MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
In line with the aims of the School the Languages Department aims to contribute to creating a learning environment that encourages all students to achieve their full academic potential, and to obtain academic qualifications worthy of their abilities.
Through the study of language we aim;
- To promote the general educational progress of the individual; to develop an enthusiasm for learning and enquiry.
- To encourage in all students the acquisition of good study skills and habits.
- To prepare students for life and eventual employment through the acquisition of life skills.
Objectives
- Listening:; to enable the student to understand speakers in a variety of registers across a range of situations within the student’s own experience
- Responding; to use the language effectively to respond, seeking and providing information, taking part in conversation and expressing opinions with good intonation and pronunciation.
- Reading; to extract information as required from a variety of written texts in the target language such as passages, articles, advertisements and letters and to translate a text accurately into acceptable English if/as required.
- Writing; to write accurate, French/German/Spanish with increasing accuracy and complexity leading eventually to express ideas freely accurately in the target language, using a wide variety of vocabulary and idiom.
Key Stage 3
In Year 7 all pupils study French for two periods a week.
In Year 8 pupils who have made good progress in French are offered the choice of taking German or Spanish as a second language. Parents are offered the opportunity to express any strong preference for the choice of the second language. Pupils studying two foreign languages have 3 lessons of each language a fortnight. Those who continue with just French have 3 lessons a week.
In Year 9 dual linguists continue to study both languages for 3 lessons each a fortnight. Single linguists continue with 2 lessons of French a week.
In Years 10 & 11 dual linguists will continue with at least one language to GCSE. They may choose to continue with their second language as well if they wish i.e. French and Spanish or French and German. Single linguists may continue with French if they wish. NVQ French is also offered at KS4
Pupils in Year 8-11 are also offered Mandarin Chinese with the possibility of taking ASSET languages accreditation at Breakthrough level.
In the Lower and Upper Sixth French, German and Spanish are offered at 'A' and 'AS' level.
French Key Stage 3
At present all French classes in Year 7-11 are taught French based on the Métro course.
Year 7 Métro 1
Year 8 Métro 2
Year 9 Métro 3
Spanish Key Stage 3
Year 8 Listos 1
Year 9 Listos
German Key Stage 3
Year 8 Klasse 1
Year 9 Klasse
French Key Stage 4
Year 10 and 11 Métro 4 vert or rouge.
Coursework is done throughout the two years.
Lower and Upper sixth: A topic-based approach using primarily the course book Au point supplemented with a wide variety of other materials. Coursework is done at A-level.
Spanish Key Stage 4
Year 10 and 11 Listos 3. Coursework is done throughout the two years. Lower and Upper sixth. A topic-based approach using primarily the course book Sigue 1 (AS and Sigue 2( level) supplemented with a wide variety of other materials. Coursework is done at A-level.
German Key Stage 4
Year 10 and 11 Klasse 3. Coursework is done throughout the two years. Lower and Upper sixth. A topic-based approach using primarily the course book Brennpunkt supplemented with a wide variety of other materials. Coursework is done at A-level.
For all modern languages a wide variety of additional material including audio and video cassettes, CDs and DVDs of authentic recordings, worksheets, books, and brochures is available. The school library holds a number of magazines at various levels of difficulty and the Internet is an increasingly useful and well used resource at all levels within the department and as an independent learning tool.
Trips
The Department offers a number of trips to all age groups in all Languages. At present Year 8 travel to Normandy; there are trips to Rhineland and Northern Spain for Year 9 and 10 and the Sixth Form have the opportunity to go to Paris.