Modern Foreign Languages (French and Spanish)

Contact: Mrs. Reade, Modern Foreign Languages Faculty Leader

Why study MFL?

French and Spanish are widely spoken by millions across the world on all five continents. Both are excellent languages for the job market. The ability to speak a language in addition to English is a huge advantage for any prospective candidate, offering opportunities to work across the globe. Studying French and Spanish offers an insight into other cultures and broadens our students’ mindsets. French and Spanish also offer huge opportunities for foreign travel as they are spoken in some of the most frequented tourist destinations in the world. Finally, both French and Spanish are a good base for learning other languages, especially Romance languages (Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) as well as enriching their English, since fifty per cent of current English vocabulary is derived from French and Spanish. Students studying a MFL will also have the opportunity to take part in an overseas visit to France or Spain as part of their course.

What content is studied?

At Arthur Terry we study the Pearson Edexcel course which follows the following five themes:

  • Theme 1: Personal Identity (Family, Friends, Self and Hobbies)
  • Theme 2: Local Area and Holidays
  • Theme 3: School
  • Theme 4: Future Aspirations, Study and Work
  • Theme 5: International and Global Dimension

How are the students assessed?

The course is assessed through terminal exams at the end of year 11. There are four exams covering the following skills. Each exam is equally weighted at 25%. MFL exams follow a tiered system of Foundation and HIgher, the tiering decision is made in March of Year 11.

  • Paper 1 – Listening and Understanding in French/Spanish
  • Paper 2 – Speaking in French/Spanish
  • Paper 3 – Reading and Understanding in French/Spanish
  • Paper 4 – Writing in French/Spanish

Some students may qualify to study two languages. Please speak to Mrs Reade in the first instance if this is something you wish to pursue.