Modern Foreign Languages

Introduction to French

The French Department is proud of its success, in building a positive attitude to the classroom, allowing pupils to achieve and gain confidence educationally and encouraging a large proportion of pupils to take the subject to GCSE. All pupils irrespective of their previous experience of a Modem Foreign Language are expected to attend French lessons up to Year 11 and to take GCSE. There is a further expectation that all pupils will not only take French but will succeed. Indeed the structure of the subject often provides pupils with their first real and continued success in an academic classroom. This is sometimes with pupils who have difficulties in either reading and or writing of English. The French Department takes active part in supporting the PSD aspect of the curriculum, emphasising the importance of pupils to work together and respect each other.

The younger pupils start by studying through the -OK’ series. It has proved highly successful with our pupils. The series is very user friendly, has a high proportion of tasks that are visual and oral. There are very few sections if any that are threatening or intimidating to our pupils and do not include any long passages of either reading or writing. The series is broken down into small sections which allows pupils to not only progress quickly but provides them with evidence of their progress and therefore their success They can see that they are achieving. The course is very flexible and sections can be delivered when they are compatible with developments and life within school Its flexibility also lends itself for extension work. The pupils enjoy the prepared answer booklets which encourages them to improve their presentation and to take pride over their work.

In Years 8/9 study is based on the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum Work book which is backed up by a number of computer packages and subscribe to a number of web sites. These include ‘Linguascope’, ‘Zut’, ‘Houlala’ and ‘Smart start’. Most pupils find the structure and the medium of ICT as less threatening and provides instant success and feedback. There is no record of failure, they build on success.

Pupils in Year 10 and 11 follow the AQA linear GCSE course. The advantage of this course is that the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are assessed independently. For example a pupil who has difficulty with reading would be entered for the foundation level reading paper, but the same pupil might be very good at listening and he would be entered for the high level listening paper.

Some pupils have never studied French when they come to Breckenbrough or have an interest in another language. Although there is no actual formal teaching of other modern languages pupils are encouraged and supported to follow their interests. Some pupils have studied German and Spanish at evening class in the local colleges, but most direct their own learning through appropriate web sites. Over the years pupils have studied Swedish, Russian, Hebrew and Welsh. At present we have one pupil following a Japanese Course which he has found himself.

The French Department has developed what has become a traditional event, Café Breck, where pupils prepare a French menu, prepare the food and serve it to fellow pupils and staff. This proves very popular and is becoming increasingly cross curricular.