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Modern Foreign Languages


Aims

We aim to:

  • provide a learning environment in which pupils can both enjoy language-learning activities and find intellectual stimulation
  • develop pupils’ fluency and accuracy in the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing
  • challenge and extend pupils of all abilities
  • equip pupils to be successful in internal and public examinations and beyond
  • foster a love of languages and an intellectual curiosity of one’s own language
  • provide opportunities for pupils to experience French, German and Spanish in different settings and thus enhance their learning
  • exploit fully modern teaching methods and resources, including ICT

Staff and facilities

The department is staffed by nine teachers and occupies nine classrooms and one smaller room, used by our language assistants. We have two language laboratories, for which pupils are timetabled once per cycle. Our laboratories are equipped with the well-known Sanako software; L7 is a multimedia lab and L9 is a digital lab with a speaking and listening function.

Modern Foreign Languages staff

We pride ourselves on the quality of our classroom environment; pupils work is displayed, as well as key language and idioms. There are interactive whiteboards in almost all rooms.


Modern Foreign Languages in the Lower School

French is taught to all pupils in form groups in the First and Second Year. In the First Year, pupils have five lessons and three lots of half an hour homework per 10-day cycle. In the Second Year, pupils have 3 lessons and two lots of half an hour homework per 10-day cycle.

German is taught to all pupils in the Second Year with three lessons and two lots of half an hour homework per 10-day cycle.

Pupils listening to headsets

Spanish is introduced in Third Year when pupils select at least two languages from French, German, Spanish and Latin.

Prior knowledge

Occasionally pupils join Stockport Grammar School with native or near native fluency in a language. These pupils are assessed and their needs met in a number of ways; sessions with the assistant outside lessons to maintain oral fluency or if their speaking and writing skills are equally fluent, a separate programme of study can be provided for pupils to follow in their lessons. Occasionally it is possible to timetable them alongside an older group. Extension measures are discussed with parents and depend very much on the individual’s needs. Pupils are not normally entered early for public examinations, as we prefer to stretch native speakers beyond the constraints of examination specifications and to allow pupils to mature before taking public exams.

Textbooks and topics

Our textbooks provide a framework for study, but they are supplemented heavily by our own materials. We currently use:

  • Tricolore Total/Dynamo (French)
  • Stimmt!/Logo (German)
  • Mira Express (Spanish)

First Year topics

French

First Year topics covered in French include:

  • self-identification
  • where you live
  • pets
  • sports and hobbies
  • clothes
  • food and drink
  • shopping

Pupils are encouraged to speak and write at length. Activities are varied and include the use of pair work, group work and projects.


Modern Foreign Languages further up the school

We prepare pupils for the AQA GCSE examination in French, German and Spanish. We offer Spanish as an accelerated course from Third Year, taking pupils up to the required standard in just three years. The language is available as an option to all pupils, but those who wish to opt for the subject at GCSE must have shown proven ability in the languages.

Our results are excellent with normally at least half of all pupils achieving grades 7, 8 or 9. Middle School groups have around 18 pupils and are not setted.

The course books used are Oxford AQA endorsed French/German/Spanish Higher textbooks, but again, we use a wide variety of extra materials, most of which are our own. We study topics such as health, leisure, holidays, home, environment, work and education. Pupils are encouraged to speak and write at length for their own self-expression, as well as for the purpose of the public examination. By the end of the course, pupils can communicate effectively in the language. The course followed rewards spontaneity, imagination and accuracy and provides an excellent foundation for the study of languages at A-level and beyond.

Extra

There are also opportunities for pupils to receive extra help or indeed extend their knowledge. There are weekly extension sessions in all languages, open to all pupils. These are held at lunch times and cover topics beyond exam specifications e.g. poetry, non-examined literature, advanced grammar. Pupils who require extra help can attend our weekly MFL help sessions. In the run-up to public examinations, there are also revision sessions for listening and speaking skills.

Language Assistant

Pupils from Fourth Form and upwards work with the language assistants. Our assistants help pupils with their preparation for their exam oral. Middle School pupils see the assistant on an individual basis during lesson time, once per cycle. Sixth Form pupils attend lessons with the assistant in a group of two or three once a week during a study period. All of our assistants also run drop-in sessions for pupils of any age who wish to practise their conversation skills.


