Welcome to the MFL Department
At Notre Dame High School, students study either French or Spanish from Year 7. All pupils continue with their study of MFL to GCSE. Students can then chose to continue their MFL studies at A-level.
Mr Egurrola is Head of the Modern Foreign Languages Department. If you would like to contact Mr Egurrola you can do so via email: wegurrola@notredame-high.co.uk
Teachers in the MFL Department
Mr W Egurrola – Spanish / French (Head of Department) – wegurrola@notredame-high.co.uk
Mrs E Greenwood-Quy – French / Spanish – egreenwoodquy@notredame-high.co.uk
Miss B Jimenez Montes – Spanish / French – bjimenezmontes@notredame-high.co.uk
Mrs Y Pérez López – Spanish / French – yperezlopez@notredame-high.co.uk
Mr D Chambers – French / Spanish – dchambers@notredame-high.co.uk
Mr L Mayo – French / Spanish – lmayo@notredame-high.co.uk
Miss M Eddy – French / Spanish – meddy@notredame-high.co.uk
Mr L Harrison – French/Spanish – lharrison@notredame-high.co.uk
Years 7 and 8
In Key Stage 3 our students develop their knowledge and understanding of a foreign language and also their cultural awareness within the context of familiar topics. The foundations of the language, key vocabulary and grammar form an integral part of the learning experience in KS3.
Years 9, 10 and 11
Pupils study a three-year GCSE course (Edexcel) from Year 9:
- Y9 French overview
- Y9 Spanish overview
- Y10 French overview
- Y10 Spanish overview
- Y11 French overview
- Y11 Spanish overview
Students also have the opportunity in either Year 9 or Year 10 to take part in a French/Spanish cultural and language visit abroad. We have taken trips to the Opal Coast in France and to Madrid, the capital city of Spain.
Learning vocabulary using Quizlet
Learning vocabulary is a big part of GCSE success. To help all students achieve this we have made Quizlet sets for all the modules and topics studied. The links are here: (please embed the below as links and name them “Quizlet – Spanish” and “Quizlet – French”
- FRENCH QUIZLET LINKS
- SPANISH QUIZLET LINKS
- GCSE Spanish Vocabulary Booklet
- GCSE French Vocabulary Booklet
- GCSE French Speaking+ Writing booklet
- GCSE Spanish speaking and writing booklet
Assessment
All assessment is by final exam at the end of the course.
Listening exam 25%
Reading exam 25%
Speaking exam 25%
Writing exam 25%
A-Level (Years 12 and 13)
A-level courses for French and Spanish start with an introduction to bridging the gap from GCSE to A-level. Pupils study the full A Level (AQA) over two years. Pupils have 5 hours of teaching a week, split between two teachers, and they have an additional timetabled hour in a small group with the Foreign Language Assistant.
French | Spanish |
Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends The changing nature of family The ‘cyber-society’ The place of voluntary work Artistic culture in the French-speaking world A culture proud of its heritage Contemporary francophone music Cinema: the 7th art form Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues Positive features of a diverse society Life for the marginalised How criminals are treated Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power? Politics and immigration Two books / a book and a film Individual Research Project | Aspects of Hispanic Society Modern and traditional values Cyberspace Equal rights Multiculturalism in Hispanic society Immigration Racism Integration Artistic culture in the Hispanic world Modern day idols Spanish regional identity Cultural heritage Aspects of political life in the Hispanic world Today’s youth, tomorrow’s citizens Monarchies and dictatorships Popular movements Two books / a book and a film Individual Research Project |
How you can help your child in French or Spanish
Regular learning of key vocabulary is essential to ensure good progress in learning a language. You can support your child by encouraging them practise their vocabulary on the dedicated sites we use for this (Quizlet and Memrise) as well as using the relevant vocabulary booklets. It would be beneficial to have a paper French or Spanish dictionary at home as a learning resource or students can be directed to www.wordreference.com for a free online dictionary. There are other online resources to support the course. Teachers will direct students to recommended websites which will be noted in folders. You can encourage to child to be curious and read the news/headlines, to listen to music and watch films in the target language. MFL films can often be found on Netflix.
