French
Learning a foreign language helps pupils gain valuable insights into the way people in other countries live and think. They also gain a greater understanding of the way languages work. This can help them both in their learning of English and can also enable them to learn other languages more readily in the future.
YEARS 7 - 8
Students develop their speaking, reading, listening, writing and translation skills using a variety of media to build their understanding of French language and culture. Authentic video clips, stories, poetry and music are used to enhance understanding.
Students are encouraged to become independent learners and to understand the transferability of language they have learnt into different contexts as well as using a range of structures to express their own ideas.
The topics covered are as follows:
Year 7: Introductions and talking about yourself; School; Hobbies; Where you live; Holidays; Kirikou – a French Film.
Year 8: Technology and Media; Paris; Likes and Dislikes; Home Life; Talents; Le Petit Nicolas – a French Film.
YEARS 9, 10 AND 11 (GCSE)
Students learn how to become more independent in producing French spontaneously, modifying structures to speak and read competently. We use authentic music, literature and films to develop these skills.
The course follows the AQA specification (8658). There are four papers for this exam, each of which is worth 25% of the final result. All are sat under exam conditions.
- Paper 1 – Listening
- Paper 2 – Speaking
- Paper 3 – Reading and Translation into English
- Paper 4 – Writing and Translation into French
The topics covered in the course are:
Year 9: Relationships & Leisure. There is a lot of focus on tense and grammar work this year. We also learn how to review a French Film (Les Choristes).
Year 10: Daily Life; Celebrations; Home and Local Area; Holidays
Year 11: School/College and Future Educational Plans; The Environment.
