Modern Languages are an integral part of a pupil’s learning at The Leys, taught throughout the School up to A Level (French from Year 7, German from Year 8, Spanish from Year 9).
Never before have the opportunities for using languages throughout one’s life been so plentiful. Work and travel to all parts of the globe have become part of everyone’s expectations. In turn, cultural knowledge and understanding remain fundamental to meaningful communication and friendship with others.
Located in the Stamp Building, teaching is delivered in specialist language classrooms as well as a fully equipped Language Laboratory. Trips and exchanges are an integral part of the department. The department is also closely supported by native-speaking Language Assistants who help our pupils with their speaking skills.
The respective IGCSE courses for each language have as their broadest aim the desire to provide all pupils with a sound practical knowledge of the language being studied. Within this framework, able linguists are stretched well beyond basic competence and weaker linguists are encouraged to acquire the basic communication skills required for success at IGCSE.
The Edexcel IGCSE courses are topic-based, concentrating largely on the areas prescribed by the National Curriculum. Language is practised through studying topics such as Home, Family and Relationships, Free Time, and Local Area. Wherever possible, the target language is used in the classroom for communication between teacher and pupil.
International GCSE now specifically involves a cultural awareness of the country whose language is being learnt. Therefore, there are an extensive range of trips available to France, German and Spain.
Assessment at IGCSE is carried out in the four core skill areas: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing – and each is worth 25%. For the listening and reading papers, candidates will be required to give some answers in the target language. For the speaking assessment, candidates choose a photo to talk about and are then required to answer questions about two further topics from the syllabus. The writing assessment is based on one short and one longer writing task. These tasks can be in the form of essays, articles, letters or emails and are closely related to the topics from the syllabus.
The French department aims to encourage Leysians to understand the language and culture of France, as well as the other French speaking countries of the world. All Year 10 and Lower 6th French pupils are strongly encouraged to take part in a week-long study-trip to Nice, south-east France, which takes place takes place either during Easter holidays or during the May half-term holiday.
The German department stimulates interests in all things German, enabling pupils to see beyond traditional stereotypes and encouraging them to follow this up by visiting German speaking countries.
At GCSE, pupils can participate in our well-established exchange with our partner school Karls-Gymnasium Stuttgart. A group of pupils travels to Stuttgart for a week at the beginning of the Easter holidays, where they attend lessons with exchange partners and undertake a programme of cultural activities. The Stuttgart group then returns to The Leys in the last week of the Summer Term.
Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world and is spoken across three continents. It is rapidly becoming a more and more important language to know and so, why would you not want to learn it?
In the Spanish department we value all the skills obtained whilst learning a language, but cherish in particular the international and cultural awareness that speaking Spanish brings. Therefore our students enjoy a variety of activities in the target language like cooking, sport activities, tour of the city, a museum trail etc. Apart from this, we offer an annual trip for Y10 and L6. We have been to different places on these trips like Salamanca, Torremolinos and Málaga. The Spanish language can open the door to a world of opportunities in your chosen career, to new experiences and global travel destinations and open a window in to diverse cultures and we look forward to helping facilitate these possibilities through Spanish.
We offer A Level courses in French and Spanish.
The courses build on the basic skills of IGCSE, but the language is applied to realistic, adult situations. Authentic materials, such as newspapers, television broadcasts, novels, films and magazine articles form the basis of reading and listening extracts. Accuracy in writing and speaking is considered to be fundamental, and these skills are developed through practice and training in class, and in individual or small group sessions with native speaker language assistants.
Lessons are varied and stimulating. Every opportunity is taken to discuss national, European and global issues in the target language. All three language departments contribute to a well-established European programme of visits and work experience. Innovations, talks and debates by outside speakers and in-school experts are also developed. Language-specific networked software consistently increases pupils’ opportunities to work independently. Our Sanako 1200 Language Laboratory is a state-of-the-art Digital Learning Centre housed in the department, which gives pupils opportunities to practise their listening and speaking skills.
In the Upper Sixth, there is greater emphasis on extended writing in the foreign language, and the acquisition of more detailed knowledge of the culture. This involves the further development of listening and reading skills, but also examines the study of cultural topics specific to the country such as literature, drama, music and architecture, or the detailed study of a region of the target language speaking country. There are two written components, which test comprehension and written skills. There is also an oral exam which makes reference to the cultural topics studied.
A Leys Education is one which is built firmly on three main foundations; Academic, Pastoral and Wider Curriculum.
More informationAn overview of the curriculum taught at The Leys.
More informationWe are fortunate at The Leys to have a thriving and diverse Academic Enrichment programme which is growing and developing all the time.
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