MFL

Curriculum Intent

At Paxman Academy we understand the value of languages, and how meaningful they are in our social interactions and welfare. Learning a language transcends learning what accents are and how to use the present tense. Every industry and employment sector values graduates who can speak a language.

We understand that whilst some of our students may have studied Spanish in their primary school, there will also be a notable number who have not. Therefore we assume no prior knowledge, building on the common themes of language learning techniques that student will have been exposed to at Primary school 

Our curriculum offer in Languages creates students who think, talk, read and write like a linguist as demonstrated through their ability to:

• Understand key phonics to communicate effectively when listening and speaking.

• Use and manipulate vocabulary to generate meaningful conversations.

• Increase their awareness of foreign cultures, including European, African and South American.
• Read, analyse and understand texts in a foreign language, spotting patterns and extracting key information.
• Write effectively and meaningfully , using a combination of different vocabulary, tenses, opinions and grammatical structures.

The languages curriculum is sequenced in such a way that each new piece of content builds on what has followed previously. In Year 7 students spend a lot of time on key phonics. This is crucial as a strong understanding of phonics is vital to effective communication in any language. This focus on phonics continues right up until students leave us in Year 11.

We focus on stretch and challenge to ensure that all students achieve their full potential. Languages are a subject which encourages those to expand their horizons in terms of learning more complex words and methods of communication with others to create more meaningful conversations. We also understand that some may find languages difficult, therefore the languages curriculum and department is also dedicated to helping support students fully, as well as stretching their ability.

We earnestly believe that the most captivating, engaging and effective way to complement language learning is through full immersion to develop knowledge and cultural capital. Therefore, we investigate cultural nuances of Spanish-Speaking countries as well as the study of the language itself. 

We have also recently given students the opportunity to hear from guest speakers who explain how languages have been used in their industries, most recently students heard from a guest who used to work for Arsenal Football Club, who explained the crucial role that languages played in the football and business industry.