Why do we teach modern foreign languages?

At The Alice Smith School, we believe it is important to foster a spirit of internationalism in the hearts and minds of our community and nurture the ability to function effectively in an international context.

The learning of a foreign language enables us to interact in a new cultural context and function in a society different from our own. It increases our own personal opportunities for work, entertainment and travel as well as expanding our awareness of the world as we know it, a world that is shrinking due to high speed international air travel, the Internet and our own understanding that cultural diversity is what makes us human.

Staffing

The Faculty occupies a suite of adjoining classrooms on the first and second floors of the main school building. The Faculty also has its own office. All members have their own teaching base.

The Faculty comprises both UK trained teachers and native speakers. We have three teachers of Malay, two teachers of Mandarin and five teachers of French and German.

Curriculum Organisation

All students from Year 7 to Year 11 study a Modern Foreign Language. Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum of England and Wales and is arranged as follows:

Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9)

Pupils take 2 foreign languages. Their first foreign language will be either French, Malay, Mandarin or German. Pupils in Year 7 who have already studied their first foreign language in primary school are put into ability groups, whilst those taking their language ab initio are placed in a separate mixed ability group. They may move to a setted group at a later stage. Pupils also choose a second language from French, German, Malay or Mandarin. This is started in Year 7 and continues through to the end of Key Stage 3. Each language is given 2 periods of 65 minutes per week.

Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)

All students study at least one language to GCSE level. Some may choose to take both their languages at this level. At present we offer French, German, Foreign Language Malay and Mandarin to GCSE level.

Students are grouped by ability where possible for their GCSE languages.

It should be noted that all students who are Malaysian passport holders are required to study Malay to GCSE level in line with the requirements of the Malaysian Ministry of Education.

6th Form

At present we offer AS/A2 level in French and German.

Examination and Assessment

Pupils are assessed in the various skills areas at various stages in the year. In Key Stage 4 we follow the Edexcel GCSE syllabus in French, German and Mandarin, with a written coursework component as an available option. Students of Malay take the Cambridge International IGCSE examination in Foreign Language Malay. For AS/A2 Level French and German we follow the Edexcel syllabus for international centres.

Students make progress in four key areas: listening and responding, speaking, reading and responding, and writing. Around age 14, most students are able to:

Listening and responding

1. understand spoken language and written extracts covering a range of familiar topics, and dealing with events in the past, present and future
2. cope with language spoken at normal speed
3. pick out the main points and the details of what someone is saying without needing much repetition.

Speaking

1. take part in conversations, talking about events in the past, present and future
2. use the language to find out most of the day-to-day information and explanations they need (for example, finding out street directions, asking for prices in shops, and so on)
3. make themselves understood fairly easily.

Reading and responding

1. read and understand writing about events in the past, present and future
2. pick out the main points and the details in an extract of writing
3. skim a piece of writing to pick out the information they need
4. read on their own, for enjoyment as well as for information

Writing

• use sentences, paragraphs and descriptive words
• write about events in the past, present and future
• make their meaning clearly understood, although they may make mistakes from time to time.

Facilities & Resources

Each classroom is equipped with a Coomber cassette player, a computer, a television, a CD player and an overhead projector. The faculty also has an interactive whiteboard, a private study room for small group use, and regular access to a first class I.T. suite fully equipped for large groups.

Our core textbooks are Encore Tricolore (Key Stage 3 French) and Camarades (Key Stage 4 French), Projekt Deutsch (Key Stage 3 German) , Auf Deutsch (Key Stage 4 German), Au Point, Zénith, Elan (6th Form French), Brennpunkt, Schauplatz (6th Form German.) A variety of resources is used for the delivery of Malay, including Asas Bahasa Malaysia, Kursus Peperiksaan Bahasa Malaysia Tingkatan . Mandarin uses Ni Hao and Chinese Made Easy in Key Stages 3 and 4.

In addition to the above, the faculty has a wide range of other publications, including Métro, Avantage, Lernpunkt Deutsch, Logo and the Nelson skills revision guides for GCSE French and German. In 6th form we also use Actualités Radio France, Télé -Textes and TV Aktuell Each pupil has his/her own copy of the core textbook used for his/her course.

Other Information

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