Cherlotte read the book in German.  She explains how there is help to aid her to translate the German into English.

“Café in Berlin is a book written to help beginners learn German while enjoying short and funny stories about a young man called Dino. In the book, Dino newly arrived in Berlin and started a new urban lifestyle. There, he encounters different problems, scenarios, and even romance. I really like this book because I learnt a lot of new vocabulary and got more familiar with German’s complicated word order, while having a laugh reading the stories. Also, the book has a German-English dictionary for every chapter, so it is very convenient to look up what the words mean. My German and comprehension skills had improved after reading the book. I would definitely recommend this book to beginners who want to improve their German but would also want some entertainment.”

Any other students who would like to borrow the book, please ask any of your MFL Teachers.

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for MFL

We have had a tremendously successful year with our German partner school, Sickingen Gymnasium. This year, we exchanged letters and video calls, enriching our cultural and linguistic understanding. Frau Gill’s and Frau Raine’s Year 8 German classes received fantastic letters from our friends in Landstuhl, sharing their experiences and learning about German culture. In return, our students wrote amazing letters describing their Easter holidays and summer plans.

This exchange has not only improved our German language skills but also provided fascinating insights into the lives, town and culture of our German friends. We eagerly look forward to continuing this partnership in the 2024/2025 academic year, with several video calls already planned to further strengthen our connection.

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for MFL

Board Games Frau Gill

In an exciting blend of creativity, culture and education, our school’s German language students have taken on a unique project at the end of this term and we have designed their own German board games. This initiative has not only enhanced their linguistic skills but also introduced them to the rich tradition of German board gaming.

Students were divided into small groups, each tasked with creating a board game that incorporated German vocabulary, phrases and cultural references. The project required them to brainstorm ideas, design game mechanics, create rules and produce game materials, all in German.

The resulting games were fabulous. Some groups developed strategy games set in historical German cities, where players navigated through challenges using their language skills. Others created word games that tested vocabulary and grammar in fun and competitive ways.

One standout creation was “Abenteuer im Schwarzwald” (Adventures in the Black Forest), a game where players embarked on a journey through the famous German forest, encountering mythical creatures and solving language puzzles to advance. Another notable game, “Deutsche Städte-Rallye” (German City Rally), had players racing to visit and learn about different German cities, collecting trivia and language points along the way.

To finish the project, a game lesson was organised where each group presented their game and we set up stations around the room and moved from one game station to another, trying out the games.  Not only did it reinforce their German language skills in a practical and enjoyable context, but it also fostered collaboration, creativity and a deeper appreciation for German culture.

This project has shown that learning a language can be so much more than memorising vocabulary and grammar rules. It can be a vibrant, interactive experience that brings students together and makes learning genuinely fun.

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for MFL

This year, we have continued to exchange letters, cards and videos with our partner schools. In September, we set the bar high by making a video on friendship for our new pen pals. This then inspired the Year 10 students in France to produce a brilliant video about cinema which included detailed film reviews. This year, students from both sides of the Channel have surpassed themselves. The homemade cards have become so creative, they now require special packaging!

Here are the thoughts from two PGHS linguists:

“Bonjour! As students of GCSE French, we keep in regular correspondence with our pen pals from France. Recently, we received a very well thought out video from them on the topic of cinema. We were very impressed by their efforts as they used lots of difficult English vocabulary that we would struggle to say in French. There were lots of comedic moments, unintentional or otherwise, but their responses were very detailed and their pronunciation was excellent.

As a school, we are very lucky to have regular contact with our French friends. Through our pen pals, we gain an insight into the lives of young people living in France: their daily lives, cultures and traditions. This opportunity allows us to bond and connect with students in France whilst also helping us to develop our French skills by putting them into use in real life.”  Holly W and Nusaibah B

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for MFL

This week, we have welcomed back Louise who was in Year 11 last year. She wanted to come back to talk about her experience studying French A level. She was able to speak to the Year 9 and Year 10 classes. Year 8 also had the opportunity to practise, asking all the questions that we studied this year.

