Modern Foreign Languages

All pupils take French in Year 7. At this stage, we teach using differentiation in order to bridge the gap between girls who have not learnt the language in primary school and those who already have a good knowledge of French.

In Year 8, the girls take up Spanish if appropriate and continue with both foreign languages until Year 9 where we strongly encourage girls to continue with both languages if they are able. Most pupils study either French or Spanish up to GCSE.

Throughout these language learning years, the girls become increasingly confident in expressing themselves on various topics such as friends and family, their holidays, where they live, school life and talking about topical issues such as the environment.

A Level languages is also a popular choice with a number of pupils choosing to study both Spanish and French at a higher level. With the right amount of work and effort, our A Level language pupils can leave the Sixth Form fluent in their target language/s. They are given every opportunity to discuss, debate and also write fluently about a full range of subjects, with a focus on the use of increasingly complex grammar and a wider breadth of vocabulary.

The girls enjoy learning from six first-class linguists, including three native-speaker teachers and two native-speaker language assistants. All members of the MFL Department deliver their lessons in the target language as often as possible. Our pupils benefit from this approach, as hearing the target language soon becomes second nature to them. Pupils are assessed on an ongoing basis with end of unit tests and regular formative assessments done in class to help measure their progress and for them to see how language learning is an on-going process.

We use a range of authentic materials from books, magazines, YouTube videos, movies and articles which make the learning of the foreign language real. Our lessons are fun, interactive and include a variety of activities from role-plays to vocabulary games using the renowned website ‘Quizlet’. The girls also benefit from the use of our brand new language lab in which they can practise their speaking and listening skills.

We aim to maintain a healthy balance of learning with fun as growing confidence and shedding self consciousness is central to developing strength in any language.

We are very fortunate in the MFL department to have two native speaking language assistants who help prepare our girls for their GCSE and A Level speaking examinations.

Our GCSE pupils have an extra half-hour of speaking a week in pairs or very small groups which gives them vital support in preparing for their examinations.

Our A Level pupils have up to an hour of speaking practice individually or in pairs) with them once a week. This helps (our linguists) to develop the vital confidence needed to express themselves fluently in their target language on a range of current topics and issues.

Clinics are offered to GCSE pupils who need to reinforce their subject knowledge, but they are also on offer for pupils who would like to boost their grade. We take great pleasure in working with individual girls on specific strategies to allow them to reach their grade objectives.

Girls are encouraged to borrow books, magazines and foreign films to read or watch at home. They are also given access to language websites so they can stretch their skills whenever they want to.

A variety of activities are organised throughout the year such as trips to Italy, France and Spain and we also host special weeks such as the International Languages Week where all students are involved in activities based around language learning.

All our linguists from Year 7 to Year 13 have the opportunity to take part in the Oxford Flash Fiction competition in both French and Spanish, allowing them to develop their creativity and linguistic skills. To immerse pupils in authentic linguistic experiences, we host a theatre production company, giving Year 7 and 8 pupils the opportunity to watch a performance in the target language. We also offer annual overseas educational visits to France and Spain, as well as theatre trips for A Level pupils. Our Upper Sixth French pupils went to Paris in the Autumn term to watch the musical performance of the movie La Haine which is part of their A Level course. To further develop language skills in a dynamic and engaging way, we are launching Year 10 French and Spanish societies, where pupils can practise general conversation, discuss current affairs, listen to music, and even take part in cultural activities such as flamenco dance sessions. Additionally, we are planning to introduce a penfriend exchange next academic year for Year 8, providing pupils with real-world writing practice and cultural connections. For our younger learners, we run an in-house competition with prizes for Year 7 (and Year 8), as well as a drama role-play competition, helping to build confidence and fluency. Through these initiatives, we continue to promote the joy of language learning across the whole school community.

We are also keen to support pupils who wish to learn a language outside of our regular curriculum provision and currently have tutors of Russian, Italian, German, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Japanese and Arabic who teach on a weekly basis. For international pupils who join us with a first language which is not English, we positively encourage them to secure their native language at GCSE.