Italian

Intent

At Hockerill, the Italian curriculum is designed to open doors to both language learning and the vibrant culture of Italy. Students gain not only the ability to communicate effectively in Italian but also an appreciation of Italy’s rich traditions, history, and contemporary life.

We aim to nurture confident, resilient linguists who can express themselves with accuracy and creativity, while developing intercultural understanding and empathy. Studying Italian fosters independence, curiosity, and critical thinking, preparing students for academic success and for life in a multilingual world. 

Implementation

Our Italian curriculum is ambitious and carefully sequenced from Year 8 to Year 13: 

• Years 8–9 (KS3-MYP): Students begin their Italian journey by discovering the geography, culture, and everyday life of Italy. They develop foundational vocabulary and grammar through thematic units such as What is my identity?, What is my identity in class?, Why do we do hobbies and sports?, How do we interact politely?, How can we lead a healthy life?, and What are our holidays going to be like?. Learning is inquiry-driven, encouraging students to make meaningful connections between their own lives and Italian culture, while building skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. 
• Years 10–11 (KS4/GCSE): Students follow the AQA GCSE course, consolidating and extending their linguistic skills through topics such as family and identity, free time, customs and traditions, town and country, holidays, education, careers, and environmental issues. They gain confidence across all key tenses and grammatical structures, developing fluency and spontaneity in speaking and writing. Students also engage critically with cultural themes, comparing aspects of Italian life with their own experiences. Exam skills are developed through regular practice, mocks, and structured feedback. 
• Years 12–13 (KS5/IB Ab Initio): The Italian ab initio course is a two-year language acquisition course aimed at students with no (or very little) knowledge of the Italian language focusing on developing receptive (listening / reading) and productive (speaking /writing) skills for daily life and culture. It covers five themes: Identity, experiences, human ingenuity, social organizations and sharing the planet. Each theme is subdivided into four subtopic each. In the two years of the course, students will be able to communicate in Italian, learning linguistic structures, exploring themes and texts, and learning to write different types of text. 

Across all stages, lessons integrate explicit grammar teaching with creativity, authentic resources (such as film, articles, and music), and opportunities for personal expression. Students are encouraged to think critically, compare cultures, and use Italian in real and purposeful ways. 

Impact

Our Italian curriculum ensures that students: 

• Develop the confidence and competence to communicate effectively in Italian across a wide range of contexts. 
• Gain cultural awareness and appreciation of Italy’s rich traditions, history, and contemporary society. 
• Achieve strong results at GCSE and IB, preparing them well for further study, travel, or employment. 
• Build transferable skills such as resilience, independence, adaptability, and critical thinking. 
• Leave Hockerill as open-minded, linguistically capable, and globally aware individuals, equipped to thrive in a multilingual and interconnected world.