develop their ability to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes. Students explore engaging themes connected to the cultures of the target language while developing skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation. Each lesson focusses on three key elements: rich vocabulary, explicit grammar teaching and accurate pronunciation through sound–spelling correspondences (SSC).

Carefully chosen authentic materials from a range of contexts and sources are used from Year 7 onwards, increasing students’ cultural knowledge and exposing them to greater grammatical and lexical complexity in French and Spanish.

KS3

By the end of KS3, we aim for students to express themselves in 3 tenses clearly and confidently, give opinions and reasons and begin to use longer sentence structures on a range of topics mainly relating to their immediate environment.

KS4

By the end of KS4, we aim for students to express themselves in 3-time frames clearly, give and justify opinions and use complex grammar and vocabulary on a range of topics, including global issues as well as their immediate environment. They also show an awareness of appropriate registers and moods and use a range of pronouns to demonstrate their understanding of wider issues and contexts.

KS5

By the end of KS5, we aim for students to be able to converse and write at a near native speaker level on a range of topics including current affairs, society, culture, history, film and literature. By the end of Year 13 at CSG, students have acquired an impressive command of the language they have studied, they have become experts in their independent research topic, and they have an excellent understanding of the target language, society and culture.

Curriculum Information – French

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10 & 11

Curriculum Information – Spanish