French

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With 220 million French speakers worldwide, French is the only language, together with English to be spoken on all five continents. French is also the second most spoken mother tongue in Europe and the third most commonly used language on the internet. Such facts clearly demonstrate the importance of learning French and the numerous professional and personal opportunities that will become available to any young Francophile. The International Organisation of La Francophonie represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world; its members not only share a common language but also they share the humanist value promoted by the French language.

France is also unsurprisingly the first tourist destination in the world. The very romantic and fashion capital city of Paris, the delicious delicacies, the wide variety of landscapes and its fascinating history, culture and arts have always captivated the rest of the world.

Studying French will give you the opportunities to access all these very exciting opportunities!

Assessments

All classes are assessed every term on a selection of powerful knowledge that is taught during lesson time and learn for homework.

During the year, students are regularly assessed on all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and complete dictations as well.

For homework, students are usually asked to memorise vocabulary lists and grammar rules; they are tested on their knowledge during lesson time.

Recommended Resources and Websites

Books and magazines from the school library

Useful Resources and Websites

Other Useful Sites

www.bbc.co.uk/languages
www.languagesresources.co.uk
www.tes.co.uk/resources – variety of resources available
www.voki.com

Extra Curricular

Journée Mondiale de la Francophonie
French plays performed by professional troops
Public speaking competitions
Spelling bee competition
GCHQ competition
French Drama Festival
Cinema club
Advanced French club
Enrichment/polyglots
Theatre Trip to the University of Bristol
Cinema visits to the Watershed

Years 7 - 9

The schemes of learning put an emphasis on the importance of the three pillars: phonics, vocabulary and grammar. They also encourage a spiraled approach, constantly reviewing prior learning so as to store it in our pupils’ memory. There is a huge emphasis on the importance of memorisation and all homework at KS3 are learning homework, tested on a weekly basis in class. From the start of year 7, a journey of French learning starts, ensuring that our students feel very confident using carefully selected vocabulary, frequently using their knowledge of phonics to support the development of their speaking and listening skills as well as developing a sound understanding of the French grammatical system

Topics studied at KS3 are:

Year 7

Basics

Family
Sports and Leisure
Cinema, TV and Music

School
La francophonie

Year 8
Food and drinks
Body/health
Daily Life
Fashion
Where I live
Festivals and Celebrations

Year 9
My studies and Life at school
Jobs, Careers and Ambitions
Free Time
Relationships
Customs and Festivals
Technology