Modern Foreign Languages

Welcome to the Modern Foreign Languages Department

Welcome to the Modern Foreign Languages Department here at Penwortham Girls’ High School. We pride ourselves here that we prepare all our girls to be excellent linguists with a deep understanding of not just the language but also the culture of that country. Our lessons are interactive and fun and we engage using interactive resources and develop lots of opportunities for curiosity and involvement. Students have access to language magazines, films in French and German and books to help further reading skills and enable students to enjoy the culture and language further. Students also have access to a variety of apps on their iPads to further their language progression both in and outside school.

Key Stage 3

Year 7 students enjoy two hours per week of German for the whole year. In Year 8 students are given the opportunity to enjoy a second language which is French and therefore study 2 languages through to the end of Year 9 and can then opt for either language or both at GCSE.

We have a vast range of resources for students at KS3 to learn a language and these give students the opportunity to extend their knowledge of the language and to explore and research the cultural aspect of the country. Stimmt and Dynamo online resources for Geman and French and textbooks are used to enhance our learning and pupils are encouraged to download a range of apps to access at home such as Quizlet to supplement our learning in school.

Key Stage 4

We have a large take up of students at KS4 to study a language. Students three hours per fortnight of their chosen language and we the follow the Edexcel full course. Students are given the opportunity to further their knowledge of the language with five main themes that we cover:

Identity and culture
Local Area, Holiday and Travel
School
Future Aspirations, Study and Work
International and Global Dimension

Students can build on their learning at KS3, explore new vocabulary and tenses and involve themselves in interesting and interactive activities.

GCSE Assessment

The assessment at the end of the two year course is as follows:

Paper 1 Listening exam – 25%

1 exam – Foundation tier 35 minutes and Higher tier 45 minutes. Pupils will answer questions in English and French/German.

Paper 2 Speaking exam – 25%

1 exam consisting of a role play, a photo card and a general conversation. Foundation tier will last 7-9 minutes and Higher tier will last 10-12 minutes.

Paper 3 Reading exam – 25%

1 exam – Foundation tier 45 minutes and Higher tier 1 hour. Questions in English, French/German/ and translation from French/German into English.

Paper 4 Writing exam – 25%

1 exam – Foundation tier 1 hour 10 minutes and Higher tier 1 hour 20 minutes. Questions will include writing a short passage, a longer passage and a translation into French/German.

All students will be given a vocabulary booklet and it is advisable to purchase a revision guide and work book from school.

Enrichment

There are many opportunities to further your love of languages in our extra curricular activities such as the weekly German and French film club and various clubs throughout the French and German calendar to celebrate their cultural events such as Oktoberfest, Christmas, Easter, Eid and Karneval. We also run and host the Year 7 National spelling Bee competition with attendance at Cambridge University where we progressed to the National finals. We also celebrate the European Day of Languages during our Language and Literature festival, celebrate the great MFL bake off and in recent years our students have enjoyed trips to both Germany and France. We have a 4 day trip to Berlin for our students to enjoy in the Autumn Term where they can experience the cultural sights of Berlin, visit the Berlin wall and museums, enjoy the cultural sights and take a tour to a German concentration camp to experience the history of Berlin.

The world is a vast place and what could be better than the ability to communicate with other people from other countries in their language and know and understand the culture of that country.

Staff in the Modern Foreign Languages Department:

	Mrs K Gill Curriculum Leader for MFL Bienvenue/Willkommen to our Modern Foreign Languages Department here at Penwortham Girls’ High School. My name is Mrs Gill and I am the Head of Department here. I absolutely love languages and have always had a passion for travel and learning a new language. My love for languages started as a young child when we used to go on holiday to France and I loved getting to know the local children and buying items in shops and learning how to communicate with the local people. My love and passion for languages carried on through school where I learnt French and German and then went on to study both languages at college and university in Preston where I was able to also study Spanish and Japanese. I was lucky enough to spend a year living in France and Germany and alongside studying business with Italian, I also worked in a local school in Kempten in South Germany and it was here I just knew I wanted to continue teaching and I have never looked back. Penwortham Girls’ is a fantastic school and I thoroughly enjoy teaching our girls French and German. I love immersing them in the cultural aspect too and curiously finding out about the country. Languages are fun and they give you life long skills to make new friends, communicate, build your confidence and they bring you many opportunities in the employment market.
	Mrs C Ingram (Maternity Leave) Mr L Briscoe (Maternity Leave Cover) Teacher of MFL Hallo! I’m Mrs Ingram and I teach German here at Penwortham Girls’ High School. You will learn German from the very beginning of year 7 and some of you will start to learn French as you move through the school. I love languages and I try to make them fun for you because, although I think speaking another language can be difficult, it is really fun and a very important skill to have. We will be doing lots of different activities both in and out of class so that you can be confident in speaking a second language. We will be learning lots of new words and phrases and also learning about different European cultures and traditions. Tschüß!
	Mrs S Raine Teacher of MFL Hallo/ Bonjour! My name is Frau Raine/ Madame Raine and I teach German and French. I love teaching languages (MFL) as we always try to make our lessons fun and engaging, we play a lot of games and we often work with a partner or a small group. Learning to speak a new language is exciting, it helps you understand other cultures and it can give you better career prospects for the future. I started learning a foreign language (English) when I was in year 7 and it used to be my favourite subject. I hope German/ French will become one of your favourite subjects too!
	Mrs M Williams Teacher of MFL Bonjour / Guten Tag, My name is Mrs Williams and I am lucky to be able to teach French and German at Penwortham Girls’ High School. I have always had a passion for languages; since being in Year 7, they have been my favourite subject. I believe that learning a language is fun and that everyone should have the opportunity to learn a new language. It is good for your brain, your soul and helps you to be empathetic.