Modern Foreign Languages at A-level

French

Some of the topics will already be familiar to you from GCSE but you will be studying them in greater breadth and depth. The areas of study include: family, marriage and relationships, modern world issues, law and order, medical advances, French culture (TV, music, theatre and film) and political culture. The GCSE course is excellent preparation for A-level and you will find that the skills you have learnt will give you a strong foundation for success at A-level.

We cover the areas of study over the two years and in addition to this we study a literary text and a film in depth. French literature is new to most Sixth Formers and so we tackle the text gradually, allowing lots of time for understanding and discussion. Our novel, ‘L’Étranger’, one of the most famous works ever written in French, tells the story of Meursault, a fascinating and unusual character. We study the film ‘La Haine’ which deals with the themes of youth, immigration and life in the suburbs of Paris. Throughout the course, there are opportunities to discuss, debate and express your opinions in French. Weekly lessons with the French Assistant allow for consolidation of lesson work and also help to develop your spontaneity and conversational French.

German

Some of the topics will already be familiar to you from GCSE but you will be studying them in greater breadth and depth. The areas of study include: family, marriage and relationships, digital media, the city of Berlin, German culture (TV, music, theatre and film) and political culture. The GCSE course is excellent preparation for A-level and you will find that the skills you have learnt will give you a strong foundation for success at A-level.

Sixth Formers enjoy a German lesson

We cover the areas of study over the two years and in addition to this we study a film and a literary text in depth – ‘Goodbye Lenin’ and ‘Die Verwandlung’ by Kafka. Studying German literature and film is new to most Sixth Formers and so we tackle each aspect gradually, allowing lots of time for understanding and discussion. ‘Goodbye Lenin’ is a fascinating film, insightful and funny in equal measures, about life in the former East Germany after the fall of the Berlin wall. ‘Die Verwandlung’, one of the most famous works ever written in German, tells the story of Gregor Samsa who wakes up one morning to discover his life has taken a most unusual twist. Throughout the course, there are opportunities to discuss, debate and express your opinions in German. Weekly lessons with the German Assistant allow for consolidation of lesson work and also help to develop your spontaneity and conversational German.

Spanish

Proficiency in Spanish enables pupils to communicate successfully on a world stage. It affords access to the vibrant and lively culture of Spain and is becoming increasingly useful for communicating with businesses in North and South America.

Literature and film play an important role in the Spanish culture, with some very famous playwrights and directors coming from various regions in Spain. It is important for pupils to feel confident about accessing the language and culture in as many different forms as possible. At A-level a popular play (‘La casa de Bernarda Alba’) and a film by a well-known Hispanic director (‘El Laberinto del Fauno’) are studied. This is often the first time that pupils experience film and literature in another language and can, for a lot of them, provoke a further interest in the subject.

Please consult the Sixth Form Handbook (pdf) for further information

Trips

French

We run a trip to the Opal Coast, Northern France, open to all First Year pupils. This takes place at the end of the school year and we are based in a PGL centre where there are outdoor activities to enjoy. Pupils also visit local towns to practise their language skills and spend the final day at Nausicaa Sea Life Centre.

SGS and Collège Sévigné students and staff pose for a photo

There is a French Exchange with a college in Paris for pupils in Fourth Year.

German

The department runs a Language and Culture Trip to Munich for all pupils studying German in Third Year and above. As well as having German lessons in a Language School, pupils visit other sights such as Neuschwanstein Fairy Tale Castle, BMW World and Bayern Munich Football Stadium.

Lower Sixth German students can spend an action-packed day in Berlin, looking at the historical and cultural sites they are studying at A-level and to experience the city’s diversity.

Spanish

Pupils in Plaza Mayor during their trip to Madrid

All pupils studying Spanish have the opportunity to take part in a biennial Language and Culture Trip to Madrid, which runs during the first half of the May half-term. Pupils are involved in a variety of activities including flamenco dancing, tapas tasting, tours of the Las Ventas Bullring and Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium, and also have a full-day trip to the Parque Warner theme park.

All languages

The department arranges cinema, theatre and restaurant visits for pupils on a regular basis.

Work experience trips are also available – these are organised by an independent company. Information about these trips can be provided on request.

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