Modern Languages

The Tricolore/Kerboodle French course is a lively and practical introduction to contemporary French life. Students have a complete target language exposure and broaden their skills and knowledge about France and its culture.  Grammar and topics such as animals, holidays, house and family life, weather, travel and shopping are covered. 

All four language skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing – are given equal importance. Oral work requires students to collaborate in pairs or small groups, preparing imaginative role plays and exciting dialogues.

Comprehension skills involve both textbook and real-world language sources. 

Written tasks initially demand short but accurate French, with the length and sophistication of the students’ output gradually increasing over time.

Every year, the Y7 students have a term when they embark on a French historical adventure with the study of the Three Musketeers. To bring the story to life, we offer an interactive workshop run by an external organisation.

In Year 7 and Year 8, students will be exposed to Spanish language and cultural elements in the classroom always in target language and they will broaden their skills and knowledge about Spanish-speaking countries and their culture as a result.

While covering topics such as pets and animals, house and family life, free time activities, school life, where they live, weather and holidays, students will also have the opportunity to extend their Spanish grammar and improve on these structures as the course progresses.

All four language skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing will be practised in lesson and/or at home and students will also collaborate in pairs or small groups. There will be space for writing and singing songs, reading short passages, watching videos and take advantage of all the resources available in school and outside school.

Creativity will be an important part of the course as there will be many opportunities to create presentations, short videos or posters based on the topics mentioned above, both using standard tools and iPads.

When engaging in an oral task, whether it be at home or in class, students will be preparing imaginative role plays or exciting dialogues and the use of new technologies will help them record their presentations or short films to present in class.

Comprehension skills involve both textbook and real-world language resources.

Written tasks initially demand short but accurate Spanish, with the length and sophistication of the students’ output gradually increasing over time.

The Year 9 French course is a motivating and challenging course with an introduction to France and the Francophone world.

The course is built around grammar and topics such as health, holidays, school, weather, work and theme parks such as the Futuroscope near Poitiers. All four language skills – speaking, comprehension, reading and writing – are given equal importance. Oral work requires students to collaborate in pairs or small groups, preparing imaginative role plays and exciting dialogues.

Comprehension skills involve both textbook and real-world language sources. We also perform Onatti French plays, completely in French, in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. In Year 9, students are invited to take part in a French exchange in Rouen. Students learn what to expect when visiting a French school and how to make a good impression when staying with a French family.

Written tasks initially demand short but accurate French, with the length and sophistication of the students’ output gradually increasing over time. By the end of Year 9, the students are getting to grips with imaginative and creative writing tasks with the help of online and paper resources. 

In Year 9, students will develop their linguistic abilities by learning practical aspects of the language using their previous knowledge gained in Year 7 and Year 8. They will be prepared to communicate accurately in daily situations in a Spanish-speaking country. They will be able to shop for clothes, order food and drinks, talk about their daily routine, free time, travels, professions and festivals.

While discovering new vocabulary and culture related to the topics mentioned above, students will focus on grammar structures such as the comparative adjectives, superlatives, impersonal constructions, ordinal numbers, the preterite tense, the imperfect tense and the future tense.

To develop their cultural awareness, they will explore the differences between England, Spain and some Spanish-speaking countries through the topics taught during the year, and in order to succeed in this, students will be encouraged to develop their research skills and to take a proactive part in their learning.

They will have plenty of opportunities to practise their language skills in class and at home taking part in various activities such as role plays, the creation of ePostcards, iMovie projects or any other iPad apps that will allow them to learn while having fun and enjoying the hours they will dedicate to the Spanish language.

In Year 9 students will have been learning German for two years. It is possible to join the course with no previous experience, however some preparation in advance will be required. 

Topics in Year 9 include home, geographical surroundings, hobbies, school life - both in English and German-speaking countries, food and drink alongside health and fitness. We focus on the past, present and future tenses as well as broadening our range of vocabulary and consolidating the four cases.

There are cultural opportunities to reinforce our learning and put the language into its context - German songs especially help to consolidate vocabulary and build confidence with pronunciation. There are German clubs running for students who would like to find out more about German-speaking culture, recent activities have included learning about the Lorelei, playing German card games and discovering more about the Wendezeit - life before and after the Berlin Wall and of course some hands-on “basteln”. 

There are also opportunities for German Heritage speakers to attend a club to develop their German skills further. Recent projects have included reading Cornelia Funke’s book Hände weg von Mississippi und Judith Kerr’s Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl.

你好！Students will have already been studying the language since year 7, this course is not aimed at beginners. There are options for students who have had more previous experience to participate in an Advanced Mandarin course preparing towards IGCSE Chinese as a second language. 

There is a range of different activities in class to help you learn, including games, songs, role-plays. At the end of the course we take a trip to a local Chinese restaurant to put your language skills to use in a real life situation, as well as refine your chopstick skills.

By the end of Year 9, students are familiar with many different aspects of Chinese culture and have a good foundation in the language to start the GCSE course.  Being able to speak Mandarin Chinese will equip you with valuable professional skills for the future as well as give you access to a fascinating language and culture, rich in tradition and history.

Здравствуйте! Our Russian course is a stimulating introduction to this beautiful language.

As well as establishing the grammatical foundations of the language and addressing common themes such as personal information, travel, shopping, work and lifestyle, we take time to examine specifically Russian phenomena. These include Russian names, Russian festivals and holidays, Russian folklore and fairy tales, famous Russian people and Russian art. We learn about the brutal Russian winter, the peculiar Russian diet and the role of poetry in Russian life.

Lessons are lively and inclusive, using materials from a huge range of sources, both traditional and modern.