Modern Foreign Language

“Therefore, its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth” — Genesis 11:9

The Modern Foreign Language (MFL) department at St John Bosco strives to help students to flourish in their linguistic capabilities. Through an appreciation of language and culture, we aim to help students grow in love and hope of the diverse communities around the world, and the richness that they bring to one and other.

Curriculum Intent

Modern Foreign Languages is a subject which aims to foster a sense of curiosity and appreciation for other cultures, broadening student horizons. At St John Bosco, pupils are provided with a linguistic and cultural education of the Hispanic world, enabling them to communicate confidently and clearly in Spanish and English.
We recognize that a high-quality Spanish education is essential for the progress and success of our pupils, and therefore have a knowledge rich curriculum that covers a wide range of topics which build upon work covered in earlier key stages to prepare pupils for the transition to GCSE and beyond.
Pupils will learn to draw parallels between Spanish and other languages, developing their knowledge of phonics, grammar and vocabulary in both Spanish and English, promoting strong literacy throughout the course.
The department fosters an appreciation of other languages and cultures for our students, ensuring that they are developing their cultural capital and explicitly understanding the advantages of learning a foreign language and how this links to future career pathways and the importance of a multicultural society.

Curriculum 

Key Stage 4

At St John Bosco we study the Edexcel GCSE Spanish course. There are four components to the course, all of which are equally weighted and collectively are the grade you would be awarded.  Content at GCSE builds on existing knowledge that has been developed at Key Stage 3, with the aim of mastering the four skills, enabling students to pursue Spanish at a higher-level post-16.

GCSE Exam Papers:
Paper 1: Listening in Spanish (25%)
Paper 2: Speaking in Spanish (25%)
Paper 3: Reading in Spanish (25%)
Paper 4: writing in Spanish (25%)

Year 10

  • School – discussing subjects you study, describing and comparing your current school to primary school and discussing the importance of school rules.

  • Friends & Family – discussing the people in your life, being able to describe them physical and in their character. 

  • Hobbies & Interests – expressing what sports you enjoy and why, discussing your film and reading preferences and the advantages and disadvantages of technology.

  • Town & City – expressing opinions about where you live, being able to describe where you live and the features that make it unique.

Year 11

  • Festivals & Traditions – exploring the local festivals and traditions that are celebrated in Spain and the Hispanic world.

  • Jobs & Future Aspirations – expressing job preferences for the future, as well as expressing what you would like to do in the future and why.

  • Global Issues – discussing current affairs and global issues that affect the world today, expressing opinions about climate change and the influence of international sporting events.

Revision support

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/examspecs/z799hbk
Pearson Revision Guide & workbook

Key Stage 5

At St John Bosco we study the AQA A-Level Spanish course. The aim of the course is to enable students to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture, enabling them to master not only the linguistic demands of the language, but the cultural understanding too.
There are five lessons per week with an extra hour of Speaking classes with one of our departmental staff. 

A-Level Exam Papers
Paper 1: Listening, Reading & writing in Spanish (50%)
Paper 2: writing in Spanish (20%)
Paper 3: Speaking in Spanish (30%)

Subject contentChanges in society
Cultures of the Spanish-speaking world
Immigration & multiculturism
The Franco dictatorship & democracy.

Hispanic cultural studyEl Laberinto del Fauno (Guillermo del Todo) – film
La Casa de Bernada Alba (Federica Garcia Lorca) – literary text

Revision support:

Hispanic Cultural Study:

Key Stage 3


Year 7

In year 7 there are five modules that you study, which include the following topics:

  • Describing yourself and others.

  • Discussing your free time.

  • School life.

  • Friends and family.

  • The town where you live.

Year 8

In year 8 there are five modules that you study, which build upon the knowledge you have previously developed.  The topics included are:

  • Holidays

  • Expressing music and film preferences

  • Ordering food in restaurants and expressing preferences

  • Describing daily routine

  • Describing your home and things to do in your local area.

 Year 9

In year 9 there are five modules that you study, which build upon the knowledge you have previously developed.  The topics included are:

  • Talking about your likes and dislikes

  • Expressing job preferences and a day at work

  • Healthy lifestyles and daily routines

  • Global issues facing young people today

  • Describing a Hispanic town or city

  • Describing what you do in the summer and past and future holidays.


Extra-curricular enrichment and visits

  • Languages club – run every fortnight where students who speak other languages give a taster session with key words and phrases from their own language!

  • French club – with Mr Billington once a week for Year 7.

  • Portuguese club – with Miss Lawson once a week for Key Stage 3.

  • Year 11 Intervention – small group work with your year 11 teacher to help boost your grade!

  • A-level visits - University of Liverpool to receive lectures from senior researchers around topics covered in the specification.


If you are interested in Spanish, Japanese or other languages then why not try one of our book recommendations all about modern foreign languages - simply select the 'MFL' Reading List image, and click on the book cover that you are interested in. Looking for more books based on this subject? Then check out our further book recommendations on Accessit here: MFL Reading List

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