Modern Languages
The Modern Languages Department has its own suite of five rooms, and is a vibrant, lively part of the school. Lessons at all levels are conducted for the most part in the target language, with the emphasis being on the accurate communication of ideas and opinions.
Through enthusiastic teaching, we aim to instill in pupils an appreciation of the importance of being able to communicate in other languages, and an interest in other European cultures and ways of life.
There are five members of the Modern Languages Department, in addition to Language Assistants in French and Spanish. French and Spanish are the main languages taught, although German and Italian courses are also offered by members of the department. Lessons in other languages, such as Russian, can be organised using external teachers.
The Department recognises the need to give students of languages the opportunity to spend time abroad, and trips to France and Spain are regularly organised. Recent trips have been to Nice (Easter 2023) and Sevilla (October 2023). Our next trip is to Toulouse (October 2024). All of these trips are ‘home-stay’, whereby pupils stay with a French or Spanish family, either individually or in pairs, thus ensuring that they speak the language as much as possible. In addition, evening showings of French and Spanish films are organised, with tapas and crêpes sometimes on offer too!
Here are some snap shots from recent Modern Language School trips.
What Pupils Say
“There is a trip each year. I’ve been on 2 now – one to France and one to Spain. They definitely helped for my oral exams.”
“It was good to have the chance to practise the Spanish we learn in class with a real Spanish family on the trip”
“Most lessons are done in French or Spanish, which can be hard at first, but within a few lessons you understand most of what is going on.”
“In Upper Sixth, I was dreading having to read a novel in French, but the literature has turned out to be the best bit of the course.”
“Having one to one lessons in Sixth Form with the Assistante really helped my spoken French.”
In Second and Third Form, most pupils study French and Spanish (three lessons per week for each language). We follow Dynamo and Viva coursebooks. At this level, the goal is for pupils to have a confident grasp of grammar and vocabulary. We also aim to develop a willingness to use the language as much as possible in class, allowing pupils to express themselves confidently on a range of topics, from ‘discussing free-time preferences’’, to ‘describing a recent trip or visit’, and ‘plans for the holidays’.
GCSE courses begin in Fourth Form and the AQA GCSE is followed. Pupils study French or Spanish, or both languages. Classes are set according to ability (normally three per year, with 5-18 pupils per class depending on pupils’ needs). Each language is taught for three lessons per week, using Studio in French and Viva in Spanish. Language Assistants help with each group for one lesson per week, allowing the development of spoken language skills.
In Sixth Form, we offer A-Level courses in French and Spanish, again preparing pupils for the AQA exams. As well as focusing on consolidating and building on language skills acquired at GCSE, pupils now start studying France and Spain as countries in more depth. Topics such as music, cinema, tourism, the changing nature of family, regional identity, immigration and politics are all covered, with specific reference to the target language countries. Pupils have six lessons per week, split between two teachers, with an additional ‘conversation’ class per week with the assistant during one of their ‘day preps’. In-depth study of a film (in Lower Six) and a literary text (in Upper Six) is an enjoyable part of the course. We currently study L’auberge espagnole (Cédric Klapisch) and No et moi (Delphine de Vigan) in French and El laberinto del fauno and La casa de Bernarda Alba (Lorca) in Spanish.