Modern Foreign Languages
| Staff | Mrs. Dragica Marsh | - Head of Department |
| Mr. Tim Melia | - Head of Spanish |
|
| Mrs. Veronique Thomas | - (French Native Language) | |
| Mrs. Frederique Priou-Taylor | - (French Native Language) |
|
| Mrs. Jane Hughes | ||
| Miss. Francesca Ubaldi | ||
| Dr. Maggie Smith | - Assistant of French Language | |
| Miss. Astrid Ruiz Moreno | - Assistant of Spanish (Spanish Native Language) |
Modern Foreign Languages Statement:
We aim to maintain and stimulate lasting pupil curiosity and interest in all foreign language learning and more specifically in the languages taught in the department; French and Spanish. We hope that our students will develop language learning skills which will allow them to become lifelong successful learners of any language they may require. We would ultimately like our learners to become ‘global citizens’ with a positive attitude to Foreign Languages and to develop and encourage in others a sympathetic approach to different cultures and civilisations.
Spanish Course Description
Key Stage 3:
Year 7
Students who study Spanish in year 7 will receive a solid foundation in the language, and will acquire language-learning skills that will help them master languages effectively throughout the rest of their school life and beyond. After learning basics such as numbers, the alphabet and greetings, students will learn how to give opinions, talk about food, their school and their family. They will also get to grips with the basic grammar of Spanish, such as how to use present tense verbs and adjectives correctly. They will learn about the vast, varied and exciting Spanish-speaking world.
Students who have completed this course will move on to a more advanced course in Years 8/9 than the one described below.
- details to follow.
Year 8
During the course of Year 8, some students will take their first steps in Spanish. You will be taught to say hello and goodbye, introduce yourself and give some information about yourself, including your age, family, classroom items and commands and your pets. It is important that you read through your notes after each lesson and learn work thoroughly as you go along, as there will be a week or more between some lessons.
Year 9
Students will continue to build on and extend the foundations of the language acquired in Year 8. You will cover topics such as talking about your personality, appearance, school subjects, telling the time, daily routine, food and drink. You will learn by doing lots of enjoyable activities such as language games, songs, role plays, etc and by completing learning and written homeworks on a regular basis. You will be able to use the various language sites we subscribe to both in class and at home.
Key Stage 4: Years 10 and 11 GCSE Course
Students follow the AQA GCSE course. This involves the study of 4 areas: Lifestyle, Leisure, Home and Environment, Work and Education. Students build on the Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills acquired at KS3, through a variety of activities. Grammar and vocabulary testing is done on a regular basis. In the GCSE examination Speaking and Writing assessments make up 60% of the total marks, while the Reading and Listening exams together attract 40% of the marks. Excellent organisational skills and the ability to commit language to memory are vital for success in the new GCSE.
Key Stage 5: Years 12 and 13 AS and A2 Course
AS TOPICS
Media (television, advertising, communication technology)
Popular culture (cinema, music, fashion, leisure)
Healthy living (sport, alcohol, drugs, smoking, diet, holidays)
Relationships (family, friendship, marriage/partnership)
A2 TOPICS
The environment
The multi-cultural society
Contemporary social issues
Two of five cultural topics about an aspect of the Spanish speaking world. This may be the work of a director, a playwright, an artist, a piece of literature, a period of history or a study of a region of the Spanish-speaking world.
The examination is made up of four modules:
AS Unit 1: Listening, reading and writing.
Unit 2: Speaking: Prepared and unprepared conversation on AS topics.
A2 Unit 3: Listening, reading and writing
Unit 4: Discussion around a controversial issue
All language students are allocated a 50 minute lesson each week with our Language Assistants. At A level, great emphasis is placed on using the language spontaneously and accurately, so students need to take every opportunity to practise, in class and outside. They also need to have informed opinions about the topics, so they should keep abreast of current affairs, especially at A2 level.