Languages Department

Introduction

• Modern Foreign Languages have an important place in the school curriculum here and we are pleased to be able to offer a range of languages to our pupils, namely French, German, Spanish and Italian.
• The MFL Department is fully and firmly committed to the practical use of the language. Pupils learn how to communicate in the language in both spoken and written forms.
• This approach means that the target language is used predominantly and that pupils speak French etc. from day one. The underlying philosophy is that Modern Languages are both fun ( fun to learn and fun to teach!) and functional.
• Pupils are fully prepared and equipped to tackle GCSE courses and examinations in their next school.

Staffing

There is a strong team of three members:

• Mr Crook, Head of Dept. and Head of Senior School, teaches French in Years 7/8 to Entrance & Scholarship levels. He also offers a foundation course in German and Spanish in Year 8.
• Madame Tlili, a native French Speaker who speaks fluent English, Arabic and Italian, teaches French to Years 4/5/6 and offers Italian to Years 5-8 in our programme of Life Skills.
• Madame Lad introduces French to our pupils in Years 1/2/3 and imparts a love of languages.
• Madame Pollock works with the older boys on their conversational French.

Main Features

Junior School French Club for Years 1 & 2 two afternoons a week.

• French as a curricular subject (oral approach) from Year 2- five years before the mandatory age (Y7) in state schools.
• Development of listening, speaking & reading skills and introduction of writing in Year 3.
• Reinforcement of the four core skills through more formal study of a course book in Year 4.
• A Year 3 and 4 French day with a French breakfast & language/cultural activities. French is studied in greater depth & breadth on a daily basis from Year 5 when pupils are set by language ability.

The Encore Tricolore (Nouvelle Edition) course is followed & supplemented by a range of audio-visual & ICT resources.

• The four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing are accorded equal importance in line with National Curriculum & Common Entrance. Skills are regularly practised & assessed through a mixture of assignments (classwork/homework/unit tests/exams twice a year) from Year 5 onwards. By Year 6 pupils learn to express themselves more fully and use the language for real on a residential French Trip to Northern France. (Chateau Broutel in Rue)
• A third Scholarship Set is offered by the School in Year 7 and this allows thorough preparation in small tutorial sets for 13+ exams. Our Year 8's have a command of past, present and future tenses and can express themselves more fully and freely. The syllabus is finished in good time to focus on past papers and examination technique. Pupils sit Entrance and Scholarship exams to a range of academically selective Independent and State Schools. Results at 13+ have been consistently good with many A* and A grades achieved.
• Year 8 pupils then follow a foundation course in German or Spanish to give them a taste of another Modern Foreign Language before language options at their next school.
• In addition Italian is offered to Years 5-8 in our programme of Life Skills.
• Pupils perform French Plays in Assembly and for parents and guests at Open Day.
• The Department has had an e-mail link with French speaking students from a school in La Reunion and is currently establishing a link with a private school in Tunisia.

Conclusion

It is hoped that the pupil's experience of a first foreign language and of other modern languages at Terry's is positive, enjoyable and rewarding. For further information, please contact the Modern Languages Department.