“It has been lovely to come back to the school and speak to students about college. The corridors seem surprisingly small compared to Newman! It has been a good opportunity to speak about learning a language at A level. I also enjoyed chatting with the teachers and reconnecting with Madame Raine.” Louise

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for the C.A.T. Faculty

The French and German department have been busy this last half term preparing our Year 11 students for their final speaking exams that took place at the end of April.  What a fantastic effort they all made and the standard was amazing in both foundation and higher!  I am extremely proud of all our students who stepped up to this challenge and gave it their best shot.  By the sounds of it though, there will be a lot of students playing football at the park or off to the cinema with their friends this weekend, so beware if you are heading out!

Frau Gill

Year 8 Abendessen – Come Dine with Me!

Frau Gill’s Year 8 German classes have been learning about the popular German TV show ‘Das Perfekte Dinner’, which is the German version of ‘Come Dine with Me’.  We have listened to an episode of the show and read a storyboard about it with the 4 guests each welcoming the other contestants into their homes. The other contestants then grade and mark their menus, food, decorations in the home and the entertainment that they provide.  We met a very grumpy lady called ‘Linda’ in the show, who thought the food was ‘steinhart’ and the host was ‘unhöflich’!  Following on from that, we then designed our own storyboards with our own menus and scenarios.  Here are some wonderful examples from Lily W, Leila SC and Jess R.  Well done to all!

Frau Gill

Studying two languages from Year 8

Every year, around 60 students, (mostly from the two top sets in Year 7 German) have the opportunity to start learning French in Year 8 as an additional foreign language alongside studying German. If your child is in a different set (i.e. not Set 1 or 2) but has a special interest in learning French next year, please ask them to let their teacher know or email: k.gill@penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk or s.raine@penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk

Teachers will soon be speaking to their classes about languages in Year 8.

Here are some comments from two Year 8 students who started studying both languages in September:

“One reason why I love doing both French and German is the variation; I love having a mix of French and German every week. I would definitely take French if you get the chance. It is such a nice language to learn and the same goes for German. Even though you only start French in Year 8, I wouldn’t say I am less fluent than German, as in my opinion, it is quite an easy language. If you are thinking about two languages, I wouldn’t worry. It is not as overwhelming as it sounds. I would definitely recommend it!”  Jess

“In Year 8, you have the option to take up French. Both languages are an amazing experience to fuel your curiosity and I am sure you will enjoy it greatly”. Caitie

Studying both languages also enables students to choose one or the other at GCSE or they can also study both languages. Here are the thoughts from two of our dual linguists:

“Studying two languages helps us to develop skills in both. The German and French languages can often have similarities and comprehension of one, helps understanding of the other. Studying other languages can open a lot of doors and opportunities in the future, such as working abroad and working with people from other countries. We are very lucky to have the chance to study both, as if you have an interest in languages, it’s a good opportunity to develop and strengthen them and is a great learning experience. We would recommend it to anyone who is interested in languages or wants to study them in the future!” Holly and Nusaibah

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for MFL

In Module 2 Year 8, we are learning about hobbies, in particular, reading and the types of books we like to read.  This is a brilliant topic for fine-tuning how to give detailed opinions.  We have been reading about Matilda Wormwood’s love of reading in a letter which she has written to Miss Trunchbull.  We have imagined the type of reply that Miss Trunchbull would write to Matilda.

 Here is a snapshot of some of our favourites. 

‘Ich finde Lesen so langweilig, Matilda, aber ich lese ab und zu in der Badewanne, weil es warm ist.  Am Liebsten lese ich Sportbücher, aber ich lese auch gern Zeitungen, weil sie interessant sind.  Liebesromane und Kinderbücher lese ich nicht so gern, weil sie zu romantisch und blöd sind.  Ich sehe nicht gern Kindersendungen, weil ich Kinder hasse.  Meiner Meinung nach sind Kinder wie ‘MAGGOTS’.  Ich liebe Sportsendungen und mein Lieblingsbuch heist ‘Shot putting for Dummies’. S Kampta.

