Teaching and Learning

TEACHING AND LEARNING:

AIMS:
 
By introducing French to all children through the school, we aim
  • To enable all pupils to understand and communicate in the target language with confidence and enthusiasm, to the best of their ability
  • To prepare pupils for common entrance examination and scholarship examination.To provide a sound base and ease of continuity from junior to senior school
  • To encourage a deeper understanding and appreciation of French culture and way of life.
  • To use a variety of teaching methods and class activities within the department to stimulate and maximise pupil’s learning.
OBJECTIVES:
 
Children will be encouraged to become proficient in the four attainment targets (listening, speaking, reading, writing), so that by Year 8 the majority will be able to perform to level 6 in all four, as laid out in the National Curriculum for Key Stage 3.
They will be studying Areas of Experience A, B and C (Everyday Activities, Personal and Social Life, and The World Around Us). The children will be prepared for the 13+ Common Entrance Examination in Year 8, when equal weighting is given to the four attainments:
  • Listening: they will be expected to understand authentic spoken material in a variety of registers on tape.
  • Speaking: they will be expected to perform orally a role-play, do an oral presentation on pre-selected topic and have a conversation in French on a topic chosen by the examiner. The majority of pupils will demonstrate the use of different tenses and a wide range of expressions and vocabulary.
  • Reading: they will be expected to show understanding of a variety of texts within the experience of a 13 year old.
  • Writing: they will be expected to write short texts in French from visual stimuli. They will also be expected to write a letter in French including four out of five bullet points. The marking will be assessed on their ability to use different tenses and expressions appropriately within the examination topic.
Target language testing was introduced in 1997 at Common Entrance, reflecting the style GCSE examinations, and tiering (Higher and Basic) in all four AT's has been introduced since 1998. A revision of the French C.E papers occurred 2008 and 2009 to be effective in 2010. Nowadays, the tier system has been scrapped which means that all pupils will do the same paper and will be able to show their knowledge in three tenses. The speaking exam is composed of three parts. One role-play; one topic which is prepared beforehand by the candidate; one topic which is chosen by the examiner on behalf of the candidate. There is an inclusion of a cultural factor with the choice of talking about an artist, a historical figure or a sportsman.
 
ASSESSMENT:
Children in Years 4-7 will be prepared for internal examinations in the summer term to monitor their progress in the three Ats (listening, reading and writing) and continuous assessment of their progress in the spoken language is made; the ability to communicate effectively is given the highest priority.
The Modern Languages Department makes provision for a number of differentiated “ Entry points”, to enable new pupils to be integrated as easily as possible into the new experience of learning their first foreign language at whatever stage they join the school. These entry points are:
 
Entry point 1: Year1& 2: “Entre dans la ronde” “La jolie ronde", Fun with French, Developing French; “Salut serge”
Entry point 2: Year 3: "Gaston 1”; “Early Start”
Entry point 3: Year 4: “Alex ET Zoë” (2001 edition)
Entry point 4: Year 5 & 6: “Tricolore Total 1 (2008 edition)
Entry point 5: Year 7 & 8: Tricolore Total 2  ( 2009 edition)
 
The Year 8 scholarship group studies “Encore Tricolore 3” (2004 edition). As part as their preparation for various scholarship exams, they study GCSE and AS level reading comprehension texts as well as writing exercises of the same standard. Translating and analysing texts are at the core of the scholarship group work.  
 
At each of these entry points, children are re-introduced to the early stages of French as the language is revisited, each time from a different prospective and with different resources. The four AT's are introduced and practised sequentially in lessons in Year 4 and above. In Year 2 and 3, listening and speaking only, are appropriate.
 
DIFFERENTIATION:
  • In the French department, we differentiate by tasks and on occasions by outcome.
  • French is not taught in sets of ability but by form. In year 7 and 8, the most able pupils are identified to be allocated in the top group. The latter follow a differentiated course book( year 8 scholarship group: Encore Tricolore 3); Year 7: a more grammatical and lexical approach in the four skills in class activities and prep work.
  • Members of the French department have a list of children on the SEN registers so that activities can be differentiated accordingly within the various syllabi and schemes of work. A range of differentiated (such as extended) activities are given to gifted and more able pupils). A range of adapted activities ( with visual stimulus; OHPs ; flashcards or gap-filling exercise with glossary of words) are given to the less able.