Topic outline
Trips & Visits
KS3 - Year 7, 8 & 9
Starting Out
At Soham Village College, we teach French, German, Italian and Spanish to GCSE.We hope that all pupils will enjoy and benefit from studying a Modern Foreign Language. Our aim is to equip our pupils with the necessary skills to communicate in a foreign language, and enable them to continue with language learning at any later stage in their lives.
French is the first foreign language for all pupils at Soham Village College and this begins at the start of Year 7. In Year 8 approximately half the year group will pick up German in addition to French. This section of the year group will continue with both until the end of Year 9 when they make their option choices. At this point they make continue with French or German, or if they are enjoying language learning many pupils choose to continue with both.
Course Details
In Year 7, pupils will have their own textbook, Camarades 1. This is used both for classwork and for homeworks. Pupils also have 2 exercise books. They have a Cahier, which is used for class exercises and homework, and an Aide-Memoire, which is used for grammar notes and vocabulary. All books are expected to be brought to all lessons.
In Year 8, pupils will again have their own textbook, which is Camarades 2. This follows on from the book used in Year 7. In Year 9, the textbooks used are Camarades 3 Turquoise or Avantage 3 Vert.
In both years, pupils will be tested regularly, both informally in class sessions and by end of module tests and year exams.
The skills that are developed in KS3 are Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. These are the skill areas, which will be tested in exams. The pupils will progress through National Curriculum levels in these skills and their levels will be reported to parents at the end of Year 9.
Our Expectations
In both KS3 and KS4 we have high expectations in Modern Foreign languages lessons. We expect you to:- Attend regularly
- Bring all books and materials
- Complete all classwork, homework and coursework (in KS4) on time and to the best of your ability
- Take a full and purposeful part in all lessons.
GCSE French
Click the logo or link below if you would like to view the full course specification from the Exam Board website.
Exam Board Language Qualification Specification 
GCSE French 4655 Studying a Modern Foreign Language at KS4 offers you the chance to build on your language skills, to become more fluent, more accurate and to understand more easily. Learning a language is a valuable opportunity, and helps broaden your horizons as well as improving your thinking skills. It is an important skill for future employment and further education. With the government’s emphasis on the importance of being able to speak a foreign language, a language GCSE now forms a core part of the secondary curriculum.
You will follow a course which covers 4 areas of experience in the foreign language:Lifestyle (Health, Relationships & Choices)
Leisure (Free Time, Media & Holidays)
Home & Environment
Work & EducationYou will practise and develop your language across the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. You will have a core course-book and access to internet material, but will also use real reading and listening materials such as newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television, further texts from the internet and video/DVD clips to improve your fluency and ability to understand and communicate in the language. You will also have increased opportunity to practise your speaking skills with the Foreign Language assistants.
Assessment
Students are assessed in four skill areas: Listening, Reading, Speaking & Writing
- Listening 20%
- Reading 20%
- Speaking 30%
- Writing 30%
Students may be entered for GCSE examinations at either Higher or Foundation tier in Listening and Reading, in either the January or June of Year 11.
Speaking and Writing are controlled assessment exams, undertaken throughout Years 10 & 11, and offer you the chance to develop and improve your marks. Students must submit 2 speaking and 2 writing exams.
Other Information
Students will be taught in sets according to ability.
All students will have the opportunity to participate in the KS4 French Exchange or the Paris visit to help improve their spoken language.
See Miss Warner for more details.
Topic 4
Business French NVQ Level 2
Class of 2013 ONLY
Click the logo or link below if you would like to view the full course specification from the Exam Board website.
Exam Board Qualification Specification 
Business French NVQ Level 2 05647 NVQ Business Language: French is an exciting vocational qualification, which provides the perfect opportunity for students to learn French in a business context and gain a qualification highly relevant to the work place.
The course builds four key skill areas (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) to level 2 in a variety of contexts, and develops skills which students may transfer to use in other subjects or future career choices. Students are taught how to use their language skills in real world business situations, and use authentic material from advertising, business and media to develop their understanding and communication.
The NVQ Business French is offered at Level 2 (C grade and above) and is accessible to all abilities, but is ideal for students who wish to follow an alternative pathway to GCSE French whilst gaining a valuable qualification for future working life.Assessment
The NVQ is a portfolio, assessment based qualification which is accessible to all abilities and is highly flexible by nature.
There are no formal exams, but a system of continuous assessment in the four areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, which is undertaken as students are ready.
Students are entered for the Level 2 qualification (equivalent to C and above at GCSE).Other Information
Students will have the opportunity to participate in the KS4 French Exchange, visiting our twin town of Andrézieux-Bouthéon for a week and hosting a French student during Year 11.
See Miss Warner for more details.