Ich finde Lesen blöd, Matilda.  Du liest zu viel.  Wie schrecklich!  Meiner Meinung nach sind Sportbücher wichtig.  Fraulein Hönig liest auch zu viel und sie ist nicht sportlich.  Ich hasse Fantasybücher, sie sind blöd, kindisch und superlangweilig.  Am Liebsten lese ich Zeitungen, aber ich hasse alle andere Bücher.  M Siskina.

Ich finde Lesen okay, aber kindisch. Matilda, du findest Lesen unterhaltsam und sehr interessant. Ich lese manchmal im Bett, weil es so ruhig ist.  Fraulein Hönig findet Lesen spannend aber ich finde Lesen blöd.  Am Liebsten lese ich Horrorbücher, weil sie gruselig sind. Mein Lieblingsbuch ist ‘Trunchbull The Greatest Shotputter on Earth’. Ich hasse Bücher über schwarze Katzen. 

J Brunton

Ich finde Lesen sehr blöd, Matilda, aber ich lese in meiner Schule.  Meiner Meinung nach sind Sportbücher gut aber Sachbücher sind sehr langweilig. Ich hasse Fantasybücher, weil sie doof sind.  Ich finde Gameshows unterhaltsam aber ich sehe nicht gern die Nachrichten.   J Livingstone

Lily P in Frau Gill’s class in Year 7 went on a wonderful trip to Poland in the February half term and here she tells us all about her trip:

In February half term, I went on a ski trip to Poland and got to go and see some amazing landmarks such as the thermal spa, Krakow square and we went on a trip to Auschwitz.  We learnt about this in our German lessons as we had been learning about German History, the Berlin Wall and how Germany has changed over the years.  I stayed in Poland for a week which meant I stayed in Krakow for 2 days and then in Zakopane for 4 days and travelled back to Krakow to go home the next day.  In Krakow, I got to go ice skating, shopping and we visited Auschwitz.  In Zakopane, I went skiing, to the thermal spa and to a water park.  Overall, it was such a good trip and Auschwitz was very interesting.  P.S. Do not forget to try Pierogi if you go to Poland. It is the best!

At the end of February, we had a French student coming over to spend nearly 3 weeks here at Penwortham Girls’ in order to complete work experience and to attend lessons as a student. All French classes were able to meet Eva and ask her many questions using their French. It was great to see Eva could understand them and I felt very proud of our students who could not only ask questions clearly and confidently in a foreign language but also understand Eva when she replied in (fast!) French.  

Eva also spent some time with Y7 German classes; Herr Briscoe’s class had prepared questions for Eva to answer in English. 

As part of the STEM festival, Y8 were invited to play Bingo in French at lunchtime with our French guest. 

It was a lovely experience for both our guest and our students who displayed curiosity and social responsibility.

Madame Raine

This is what Eva wrote about her experience at PGHS: 

3 weeks at Penwortham Girls’ High School 

Hello, my name is Eva, and I did a 3-week work experience at Penwortham Girls’ High School. Upon arriving at this school, I was able to notice several differences for example the teachers wore suits whereas in France most French teachers simply wear jeans. I also noticed that the students wore a school uniform unlike in France where they wear what they want. I also noticed that there was only 45 minutes for lunch. Unlike France where we have 1 or 2 hours to eat as we have a starter and sometimes cheese! The shorter lunch allows students to finish lessons earlier, for example they finish at 3.20 pm whereas in France it is 5 pm and in some schools, 6 pm. Also at lunch, students can either eat the meals from the canteen or they can bring their own sandwiches while we can’t bring our own food in France, but we can go home for lunch. I also learned that when they have an absent teacher, they always have a supply teacher whereas in France we don’t often have a supply teacher so we just finish earlier. I also found the students quite enthusiastic.

 I really enjoyed these 3 weeks at this school. The teaching team and the students were very welcoming, I had a great time. Thank you very much for allowing me to discover British school education during these 3 weeks. 

Eva