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New Secondary Curriculum

The Key Stage 3 MFL Framework

The Framework is non statutory but reinforces good teaching strategies in MFL teaching and brings MFL in line with other subjects under the KS3 Strategy approach. For the implementation of the Framework to be successful it needs to be used regularly, planned, resourced and practised by the MFL department as a team. The framework lists objectives to be achieved over the three years of Key Stage 3. They are divided into five strands: words, sentences, texts (reading and writing), speaking and listening, and cultural knowledge. The Framework covers KS3 with yearly breakdowns. The objectives are set out year on year as follows:

  • Year 7 - pupils receive a firm foundation of foreign language learning
  • Year 8 - the objectives reflect this secure start and promote acceleration in language acquisition
  • Year 9 - the objectives are designed to promote pupils' independence as language learners

It is up to schools to decide when to teach what objectives within that year.

  • The objectives are non language specific
  • There is no grammar section as such but it supports word, sentence and text learning
  • They can be done earlier or later than the year that is specified
  • They are not to be done necessarily in the order given
  • They do not all require the same amount of teaching time
  • Importance of creativity
  • Importance of spontaneous expression by pupils
  • Maximum use of Target language but not at the cost of clarity

Long term planning: there is no need to rewrite existing schemes of work but the objectives must be slotted into them. This is bound to lead to less reliance on textbooks with for instance the teaching of the past tense in Year 7.

Short term planning: when planning individual lessons make sure that lesson objectives are linguistic and not situational or topical. One time consuming but effective way to do so is to make reference to the relevant Framework objective(s).