The French Department aims to give enjoyment and intellectual challenge to its students in learning French. Of course we want them to reach their full potential in their examinations. We also want to help them learn a language that they will be confident to use when visiting a French-speaking country.
At KS3 our schemes of work are based on Tricolore Total 1, 2 and 3. The medium of communication is French as far as possible.
At KS4 the students’ work is based on the AQA GCSE textbook, as their examination board is AQA. The students work on interesting themes such as holidays, world of work, media and entertainment, fitness and health.
Our Year 10 students have the opportunity to participate in a trip to Tours in October. This is a 6 day trip where the students stay in French host families. They can enjoy all the main sites of the Loire Valley including Futuroscope themepark, Chenonceau and a chocolate factory.
At KS5 students study a range of topics including realtionships, education, racism, the environment and politics. In Year 13 they also study some French literature and a historical period as part of the AQA specifications. They have additional lessons in pair groups with the French Assistant and can work independently on their listening skills with material that can be borrowed from the department. We revise the basic grammar and learn new points such as the passive voice and the subjunctive. We use French as the medium of communication in the classroom, including for the teaching of grammar. Students often present parts of the lessons themselves, using the interactive whiteboard.
There is a week work experience trip to Fougeres in Brittany in February for Year 12 students. As well as being placed in local primary schools, students have an exchange partner who goes to our partner school the Lycee Jean Guehenno and who comes and visit them in March. This trip is a joint trip with other schools in the Reading and Wokingham area including the Piggot School and Reading Boys School.
Some of our sixth form linguists also go to local primary schools to run French clubs on a weekly basis.
Finally, we have a weekly European Film Club where students can come and discover some foreign masterpieces.
Modern Languages Enrichment