Languages are in every aspect of our day-to-day life; they are used in many situations whether at work, on holiday or just casually in social interactions. They have become a real asset in our multi-lingual society and an undeniable advantage in the global work place. More importantly, they bring people together and develop students’ understanding of other cultures. The Carmel MFL Department is passionate about sharing this vision and dedicated to enthusing pupils about the wealth of cultural diversity around them through the media of languages.
In Year 7, pupils will study French, consolidating and building on any prior knowledge from primary school. In Year 8, they will continue their language-learning journey by studying both French and Spanish. At the end of Year 8, students will be allocated one of these languages to continue with in Year 9. They will then have the opportunity to progress with this language at GCSE and A-Level.
Language lessons focus on a range of skills aiming at developing pupils’ confidence to express themselves in spoken and written situations, to empower them to transfer their language ability outside of the classroom. The topics covered include a variety of conversational situations from going to the doctors to discussing personal interests, making the lessons fully relevant to their life and experience. Languages are about interacting; activities in class are therefore designed to promote pupils’ active contributions and students will regularly engage with a range of games and competitions focusing on improving their writing, speaking, listening and reading skills. Language classes will also be an opportunity for pupils to explore the cultures of other countries, from listening to foreign singers to learning about traditional celebrations.