MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Department members:
Mr Andrew Madden (Director of Language College, Head of Languages and Head of French)
Miss Louise Booker (Assistant Director of Language College)
Mrs Eira Willatts (Head of German)
Mrs Jackie Hyams (Deputy Head)
Miss Cristina Rivas (Head of Spanish)
Mrs Helen Shepheard (Teacher of French)
Miss Valérie Jasserand (Teacher of French, I/C Primary French)
Mrs Deborah Madden
Ms Michiyo Kato (Head of Japanese)

We also have foreign language assistants in French, German and Spanish who change on an annual basis.

Levels taught in the department:
Key Stage 3
GCSE
AS and A2 Level

Introduction

As a Specialist Language College, we receive significant extra funding to provide enrichment in languages both in school and for the local community. This has lead to many extra opportunities being made available to girls, and has meant that numbers taking a language at GCSE, A-level or simply as an extra-curricular activity have grown significantly. Results are outstanding across the board.

Girls study French, German and Spanish as part of the main curriculum, with opportunities to study other languages such as Japanese, Chinese and Italian as part of the many extra-curricular opportunities we offer.

General Aims

Studying any one of these languages is designed to enable students to:

	develop understanding of the spoken and written forms of that language in a range of contexts;
	develop the ability to communicate effectively in that language, through both the spoken and written word, using a range of vocabulary and structures;
	develop knowledge and understanding of the grammar of that language, and the ability to apply it;
	apply their knowledge and understanding in a variety of relevant contexts which reflect their previous learning and maturity;
	develop knowledge and understanding of the countries where that language is spoken;
	develop positive attitudes to learning foreign languages;
	provide a suitable foundation for further study and/or practical use of a language.

Why study a language?

English is not enough
94% of the world’s population do not speak English as their first language and 75% do not speak English at all. We live in a multilingual world and UK companies are now realising that they need foreign languages to compete when trading internationally.

A little language can make a lot of difference
Although fluency will give the jobseeker more options, basic ability in languages is much in demand as employers seek those capable of communicating with foreign customers or breaking the ice with a few phrases at visits or interviews.

Languages improve the quality of your life
In every environment, speaking languages gives you access to a whole new world.

Levels Taught

French is compulsory from Year 7 onwards. In Year 9 girls choose between studying German and Spanish in addition to French. French is compulsory for GCSE, and girls may choose to continue either German or Spanish in addition. Currently, about 50% of girls study two languages to GCSE. French, German and Spanish are available at AS/A2.

| top of page | French - KS3 | German - KS3 | Spanish - KS3 |
| Japanese - KS3 | French/German/Spanish - GCSE |

Course Content

FRENCH - Key Stage 3

The French course assumes pupils have not previously studied the language, as we start from scratch. The course book is Expo which follows the new MFL Framework, and provides a solid grammatical basis for further study. All major tenses and basic grammatical points are covered. Topics covered include:

	Introductions
	Family and friends
	Your home
	Town
	Your daily routine
	Leisure activities
	Food and drink
	Holidays and travelling
	Media
	Future plans
	Health
	Studies of different francophone countries

All girls have the opportunity to travel to Normandy in Year 7.

| top of page | French - KS3 | German - KS3 | Spanish - KS3 |
| Japanese - KS3 | French/German/Spanish - GCSE |

GERMAN - Key Stage 3

In Year 8 girls can take a "taste" of German at German Club which takes place once a week at lunchtime. Here, in a less formal setting, they can begin to learn the basics of everyday conversation in the language. The club is usually run by our German Language Assistant, a native German Speaker.

In the spring term all girls in Year 8 attend a taster session of German so that they are better placed to make a choice of second modern foreign language in Year 9, the choice being either Spanish or German.

In Year 9 girls taking up the subject have two double lessons per week, one of which takes place in the SLC. The course followed is Echo Express, which is modern, up to date, and includes lively dialogues and songs with authentic German settings.

The six units afford plenty of practice in all four skills - Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing - and allow for both assessment and self assessment at the end of each unit.

Grammar points covered include:

	Word order
	Uses of cases
	Adjective endings
	Use of prepositions
	Common verbs in present tense and a small number in simple past tense

Topics covered include:

	Greetings and introduction
	Alphabet and numbers
	School
	Family and friends
	Leisure/ free time & hobbies
	House & home
	Life in the town and in the country

| top of page | French - KS3 | German - KS3 | Spanish - KS3 |
| Japanese - KS3 | French/German/Spanish - GCSE |

SPANISH - Key Stage 3

In the spring term all girls in Year 8 attend a taster session of Spanish so that they are better placed to make a choice of second modern foreign language in Year 9, the choice being either Spanish or German.

Girls opt to do Spanish in Year 9. The coursebook is Español de Primero which follows the MFL framework. Basic grammar is covered including present tense, adjective and pronouns. Topics covered include:

	Introductions
	Family and friends
	School
	Leisure activities
	Home and local area
	Shopping
	Daily routine

| top of page | French - KS3 | German - KS3 | Spanish - KS3 |
| Japanese - KS3 | French/German/Spanish - GCSE |

JAPANESE - Key Stage 3

The Japanese (Nihongo) course assumes pupils have not previously studied the language, as we start from scratch. In addition to the topics covered below, pupils will learn the Japanese writings scripts:

Hiragana (used for Japanese words, particles, and suffixes) - All Hiragana letters, modified Hiragana and all spelling rules.
Katakana (used for foreign words and for emphasis) - Some Katakana letters and usage examples.
Kanji (Chinese characters that are used to represent all native Japanese words) - Approximately 20 Kanji are covered including numbers, days of the week, time, etc.

Topics covered include:

	Introductions
	Myself (age, nationality, birthday)
	Family and friends
	Time (durations of time, day of week, day of month, etc.)
	Shopping/Eating out
	"There is/are..." (Sentence structure)
	Adjectives
	Verbs

FRENCH/ GERMAN/ SPANISH - GCSE (Key Stage 4)

All three languages follow the Edexcel syllabus with results being consistently outstanding across the board at all levels. We have large and increasing numbers of girls choosing to study two languages up to GCSE. This bucks national trends in a significant respect, and is in large part due to our Specialist Language College status.

There are four parts to the GCSE MFL examination with a paper in each of the skills:

Listening - 25%
Speaking/Oral - 25%
Reading - 25%
Writing - 25%

We would anticipate that the vast majority of pupils will sit the papers at the higher level.

Course Content Year by Year

Starting in Year 10, girls will cover the following five broad topic areas on which the GCSE is based:

	House, home and daily routine
	At home and abroad
	Education, training and employment
	Media, entertainment and youth culture
	Social activities, fitness and health

Girls will also cover vocabulary related to the above topics, and all the main tenses and grammar points to enable them to refer to events in the past, present and future. There are opportunities for trips abroad during the course of GCSE studies with a German exchange, French exchange and a new Spanish exchange to start shortly. All GCSE classes with be taught for some of their lessons in the state-of-the-art language learning facilities in the Stratford Language Centre.

| top of page | French - KS3 | German - KS3 | Spanish - KS3 |
| Japanese - KS3 | French/German/Spanish - GCSE |

For more information about Modern Foreign Languages at A-level (French, German and Spanish) please click here.

Sevilla Spanish Exchange Photographs:
For photographs of our recent exchange trip, to Sevilla in Spain, please follow this link.

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