Languages

In Languages the aim is to develop communicative competence in the four skill areas of reading, listening, talking and writing within a range of contexts. We strive to provide all our learners with a worthwhile and enjoyable experience and equip them with a better understanding of the countries where the languages are spoken, as well as teach them about the people, customs and way of life.
The need to communicate in a foreign language is growing in importance and the ability to speak another language is regarded as a very useful skill in an increasing number of jobs.
Opportunities for study and employment are not confined to a learner’s home country. There are short-term as well as longer-term opportunities for study, training, work experience or employment abroad. The study of a foreign language helps to prepare young people for this experience.
Learning a language also has benefits on a personal level. Learners develop skills which are useful in other areas e.g. communication and presentation skills. They learn to co-operate with their peers and are trained to be responsible for their own learning. They become more confident and better communicators, learning the importance not just of verbal communication but of facial expression, body language and social skills. They also develop the skills and awareness to enable them to learn other languages in the future.

Course Outline and Progression

Throughout their time learning languages in S1 and S2, learners get to experience the three languages we offer: French, German and Spanish.
In S1 all learners study French for three periods per week to build on their prior learning in primary school.
In S2 learners experience all three languages. They study French, German and Spanish in blocks of approximately twelve weeks consisting of three periods per week. The provision of these language courses in S1 and S2 ensure that learners are exposed to all three languages and can, therefore, make a more informed decision as to which language or languages they would like to continue with in S3.
In S3 learners have the choice to continue to study one or more of the language options provided. In S3 learners are allocated three periods per week for whichever option they have chosen to study.
Learners are strongly encouraged and have the choice to continue with one or more languages in the senior phase.

Curriculum Overview

Our language courses cover a variety of different topics areas so there should be something of interest to all learners. Learners experience a variety of activities within their language lessons, which provide support and challenge e.g. reading, listening, talking, writing, ICT, songs, videos, games, whiteboards, competitions etc.
All learners are provided with the resources they need for learning a language. They should bring these resources with them to every language lesson. They should ensure that their iPad is fully charged so that they can access the resources they need and they should have a pen or pencil to write with.
Teachers have created Teams for each of their classes. In the Files section of each Team, learners can access digital copies of course materials along with any other resources provided.
They will have access to documents detailing the content that will be covered throughout the course, the grammar points they will cover, the homework tasks they will be expected to complete, the assessments they will complete for each unit and the independent learning tasks they can do to improve their knowledge of the language

How can learners be helped with their language learning at home?

Coursework

Vocabulary: Check that they have learned their vocabulary. The vocabulary document for each unit is in the files section of their Team. Even if you don’t speak the language, you can still help them to learn their vocabulary. You could say the word or phrase in English and they could say or spell it in the language they are learning.
Worksheets: Are they completing the worksheets to the best of their ability? Maybe you could check. The master copies of all the worksheets are in the files section of their team. They should save a copy of the worksheet into their own folder before completing it.
Homework: You could ask them to check their Outlook Calendar or the Assignment section of their Team to see if they have completed any homework tasks set.
Revision: Are they taking the time to revise the vocabulary and grammar covered previously to keep it fresh in their minds? Maybe take the time to ask them.
Assessments: They should have a note of when they will be doing any assessments.

Independent Learning:

We actively encourage all learners to use the following websites to enhance their language skills.
Linguascope: www.linguascope.com
They can use the beginner level for basic vocabulary revision.
The intermediate level can be used to extend their knowledge of the language.
They will be given the login details by their teacher.
Duolingo: www.duolingo.com
Duolingo is a very good language app.
It is free to register to use it.
Languages Online: www.languagesonline.org.uk
This is useful for grammar revision. No password is required.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com
There are lots of cartoons or videos in different languages on YouTube. All they need to do is type in the name of the cartoon or video and write the language after it e.g. Disney songs or films in French / German / Spanish and choose the videos they want to watch. Even though they don’t have subtitles and they won’t understand everything, it is a very interesting way to listen to the language.
Quizlet: https://quizlet.com
This website provides access to free online language flashcards some of which are created by teachers in the faculty. Pupils need to register individually to track their progress.

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