Curriculum Intent

The intent of the Modern Foreign Languages department at St. John’s Catholic Comprehensive school is to foster a deep appreciation and understanding of other cultures, to develop linguistic competence, and to instil a lifelong passion for languages.

Our curriculum is designed to provide all students with rich language learning experiences that broaden their horizons and equip them with the skills to communicate effectively in a globalised world. Our aims and ambitions for Modern Foreign Languages are:

• to promote cultural diversity and foster a sense of global citizenship by exploring the rich cultural heritage of target languages
• to develop students' linguistic competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, ensuring they can confidently communicate both orally and in written form
• to cultivate a passion for languages and an enthusiasm for language learning that continues beyond the school setting
• to provide a curriculum that ensures progression of skills, challenging students of all abilities to achieve their full potential

At KS3 students begin to recognise and infer from short listening tasks and excerpts. They subsequently extend their responses to questions in spoken Spanish, and develop the skills to write short paragraphs in the target language on a given theme. Students use the present tense to express their likes and dislikes. The vast variety of topics are revisited at a more advanced level in KS4 where students are exposed to more complex grammatical and language structures and are taught to develop a deeper understanding of themes related to wider community. They learn to make links to cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world, and further apply their knowledge of vocabulary, tenses, and sentence structures to produce more complex written and verbal responses. The language learning journey at KS5 incorporates a methodical approach to literary works and film analysis in addition to investigating a number of global issues and aspects of Spanish society. This develops and enhances students’ critical thinking skills, which consequently equips students to successfully enter further education and the world of work with self-assurance, articulation, and the capacity to express themselves by making informed and cultured comparisons between national and international affairs.