French, German, Spanish
Learn a language – the possibilities are endless!

How Languages can work for you!
Do you have what it takes? A great way to start getting to know and understand other people is by learning their language. You will learn so much more about them – the music they enjoy listening to, the food they like to eat, programmes and films they like to watch, their sport, culture and history. Talking to people in their own language is very important because it makes them feel good and you will feel more welcome. Plus, you won’t have to rely on them speaking English!

There are three things that you should always remember about languages:

1. It’s a multicultural world – not everyone speaks English. 94% of the world does not speak English as their first language.
75% of the world does not speak English at all!!
2. You do not have to be fluent in a language – a little language can make a lot of difference.
Even the basic phrases make a real difference. Jobs from receptionist to top-level management need language skills. Basic ability in languages is much in demand as employers look for those people capable of communicating with foreign customers or breaking the ice with a few phrases at visits or meetings.
3. Languages improve the quality of your life and your understanding of how other people live and think. In every environment, speaking languages gives you access to a whole new world. Music, the Internet, cultural history, people you would never otherwise have met. Jobs involving languages have many attractive features: travel/overseas placements; flexible working hours; opportunities for promotion and new responsibilities.

There are many misconceptions about how languages are used at work. Many think that the only jobs available for language students are in translation, interpreting and teaching – not true! These jobs represent only some of the many opportunities out there in a huge variety of industries. Practically any job can involve languages, whether it’s based in the UK or abroad – journalist; market researcher; personal assistant; recruitment consultant, to name a few.

Languages, Cultural Awareness, Travel and Tourism and Citizenship We live in a multicultural and multilingual world. There are differences in the way we look at things whether we live in a small village, a large town or a big city. Understanding these differences will help us to become better citizens. One way of doing this is through language learning.
Speaking another person’s language can help you to understand their culture and outlook on life – a good way to break down barriers that divide people.
The world is getting smaller and smaller as transport becomes ever faster and cheaper. Languages help make your experiences abroad better and get involved with the people. You can talk business in their language, you can find your way around more easily and you can make friends with people who will give you a new view of the world – not just as a tourist.

Find out more about how languages can work for you by visiting
www.languageswork.org.uk

Key Stage 3

Year 7

All pupils in Year 7 study French and throughout the year our aim is to help students develop the confidence to use the language in a practical way.

Our text book, Equipe Nouvelle, which forms the basis of our language lessons, is a lively, interesting and challenging course enabling students to communicate in French and also to learn about the culture and people of France and other French-speaking countries.

In Year 7 the focus of our work is to enable students to talk about themselves and other topics that are important to them at this particular age such as school life, leisure activities, home and family.

Lessons are lively and practical with an emphasis on speaking and listening during the first few weeks and then gradually bringing in reading and writing skills – very much in the same way that we learn our own language. We also introduce basic grammar structures and encourage students to use reference materials to help their learning and to become more independent.

Assessment is built into the course and pupils are encouraged to revise and check their progress regularly. Extended homework tasks are set every three weeks and we aim to help students develop independent study skills with a variety of different tasks and activities.

We hope that students enjoy their language learning and feel confident in expressing themselves in French - the important thing is to ‘have a go’.

Year 8

All students in Year 8 continue with their first foreign language, French. Those students who have shown a particular aptitude for language learning in Year 7 have the opportunity to begin a second language for the next two years, either German or Spanish, depending on the availability of staff.

We aim to build upon and extend language patterns and skills from Year 7 and to develop the ability to use the language effectively for practical communication.

The focus of the work in Year 8 enables students to express ideas that are important to them at this stage and include topics such as clothes, TV and cinema, daily routine, helping at home, health and welfare, holidays and the local area. Students are also introduced to the past and future tenses.

There is plenty of support for those students who may feel less confident in their language learning as well as a variety of revision, consolidation and extension tasks for the more confident students.

Assessment continues to be built into the course and we encourage students to reflect on their progress and to aim for the highest standards of which they are capable. Homework tasks are set regularly in order to encourage students to work independently.

Year 9

All students in Year 9 continue with French as their first foreign language and those who began a second language in Year 8 will also continue with this enabling them to take any of the languages to GCSE level if they want to. Students are strongly recommended by the Languages Department to continue with at least one language into Key Stage 4.

In Year 9 we aim to help students to develop the skills from Years 7 and 8 and to widen the focus of learning to include topics such as school life and future plans, the world of work, exchange visits, local area and the environment. Further emphasis is placed on the ability to use different tenses accurately in a variety of situations. Revision and extension activities help students to transfer language from one context to another and to adapt the language patterns they have learned.

As with the previous two years assessment is well integrated into the course and homework is set on a regular basis involving a variety of tasks and activities to help students make the best possible progress.

