Languages
A brief description of the course followed in Years 7 and 8.
LanguagesA brief description of the course followed in Years 7 and 8. |
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In
Year 7, pupils follow courses in French, German, Spanish, and Latin; each
subject has an allocation of three lessons per week for half the academic
year. Having had experience of all four subjects, pupils are then in a position
to make an informed decision about their future language studies. In Year
8, pupils opt for three of the subjects and study each of their choices
for two periods per week. This new initiative is proving to be popular and
highly stimulating for the pupils.
FrenchWhilst some of our entrants have had exposure to the language before, we assume that most have not and therefore begin from scratch. The new edition of Encore Tricolore Book 1 is used as the basic course book but a lot of ancillary material of all descriptions is used. We adopt a communicative approach from the very beginning. Work is done in all four language- skills of speaking, reading, listening and writing. As and when appropriate we seek to integrate the use if IT into language learning. In Year 8 the second book of Encore Tricolore is used and as the course progresses the emphasis on writing is increased until it is given as much attention as the other skills. Continuous assessment is carried out, based always on the principle that attainment tests are administered as and when the pupils are ready for them. Topics covered in the first two years include personal identification, food and drink, time, the weather, holidays, camping in France, school life, living in the town and country and accommodation.
Mrs J. Dalton GermanGerman is taught for three lessons a week for half of the school year during year 7, becoming an option within the languages options block in year 8. A communicative approach is used from the outset, with the main emphasis on speaking and listening skills. The aim is to promote enjoyment of expressing oneself in a foreign language in general, and German in particular, as well as developing an understanding of the culture of this country with which we have such strong linguistic links, and which is becoming an increasingly important trading partner as the European Union extends eastwards. During the first two years the following topics will be covered:
R.G.D. Price
SpanishSpanish is taught in year 7 as part of a carousel of languages. Each student studies Spanish for half an academic year for three lessons a week. The Year 7 scheme of work is exciting and stimulating and students have a wonderful taste of Spanish through the topics of Personal Identification, Friends and Family, Food and Drink. The main focus is on Communication, with the main focus on speaking and listening skills. In year 8, the course follows Caminos 1, a modern and stimulating textbook. A communicative approach is used throughout, but as the year progresses the emphasis on writing and reading is increased so that all four skills carry equal weighting.
Mrs A.L. Jackson
LatinIn Year 7 we find out about the Romans and learn the Latin language by reading an account, partly in Latin, partly in English, of the life of Caecilius and his family. Caecilius actually lived in Pompeii at the time and we pick up his story in 79 A.D. By the end of the academic year, pupils will have learned a great deal about life in Pompeii at that time and considered the many similarities to and differences from their own way of life. They will also have developed their understanding of how language works and improved their own vocabulary, as they realise the debt of English to Latin. In Year 8, continuing to follow the fortunes of members of Caecilius’s family, the scene moves to Roman Britain and centres on life around and about the palace of Cogidubnus, King of the Regnenses. Later we move to another part of the Roman Empire, Alexandria in Egypt. In terms of language, by the end of Year 8 the pupil will have covered most of the active tenses of the verb and the majority of noun forms. He or she should be able to translate Latin of considerable complexity and have formed a realistic impression of the way people lived in a Roman province nearly 2,000 years ago.
M.K. Dolan
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R.S.Personal & Social EducationEnglishHistoryGeographyMathematicsPhysicsChemistryBiologyLanguagesArt and DesignDesign and TechnologyMusicDramaInformation TechnologyPEBack to the Introduction
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