In case you missed our last blog which outlined the updates in detail, here’s a short summary of the key changes.
- The subject content being assessed will be built around vocabulary, grammar and phonics.
- Linguistic content focus largely on the most commonly occurring vocabulary of each language; students will be expected to know 1,200 lexical items for the foundation tier, and a further 500 lexical items for the higher tier.
- There will be a greater emphasis on SSC – sound symbol correspondences – with dictation exercises and a read-aloud task.
- There will be new assessment objectives and skills will be assessed together rather than separately (similar to A-levels). The assessment objectives reflect real-life language use, and students will be encouraged to use skills interchangeably.
These changes have been a long time in the making but with the first new exams taking place in 2026, the new specification rollout is right around the corner. In September, Year 10s will be the first cohort to study and take exams based on the new specifications. If you’re a language teacher, you’ll soon be starting to look ahead to the next academic year and planning how to tackle a new year with a new curriculum.
Well, before you scrap your tried and tested lesson plans and start working feverishly on a whole new batch of resources, bear in mind that the majority of what you’re used to teaching will still be relevant, even essential. The next thing to remember is that GCSEPod is here to help.
What’s coming from GCSEPod and how will it support your teaching and your students’ learning and revision?
Since the MFL GCSE specification changes were confirmed, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to bring you a brand-new collection of content and assessment to support you in delivering all aspects of the new French and Spanish GCSEs, and to help your students succeed. We consulted with experienced language teachers and examiners to create a set of courses to best support teachers and students tackling the updated Foreign Language GCSEs.
Comprehensive courses for GCSE French and Spanish
Coming this autumn to GCSEPod, you and your students will have access to a comprehensive set of courses for GCSE French and Spanish. The courses will be exam-board specific and will cover all major topics from the respective specifications, including the new topic on . Each course is made up of thematically linked digital lessons and each lesson comprises a dynamic mixture of audio-visual learning, assessment, and skills practice.
Interactive and engaging lesson structure
Every lesson starts with a clear objective followed by a selection of vocabulary which students will need to know. We’ve aimed to include core vocab multiple times across each lesson, allowing students to become familiar with new words in various scenarios. As well as revisiting topic-specific vocabulary, we’ve also ensured that grammar is not just explained but contextualised. Videos have been kept short to retain student focus while covering essential knowledge using clear and simple ideas to visualise concepts. Interspersed among the videos and infographics, each lesson also contains short multiple-choice quizzes as well as listening, reading comprehension, and writing exercises. This structure ensures a constant passive-active-passive-active learning pattern, so students are engaged and learning throughout.
Regular quizzing is essential when learning a foreign language in order to fix new vocabulary and grammar into long term memory and grow in confidence and fluency. By revisiting words and set phrases, students can automatise speaking and writing and raise the standard of their work.
In addition to regular quizzes peppered throughout lessons, each lesson ends with a final formative assessment and there will also be a summative assessment, available for teachers to assign, to review student attainment at the end of each topic. In this way, students will constantly be reviewing learning, practicing essential skills, and strengthening their retention and retrieval of key knowledge.
As written transcripts will be available for all of our videos, they will be an ideal in helping students develop their knowledge of sound symbol correspondence or phonics. As well as helping students to prepare for the read-aloud part of the new assessment, the new French and Spanish videos will be invaluable for developing their dictation skills. Students can simply listen to the pod (pausing when they need to) and write what they hear. As the transcript is provided, students can check the accuracy of their dictation once they are done. Finally, making use of the transcripts alongside our video and audio content will also improve reading skills and word recognition.
Carefully crafted texts from our subject experts
Our incredible subject experts, all experienced MFL teachers and examiners, have written original texts for comprehension and listening to ensure that they contain as much of the core vocab as possible. What’s more, there are multiple texts used in each lesson so that students can get used to spotting words in numerous contexts, reducing the risk of them getting caught out when it comes to the exam.
Enhancing language proficiency through writing practice
Writing exercises provide an excellent opportunity for students to practice their translation skills and have a go at writing in the target language. After submitting a piece of writing, students will receive the correct translation and/or a set of success criteria, with any tricky vocab or constructions highlighted and explained. This not only removes the marking burden from you but allows the student to assess their own learning in real-time.
Mastery tasks for those who need the challenge
Finally, optional Mastery Tasks are available at the end of each lesson to allow all students to challenge themselves, if they want to do more. These additional activities include things like Higher-tier vocabulary, more complex translations, and listening exercises, as well as suggested reading, listening or viewing, and are intended to increase cultural capital and encourage a greater independent interest in the target language.
Final thoughts
As the landscape of GCSE MFL evolves, it’s essential to equip yourself and your students with the tools for success. With these new specifications on the horizon, GCSEPod is here to help you navigate these changes seamlessly.
If you’d like to find out more about the latest developments with GCSEPod, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our experts.