I've just had another thought about this and now I'm both annoyed and confused. (It's called multi-tasking!)
Initially, some of my colleagues thought that this was a great idea because the 3rd attainment target will improve the students' final KS3 assessments and they will want to choose MFL as an option in KS4. Great! I'm all for increasing uptake at KS4 and beyond. But for the right reasons.
That's all very well, but because of this many of these students will have an overinflated KS4 target grade.
I have studied (and blogged) the new specs for GCSE here and nowhere can I find a section on "intercultural understanding" in there. We, obviously, teach some cultural understanding as part of GCSE but it is not a separate section of the course.
Does this mean that in 2014 the GCSE will change again? I think it probably does.
3 comments:
I totally agree with you plus I thought the aim was to be able to speak and interact in another language? Why not create another subject called "French in English"?
I do agree we need to open the minds of our students but in my school, having only 2 hours a week to teach French to my KS3 students, I'm not sure I'll have the time to teach them the language and the cultural understanding???
Sorry but for me it's another change for nothing...well more work and stress for teachers!
Hi there
You are right to point out the impact on KS4 and the fact that there seems to be no attempt at transition between the Key Stages. I am not sure inflated levels are a good way to recruit suitable GCSE candidates either... (twisted logic)
Thanks for getting me to have another think about this...
Isabelle
http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
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