Modern Foreign Languages

The language department is situated in a suite of teaching rooms on the ground floor of the main building with an office and resources room on the first floor.

All our main teaching rooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards. The Department is equipped with a range of tape recorders suitable for listening and speaking activities, a television and video play back machine. We also also have satellite television which enables the department to watch and record French television programmes to use with our classes.

Ethos of the Department

"The study of a modern foreign language is an exciting and stimulating activity at any age, particularly for the young." Here at Sanders Draper we aim to:

• develop the ability to use the language effectively for practical communication purposes.
• develop cultural awareness and build foundations for further study.

We see the target language as the normal means of communication in the classroom and students learn through their involvement in a wide range of activities. They have regular opportunities to speak, listen, read and write the foreign language in whole class, individual, pair or group work. They are encouraged to work at demanding tasks involving real communication and they have additional opportunities to practise their foreign language skills with a foreign language assistant who visits the school several times a week.

Homework

Homework is essential to the learning process, and gives essential opportunities to work individually in different skill areas. The learning of vocabulary is a vital element of language acquisition. Students need access to a bilingual dictionary, to be used in lessons as well as at home. This is now a vital part of their equipment, as they are allowed to use dictionaries for all coursework and GCSE preparaton.

Languages in the National Curriculum - English and Spanish

At The Sanders Draper School students study a modern foreign language throughout Key Stage 3 and many opt to take at least one language at KS4. All students are taught French from year 7 and students in the Year 9 set 1 classes also learn Spanish. Students therefore have the opportunity to study two languages in KS4.

Extra Curricular Activities

Year 7 students have the opportunity to go on a day trip to Boulogne, which as an extremely successful visit.

Next year some Year 9 pupils have the opportunity to spend a week in Paris to improve their knowledge of French culture and language.

At lunchtime there is a French club where students are given the opportunity to practise their French in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Students can also participate in the Italian club after school where they can learn some basic vocabulary while playing games and finding out about life in Italy.

Staff