Discover more about Modern Foreign Languages

French is a popular A-Level choice and in Key Stage 5 girls develop the skills to communicate confidently and learn to understand more complex and varied written and spoken language. The course aims to develop girls’ knowledge of the country and its culture and students are encouraged to watch films and read more widely to enhance their cultural and linguistic awareness. Girls attend weekly conversation classes to improve fluency and pronunciation skills, in pairs in LVI and individually in UVI.

In Key Stage 4, students are advised to study at least one modern language. Here the course aims to develop greater proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation and during this time new areas of language are introduced. These include: relationships with family and friends, technology, free time activities, customs and festivals, home, town, region, charity and voluntary work, healthy living, the environment, poverty and homelessness, travel and tourism, life at school and jobs and careers. Conversation skills are further improved through weekly conversation lessons which are run in small groups. At the end of Year V, the majority of girls are entered for the higher tier language papers and examination results are of a high standard.

In Key Stage 3, students study French, encouraging the development of skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation along with an introduction to grammar. Topics covered include personal identity, family, pets, school, hobbies, hometown, weather, daily routine, food and drink, health and holidays.

Mandarin is a group of related varieties of Chinese spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. This A Level choice is available to native speakers only and comprises four key papers around speaking; listening, reading, translation; writing and usage and chinese culture essay in english. The successful completion of the GCSE course in Mandarin in a prerequisite for continuing with the subject at A Level. An interest in communication and in learning about the culture of the countries where the language is spoken is essential.

Spanish is a popular A-Level choice and in Key Stage 5 girls develop the skills to communicate confidently and learn to understand more complex and varied written and spoken language. The course aims to develop girls’ knowledge of the country and its culture and students are encouraged to watch films and read more widely to enhance their cultural and linguistic awareness. Girls attend weekly conversation classes to improve fluency and pronunciation skills, in pairs in LVI and individually in UVI.

In Key Stage 4, students are advised to study at least one modern language. Here the course aims to develop greater proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation and during this time new areas of language are introduced. These include: relationships with family and friends, technology, free time activities, customs and festivals, home, town, region, charity and voluntary work, healthy living, the environment, poverty and homelessness, travel and tourism, life at school and jobs and careers. Conversation skills are further improved through weekly conversation lessons which are run in small groups. At the end of Year V, the majority of girls are entered for the higher tier language papers and examination results are of a high standard.

In Key Stage 3, students study Spanish, encouraging the development of skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation along with an introduction to grammar. Topics covered include personal identity, family, pets, school, hobbies, hometown, weather, daily routine, food and drink, health and holidays.