The Kate Languages Blog
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Key Stage 3 isn’t just about preparing students for GCSE, but there are definitely a few things you can embed in your KS3 curriculum that are not only great from a pedagogical perspective, but will also sow the seeds for further study in KS4 (and maybe even beyond - we can dream, right?!)
So here a...
Recently, I’ve focused a lot on giving MFL teachers advice on what NOT to do in the French, German and Spanish GCSE speaking exams.
So for this blog post I’ve decided to be a bit more positive and talk about what you as MFL teachers are doing brilliantly...
I mean, aside from the fact that you are...
I'm sure *you* aren't making these mistakes, but some MFL teachers definitely are, and I just want to make sure that you aren't tempted to do any of these 6 things.
After focusing just on the reading aloud part of the speaking exam in last week's blog, I'm broadening out this week to talk about the...
MFL teachers and GCSE students really need to stop making these 6 avoidable mistakes in the reading aloud part of the speaking exam.
1. Not understanding the text, which leads to pronunciation errors. This is particularly true in French, where pronouncing the -ent ending on third person plural pres...
I have somehow managed to find enough words of wisdom over the past couple of years to send out ONE HUNDRED top tips Tuesday emails 🤯
And to commemorate this momentous occasion, I have collated 100 of my best tips from these emails (one from each email) right here for you!
If you want any more det...
Did you know that candidates regularly make these 5 ridiculous mistakes in their French, German and Spanish GCSE exams?
In this blog post, I'm sharing five really silly things that GCSE French, German and Spanish students do in their exams that lose them marks... that have absolutely nothing to do ...
Sometimes I think we try to overcomplicate “differentiation” or “adaptive teaching”, or whatever we’re calling it these days in our MFL lessons… but as long as you have a good quality text, some scaffolding and extension tasks up your sleeve, you’re good to go!
Read on to find out how I recommend a...
Are you a teacher who is planning ahead for September and wondering what on earth you need to do to get prepared?
You can find lots of boring, generic advice all over the internet, so I thought I'd share my own slightly weird things I recommend doing to get ready for your first lessons!
- No seati...
NB This is all my own understanding, interpretation and opinion - please do correct any inaccuracies if you spot them!
Hi, if we haven’t met, I’m Kate Clifton, aka Kate Languages. I used to be a French, German and Spanish teacher, and I’ve spent the past 9 years as a self-employed independent teach...
Starting your first year as an MFL teacher? These practical Early Career Teacher (ECT) tips will help new French, German and Spanish teachers prepare for September, build confidence in the classroom and start the school year feeling more organised and less overwhelmed.
For this post, I asked Kirste...
In May 2026, I had the chance to do something I still can't quite believe.
I spent a week travelling through northern Morocco with Discover the World Education, as part of a small group of teachers and language specialists invited to experience their school trip itineraries firsthand.
The idea be...