By the end of Key Stage 3 students will have acquired a range of language and skills to enable them to confidently cope with a variety of situations as well as an understanding of the culture and people of France and other French-speaking countries. We also hope that they will have enjoyed the challenge of language learning as well as the pleasure of being able to communicate with French people in their own language.

Key Stage 4

Years 10 and 11

We offer a variety of courses at GCSE level to cater for all abilities and interests of our students.
Currently, we are able to offer a full range GCSE French course for all students and also the following, subject to student numbers in terms of take up:

• GCSE German – this is aimed at any students who would like the challenge of learning a new language not previously studied at KS3.
• GCSE Spanish – this is aimed at those students who already have a working knowledge of the language having studied it in Years 8 and 9 as a second language.
• GCSE Applied French – this is aimed at those students who would like to continue with French but with a more vocational aspect, for example, leisure and tourism. This would clearly fit well with the local area where the tourist industry is of particular importance.

More details of these courses can be found by following the appropriate links.

Success in any language clearly relies on students being actively involved in lessons, participating in a wide variety of activities, having an interest in the culture, a desire to communicate with the people and a willingness to ‘have a go’!

The courses are lively, practical and based on topics that students should find interesting, useful and relevant to the everyday life of young people.

Students will continue to build on the four main skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. They are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and to revise and check their progress regularly.

Homework is an integral part of the GCSE courses and is set on a regular basis with the aim of helping students to develop independent study skills.

Key Stage 5

Years 12 and 13

French and German are available at AS and A2 level and both languages aim to build on the skills developed and language acquired at GCSE level. The topics covered are very contemporary and students are encouraged to develop the ability to be creative and imaginative in both written and spoken language. They will explore aspects of the society, culture and communities of France and Germany and other countries where these languages are used.

At AS level the emphasis is on topics that are relevant to young people such as the family and relationships, rights and responsibilities, leisure, healthy living, education, jobs and careers as well as aspects of society such as mass media, pollution, immigration, France/Germany and Europe.

At A2 level the emphasis moves more towards global issues, science and technology, racism, crime and punishment, future of Europe, the State and the individual.

Students have the opportunity to complete two in-depth pieces of written work based on topics that they have found particularly interesting during their studies.

Exam Board: Edexcel
Specification: 1226 French GCSE
The GCSE course in French is lively, practical and based on topics that students should find interesting, useful and relevant to the everyday life of young people, such as media, health and fitness, holidays, careers and employment, the environment and local area.
The course aims to build on the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. This course is aimed at all students regardless of ability and covers the full range of grades at this level A* - G.

In listening, students will come across a variety of situations and will learn how to pick out precise details as well as general information from, for example, interviews, news items, quiz games, conversations and discussions.

In speaking, students will develop their pronunciation, fluency and accuracy and will practise asking and answering questions, developing conversations, giving opinions and reasons in a variety of different contexts.

In reading, students will come across a wide range of material such as general interest articles, letters, leaflets, interviews, reviews, quizzes and much of the material used is original and taken from authentic sources such as French teenage magazines, newspapers, and websites.

Writing is covered through a variety of activities, ranging from basic structured tasks such as lists, completing forms and texts, to more open-ended activities such as messages, e-mails, post cards, letters and articles.

Students are encouraged, to use reference materials to check and improve their work. This is particularly important when preparing the written coursework which has now replaced the final written exam. Students can now write about topics of their own choice according to individual interests.

As well as continuing to develop the four basic skills, the course also helps students to have a greater understanding of grammatical structures, which they can adapt and apply to a variety of situations. Students will also hopefully develop their cultural awareness of France, other French – speaking countries.

Assessment Students are tested in all four skills on a regular basis throughout the two year course but at the end of this period students will be assessed formally in all four skills at either Foundation or Higher level. Each of the four skills are equally weighted (25%) with an emphasis on communication combined with a practical knowledge and understanding of language structure and grammar.

Students will be given further details and information about the course by their language teacher, who will also be able to give any advice required.

Please note that the Applied GCSE in French, Spanish and German courses can only run subject to viable group numbers.

For further information about this course please contact Ms A Shilan (Head of MFL)

MODERN LANGUAGES Exam Board: Edexcel
Specification: 1231 German GCSE
For those students who would like the challenge of learning a new language, we are offering them the opportunity to take German to GCSE level.

The GCSE course in German is lively, practical and based on topics that students should find interesting, useful and relevant to the everyday life of young people, such as media, health and fitness, holidays, careers and employment, the environment and local area. The course aims to build on the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing and is aimed at all students regardless of ability who feel able to reach a good GCSE standard in two years. The course covers the full range of grades A*-G at GCSE level.

