Bellemoor School | Southampton

Aims

• To encourage pupils to appreciate a wider culture through the medium of foreign language learning, and to stimulate their natural curiosity.
• To enable pupils to enjoy communicating in a new medium.
• To develop confidence in using the skills of listening, reading, and speaking the language whatever their level of ability.
• To expose pupils to different forms of language experience-using videotapes, audiotapes, visits abroad, filmstrips and slides plus authentic materials obtained from abroad.
• To develop good habits of study, self-motivation and organisation.
• To provide a linguistic basis for the study of a foreign language beyond the age of l6.
• To develop an awareness of wider employment prospects with the advent of the Channel Tunnel and the abolition of trade barriers.

Year 7 Induction

Half the year group will take French as a first Modern Language and half will take Spanish.  Parental and pupil preference will be considered at the time of selection.  At the end of Year 7 pupils will be placed in sets and the top sets will be introduced to German as a second Modern Language.

Topics for Year 7 will include Personal Information, Home and Family, the Local Environment, Shopping, Food and Health Issues.

Programme of Study

• FRENCH AND SPANISH

The "Avantage" course is used as a basis for the study of French and the "Vaya Nuevo" course is used as a basis for the study of Spanish.  These are communicative courses, which aim to develop competence in listening, reading, speaking and writing the language in realistic situations.  There are supplementary work sheets, cassettes and filmstrips.  Videos and material from other courses are used to encourage pupils to practise their skills in pairs or small groups.

• GERMAN

A comparable course and method is used to teach German e.g. "Zick Zack".

Able Linguists are introduced to German and Latin in Year 8.

Assessment

Recording a pupil's level of attainment can only be meaningful over a period of time. Each time a pupil starts a new topic, he will start again at Level 1, since most of the words will be new.  Thus a pupil makes progress in two ways:  content and skills.  A pupil may be successfully completing tasks at Level 3 or 4 within a few weeks but only on the topic covered.  Consistent achievement at a certain level over the Key Stage years 7 - 9 will prove he has attained that level: therefore good attendance is important.

Homework

Homework is set twice per week.  It might involve reading, listening to cassettes or the radio, writing or speaking the language.  Recorded oral homework could involve pair-work or individual work.  Homework is an important element of the course as it is a means of consolidating class-work.  Pupils are set work to do at home, which is designed to suit their needs, i.e. different tasks might be set for pupils in the same set.

Ways in which parents can help

• Encourage your son to obtain a dictionary.
• Provide a blank cassette (approx £1) and recording facilities if possible.
• Support the school visits abroad.
• Encourage boys to follow TV and radio language programmes.
• Encourage boys to do homework conscientiously.