Languages

Staff Contact Details

Mrs J Keenan (Head of Faculty)
jkeenan@wired2create.com

Mr M McCann (2nd i/c of Faculty)
mmccann@wired2create.com

Mrs K Rodriguez
krodriguez@wired2create.com

Mrs Tana Hunjan
thu@wired2create.com

Mr Larry Byrne
lby@wired2create.com

Ascension Jodar Garcia: Spanish MFL Assistant
ajg@wired2create.com 

In addition we have French and Spanish assistants working with us on an annual basis.

Curriculum Overview

Bienvenue and Bienvenidos from the MFL faculty at Herschel Grammar School.

Pupils learn French or Spanish on admission and they may state a preference for the language they wish to study.  They will study this language throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.   Some pupils will choose to continue to study this language in the sixth form.

Extra-curricular activities are a highlight of the faculty with annual visits from the Onatti Theatre Company, participation in a poetry competition and a spelling bee as well as a cultural study day and we have organised numerous visits to Paris and Barcelona. Sixth form MFL groups have always had the possibility of completing work experience in France and Spain.

Year 7

Pupils learn how to use the present tense before being introduced to the near future tense in the summer term. Topics covered include numbers, school, the alphabet, colours, describing and giving information about yourself and others, describing your home, telling the time, talking about your daily routine, talking about what you do in your free time, and giving your opinion.

Year 8

In addition to the above pupils learn how to use the perfect or preterite (past) tense. They also learn vocabulary related to jobs, weather, television, shopping, going out, and holidays.

Year 9

In French, pupils will focus on the topics of friends and family as well as Free Time whilst in Spanish they will focus on Holidays and School. In addition to the above, pupils will learn how to use the simple future, imperfect and conditional tenses. They will also work on justifying, as well as giving, their opinions.

Years 10 and 11 (GCSE)

We follow the AQA syllabus for GCSE and in this Key Stage, there is a big emphasis on grammar and vocabulary enrichment.  This will enable pupils to speak and write in detail on a range of topics including Education and Future Careers, Food and Keeping Healthy, Relationships with others, Free Time and Holidays, and Media and Environmental Issues.

Years 12 and 13 (A level)

Pupils are introduced to grammar at a much higher level including the use of the subjunctive. Additional topics include Multiculturalism and Current Issues, Politics, Aspects of French-speaking/Hispanic Society, and Artistic Culture. Pupils can study a film and a play or novel in the target language. They have individual sessions with the language assistant.

Useful Weblinks

MFL subscribes to several language websites which can usually be accessed free of charge after 4pm and on weekends:

www.linguascope.com

www.zut.org.uk

www.atantot.com