In listening, students will come across a variety of situations and will learn how to pick out precise details as well as general information from, for example, interviews, news items, quiz games, conversations and discussions.

In speaking, students will develop their pronunciation, fluency and accuracy and will practise asking and answering questions, developing conversations, giving opinions and reasons in a variety of different contexts.

In reading, students will come across a wide range of material such as general interest articles, letters, leaflets, interviews, reviews, quizzes and much of the material used is original and taken from authentic sources such as German teenage magazines, newspapers, and websites.

Writing is covered through a variety of activities, ranging from basic structured tasks such as lists, completing forms and texts, to more open-ended activities such as messages, e-mails, post cards, letters and articles.

Students are encouraged, to use reference materials to check and improve their work. This is particularly important when preparing the written coursework which has now replaced the final written exam. Students can now write about topics of their own choice according to individual interests.

As well as continuing to develop the four basic skills, the course also helps students to have a greater understanding of grammatical structures, which they can adapt and apply to a variety of situations. Students will also hopefully develop their cultural awareness of Germany, other German – speaking countries.

Assessment Students considering embarking on this language should discuss this with their language teacher who will be able to give any further details, information and advice regarding the course.

For further information about this course please contact Ms A Shilan (Head of MFL)

MODERN LANGUAGES Exam Board: Edexcel
Specification: Spanish GCSE
For those students who began Spanish as a second language in Year 8 we are offering the opportunity to continue with the language to GCSE level.

The GCSE course in Spanish is lively, practical and based on topics that students should find interesting, useful and relevant to the everyday life of young people, such as media, health and fitness, holidays, careers and employment, the environment and local area.

This course aims to build on the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. This course is aimed at students who have two years of Spanish and will cover grades A*D.

In listening, students will come across a variety of situations and will learn how to pick out precise details as well as general information from, for example, interviews, news items, quiz games, conversations and discussions.

In speaking, students will develop their pronunciation, fluency and accuracy and will practise asking and answering questions, developing conversations, giving opinions and reasons in a variety of different contexts.

In reading, students will come across a wide range of material such as general interest articles, letters, leaflets, interviews, reviews, quizzes and much of the material used is original and taken from authentic sources such as Spanish teenage magazines, newspapers, and websites.

Writing is covered through a variety of activities, ranging from basic structured tasks such as lists, completing forms and texts, to more open-ended activities such as messages, e-mails, post cards, letters and articles.

Students are encouraged, to use reference materials to check and improve their work. This is particularly important when preparing the written coursework which has now replaced the final written exam. Students can now write about topics of their own choice according to individual interests.

As well as continuing to develop the four basic skills, the course also helps students to have a greater understanding of grammatical structures, which they can adapt and apply to a variety of situations. Students will also hopefully develop their cultural awareness of Spain, other Spanish – speaking countries.

Assessment Students considering continuing with Spanish to GCSE level should discuss this with Ms Rowe who will be able to give any further details, advice and information required regarding the course.

For further information about this course please contact Ms A Shilan (Head of MFL)

MODERN LANGUAGES Exam Board: Edexcel
Specification: 2701 GCSE in Applied French
This year for the first time, we are offering students the opportunity to continue with their French studies by taking a new GCSE course which has been developed to incorporate GCSE with an applied focus with ‘specialist’ units in Leisure and Tourism. It offers students opportunities to use their language skills and knowledge in relevant and practical contexts. The course aims to build on the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing and is aimed at students looking to achieve A*- D grades at GCSE level.

The course consists of 3 units:
Unit 1: Speaking (33% of total marks). This consists of a role-play
situation and a presentation in French relating to the specialist
area of Leisure and Tourism and is marked by the teacher.

Unit 2: Writing (33% of total marks). This is in the form of written
coursework in French relating to the specialist area of Leisure
and Tourism and is marked by the teacher.

Unit 3a: Listening (17% of total marks) }
Unit 3b: Reading (17% of total marks) }

The listening and reading units are not limited directly to the specialist area of Leisure and Tourism but cover topics such as public transport, directions, shops, work experience, leisure activities, local amenities.

Students are encouraged to use reference materials to check and improve their work and this is particularly important when preparing the written coursework.
As well as continuing to develop the basic skills this new course also helps students to have a greater understanding of grammatical structures, which they can adapt and apply to a variety of situations. Students will also hopefully develop their cultural awareness of France and other French – speaking countries.
With the emphasis on speaking and writing as main communication skills, this course will appeal to those students who enjoy the practical nature of language learning with a specific focus on a ‘specialist’ area.

Assessment Students considering taking this course should discuss this with Ms Shilan who will be able to give any further details, advice and information required.

For further information about this course please contact Ms A Shilan (Head of MFL)