French
Modern Foreign Languages are core subjects at Coopers’ which means that every pupil studies a foreign language up to GCSE. French, German and Spanish are taught from Year 7 to Year 13, i.e. complete beginners to near enough fluency at Advanced level.
We have diversified our languages curriculum so that all languages are taught equally and no language is given greater weight than the others. In Year 7 two or three forms study each language. In Year 8 all pupils start a second foreign language with which they continue to the end of Year 9 and we play through the permutations of first and second language combinations. Pupils may choose their first or second language for GCSE or may continue with both languages.
Modern Foreign Languages are mostly taught in our own block, the Prisca Coborn block, with 6 classrooms of which one is a computer room which also serves as a language laboratory. Every classroom has an interactive whiteboard and a projector so ICT can be used whenever needed.
English is currently the international lingua franca but when communicating with people in their own language you gain a different perspective. Modern Languages make any student more marketable, both in terms of higher education and employment. France, our closest neighbour on mainland Europe and the 3rd largest economy in the EU, is important both in terms of culture and as the 2nd lingua franca of Europe. French is one of the most asked for languages in surveys among employers.
Course description
We follow the Allez textbook which is accessible to learners of a range of abilities and promotes a good level of proficiency in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The textbook is supplemented with our own materials and web-based tasks and revision activities.
What will you learn about?
Allez 1
- Tout sur moi
- Mon monde perso
- Autour de moi
- À table
- Mon quartier
- Ça, c’est mon truc
- Destination vacances
- .. c’est important!
- Aux quatre coins du monde
Allez 2
- C’est quoi, la France?
- Les médias
- Accro à la technologie? l Être ado
- Bien manger, être bien l Rendez-vous
- Autour du monde
- Chez moi, chez toi
- Mes rêves
To be successful in this subject students will need to be good at and enjoy:
- Learning about other cultures
- Reflecting on your own learning and adapt strategies
- Communicating in a foreign language
- Spotting patterns and regularities
Progression routes & career opportunities
All Modern Languages on offer combine readily with virtually all subjects available within the sixth form. In the past, language students have pursued a wide and eclectic range of complementary subjects. Suffice it to say, it is extremely rare to find a selection of disciplines that would not be beneficially augmented by knowledge of a foreign language.
Homework/extended learning
- Additional reading and listening
- Vocabulary acquisition
- Grammar revision
- Writing
- Web-based interactive exercises supporting all 4 skills
Additional information
Pupils learning French as their first foreign language will be invited to go on a study trip at the end of year 8 which, in past years, included visiting Paris and Disneyland.
Course description
We follow the GCSE AQA syllabus which is accessible to learners of a range of abilities and promotes a good level of proficiency in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Theme 1: Identity and culture
Topic 1: Me, my family and friends
- Relationships with family and friends / Marriage/partnership
Topic 2: Technology in everyday life
- Social media / Mobile technology
Topic 3: Free-time activities
- Music / Cinema and TV / Food and eating out / Sport
Topic 4: Customs and festivals in German-speaking countries/communities
Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest
Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region
Topic 2: Social issues
- Charity/voluntary work / Healthy/unhealthy living
Topic 3: Global issues
- The environment
Topic 4: Travel and tourism
Theme 3: Current and future study and employment
Topic 1: My studies
Topic 2: Life at school/college
Topic 3: Education post-16
Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions
What will you learn about?
- The three themes of the AQA specification
- Culture of French speaking countries
- Analysing language and understanding its structure (tenses, cases, sentence structure)
- Strategies for language learning
- Exam techniques
To be successful in this subject students will need to be good at and enjoy:
- Learning about other cultures
- Reflect on your own learning and adapt strategies
- Communicating in a foreign language
- Spot patterns and regularities
Progression routes & career opportunities
All Modern Languages on offer combine readily with virtually all subjects available within the sixth form. In the past, language students have pursued a wide and eclectic range of complementary subjects. Suffice it to say, it is extremely rare to find a selection of disciplines that would not be beneficially augmented by knowledge of a foreign language.
Homework/extended learning
- Additional reading and listening
- Vocabulary acquisition
- Grammar revision
- Writing
- Web-based interactive exercises supporting all 4 skills
Course description
AQA A level French 7652
Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends
- The changing nature of family (La famille en voie de changement)
- The ‘cyber-society’ (La « cyber-société »)
- The place of voluntary work (Le rôle du bénévolat)
Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues
- Positive features of a diverse society (Les aspects positifs d’une société diverse)
- Life for the marginalised (Quelle vie pour les marginalisés ? )
- How criminals are treated (Comment on traite les criminels)
Artistic culture in the French-speaking world
- A culture proud of its heritage (Une culture ère de son patrimoine)
- Contemporary francophone music (La musique francophone contemporaine)
- Cinema: the 7th art form (Cinéma : le septième art)
Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world
- Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment (Les ados, le droit de vote et l’engagement politique)
- Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power? (manifestations, grèves – à qui le pouvoir ? )
- Politics and immigration (La politique et l’immigration)
What will you learn about?
- The four themes of the AQA specification
- Literary analysis and film analysis
- Analysing language and understanding its structure (tenses, subjunctive, pronouns )
- Strategies for language learning
To be successful in this subject students will need to be good at and enjoy:
- Learning about other cultures
- Reflect on your own learning and adapt strategies
- Communicating in a foreign language
- Spot patterns and regularities
Progression routes & career opportunities
All Modern Languages on offer combine readily with virtually all subjects available within the sixth form. In the past, language students have pursued a wide and eclectic range of complementary subjects. Suffice it to say, it is extremely rare to find a selection of disciplines that would not be beneficially augmented by a language ‘A’ level.
Homework/extended learning
- Additional reading and listening
- Vocabulary acquisition
- Grammar revision
- Essay writing
- Additional resources in the target language are available in the school library (books, CDs, DVDs)