Modern Foreign Languages
Staff
Mrs C Jennings - Subject Leader - German & French
Mrs S Whinnett - Teacher - German & French
About the Course
Key stage 3
German and French are studied by students from year 7 onwards.
Topics for both languages include:
- Personal information
- Free time
- Food & drink
- Home town
- School
- Holidays
- Shopping
- Health and fitness
- The environment
Students also gain an awareness of other countries where these languages are spoken.
Key stage 4
Both French and German are offered at GCSE level. GCSE themes include:
- Identity & Culture
- Local, national, international and global areas of interest
- Current & future study & employment
Assessment
Key stage 3
Students are formally assessed three times per year, one of these takes place in the hall at the end of the academic year. Assessment may take the form of speaking, listening, reading or writing. Usually only two skills are assessed each time. Students are informally assessed regularly by their class teacher. Pupils should also expect to understand basic grammatical concepts, short pieces of literature and be able to translate simple sentences.
Key stage 4
As for KS3, but students should expect to prepare longer pieces, particularly for speaking and writing to help them prepare for GCSE examinations. German and French are studied as a one year option with mock examinations taking place in the winter term, before Christmas. Year 10 and Year 11 study together in one group.
GCSE students follow the AQA GCSE specifications and are examined in speaking, listening, reading and writing, each skill being worth 25% of their final mark. Examinations are changing and all skills will be examined and externally marked.
Trips/Outings
Every two years around 40 students from years 8-11 take part in a four day trip to the Rhineland. This visit has proved very popular, giving students a valuable insight into life and culture in modern day Germany.