French

Mrs S Makoni

Head of department:

Mrs S Makoni

Members of staff:

Mrs A Walcott, Mrs T Wilson, Mr. M. Bunduki

Departmental aims

The department aims to equip students with the skills to understand as well as respond to spoken language; to understand and respond to written language; to communicate in speech and in writing, by showing knowledge of a range and variety of vocabulary and by accurately applying the grammatical and structural rules of the target language.
The department also aims to develop the students' communicative skills in French to an extent that they can comprehend as well as communicate effectively in French when visiting to a Francophone country.

Course Content

Although small, the department offers tuition from Form 1 to A Level.
Forms 1 & 2 syllabus

The aims of this syllabus are to

To form a sound base of basic French grammar
To develop the ability to understand as well as speak the basics
To communicate in writing, applying grammatical and structural rules learnt
Understand and respond to written language.

Forms 3 & 4 syllabus
The aims of this syllabus are to

Develop students' abilities to use the language effectively for purposes of practical communication within the country of residence, where appropriate, and in other countries where the language is spoken
Form a sound base of the skills, language and attitudes required for further study, work and leisure
Offer insights into the culture and civilisation of countries where French is spoken - this may include literature, where appropriate
Encourage fuller integration into the local community, where relevant
Develop a fuller awareness of the nature of language and language learning
Encourage positive attitudes toward language learning and towards speakers of other languages and a sympathetic approach to different cultures and civilizations
Provide enjoyment and intellectual stimulation
Complement other areas of study by encouraging skills of a more general application (such as analysis, memory, drawing of inferences)

A Level syllabus

The aims of the syllabus are the same for all students and describe the educational purposes of following a course in a Language at Advanced or Advanced Subsidiary Level:

To develop the ability to understand the language from a variety of registers
To enable the student to communicate confidently and clearly in the target language
To form a sound base of skills, language and attitudes required for further study, work and leisure
To develop insights into the culture and civilization of the countries where the language is spoken, including the study of literary texts where appropriate (although this does not apply to AS Language)
To encourage positive attitudes to language learning and a sympathetic approach to other cultures and civilizations
To further intellectual and personal development by promoting learning and social skills.