MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES The aim of these syllabuses is to enable candidates to develop the language skills needed for confident communication in their chosen language as well as to provide them with an opportunity to gain an insight into contemporary cultural issues. Intellectual advancement through close engagement with a wide range of texts, the articulation of readings and justification of opinions is carried out at this level in both their chosen language and English. Reading and sustained critical thought through the study of literature will promote a finer feel for the subtleties and possibilities of their chosen language and crucially provide the critical tools and analytical skills required for further study in languages, as well
Sam Thater Head of Modern Foreign Languages
as in the workplace. This option will take the form of an examination with listening, speaking, reading, translation and writing all assessed. In addition to practising listening and reading, particular attention is paid to the promotion of accuracy and the wealth of structures in speaking and writing. The emphasis on grammar and syntax will result in an increased sophistication in the way candidates can express their own ideas and build them into a cogent argument. We encourage all pupils to spend some time in the target language country during the two years and offer several study trips, and/or exchanges throughout the Sixth Form.
Through studying a Modern Foreign Language pupils will learn from accessible and authentic materials which are adapted from a variety of sources: websites, social media, news and magazines. Weekly speaking sessions with a Foreign Language Assistant will quickly develop pupils’ fluency and confidence, as well as to target individual learning needs. Study of Literature and Film provides an exciting challenge for pupils to think laterally, critically and creatively. It also encourages pupils to learn how to structure their essays, and to substantiate their ideas in their chosen language.
Intellectual advancement through close engagement with a wide range of texts, the articulation of readings and justification of opinions is carried out at this level.
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