French

Learning a new language can be challenging but also exciting. French is a popular language in Year 8 with between two and three groups of 20 students opting for it at the end of Year 7.

The course starts at a beginner level to ensure all participating have a solid command of the basics. Students who have studied French before not only enjoy consolidating their knowledge but also expand it through stretching activities. Moreover, the fast rate of progress keeps all motivated.

Teachers use a variety of engaging resources alongside our main textbook, Dynamo 1. We incorporate multimedia tasks such as videos and audio to assist our students in their comprehension skills and our activities are designed to develop sound pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary in fun and interactive ways to achieve a high standard of accuracy.

In Year 9, we continue to incorporate interesting topics such as music tastes, future plans, inventors, sports, friendship, as well as engaging current affairs topics such as the refugee crisis and environmental issues. This allows students to enhance their cultural knowledge and broaden their perspectives as well as advance their vocabulary and grammar.

By the end of Year 9, students are well equipped to start the GCSE course. We aim to build good learning habits, so pupils grow into self-motivated and resilient learner who have an open-mind and a genuine interest in French and the francophone cultures.

In Year 10 and 11, we have between two and three groups of 15–24 students taking the AQA French GCSE. The course covers a wide range of topics aimed at developing students’ competence in the language. It is divided into three themes: identity and culture; Local, national, international and global areas of interest; and current and future study and employment. Sub-topics include family and relationships, social media, music, French festivals, healthy eating and leisure activities such as sports, television and film.

Our teachers use a variety of resources that motivate students and help them to develop key language skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as increasing their knowledge of French culture.

At the end of Year 10, and all through Year 11, French students have a timetable session with our French assistant. This is an invaluable opportunity that enhances their spoken fluency and also benefits their listening and writing skills.

Studying A level French enables students to become near-fluent speakers on a plethora of topics, as well as enriches their personal growth and cultural awareness. French culture is known for its art, fashion, music, food and literature, and our curriculum is built to enable students to appreciate and understand these aspects even better.

Learning French at A level is an enjoyable yet challenging experience, but also an investment in the future. Speaking French can enable new connections with French-speaking people and communities, as well as the opportunity to forge new friendships and appreciate different perspectives. Additionally, bilingual French and English speakers are highly sought after in multilingual organisations, making proficiency in French a valuable asset for your future employment.

Explore the curriculum, exciting trips and other opportunities available when studying A level French.

A LEVEL FRENCH