Modern Foreign Languages
The Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Department at Lingfield comprises highly committed and enthusiastic language teachers who aim to ignite and encourage a passion for French, German and Spanish. A love of languages is nurtured from early on through events such as the celebration of the European Day of Languages.
All students study two languages from Year 7 to Year 9; Spanish and either French or German. Students then continue to study at least one language out of French, Spanish and German for GCSE.
Learning a foreign language made me aware of other cultures
Matthew
Courses offered
GCSE French, German, Spanish
In all three languages, the focus is on communication and culture.
The topics covered are:
Theme 1– Identity and culture
- Me, my family and friends
- Technology in everyday life
- Free-time activities
- Customs and festivals in French/German/Spanish speaking countries/communities
Theme 2 – Local, national, international and global areas of interest
- Home, town, neighbourhood and region
- Social issues
- Global issues
- Travel and tourism
Theme 3 – Current and future study and employment
- My studies
- Life at school/college
- Education post-16
- Jobs, career choices and ambitions
A Level French, German, Spanish
The focus of the A Level language course is perfecting communication at a higher level and to develop the four key language skills; reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the society and culture of the language they are studying, further developing their passion and love for the language.
Reading
You will be able to read, understand and extract information from written passages in French/German/Spanish that are taken from authentic sources, such as literature works, magazines and newspapers.
Listening
You will be able to listen to and understand contemporary spoken language and answer questions on what you have heard. The passages that you will learn to listen to will be taken from a range of sources, such as news reports on the radio or TV, advertisements, announcements, interviews and discussions.
Speaking and Writing
You will learn how to write essays or longer pieces and to hold conversations and discussions in French/German/Spanish. You will learn all the appropriate grammar, words and phrases that will help you to:
- present information in the target language
- provide opinions
- organise your arguments
- analyse your ideas
Enrichment
The department runs a wide variety of extra-curricular language clubs and activities such as attending the theatre and cinema in the target language and cultural conferences throughout the year. We offer language enhancement clubs, as well as activities aimed at bringing languages to life and increasing students’ cultural awareness.
Language students at Lingfield benefit from several language immersion trips, including an annual four-day trip to Paris for our younger French students and cultural visits such as a Spanish study trip to Barcelona and a joint German/Music tour of Germany.
Foreign Exchanges
The Department runs biannual school exchanges with schools in Lille (France), Warburg (Germany) and Pontevedra (Spain), which allow our students to develop their language skills in a native setting and experience the culture and family life of these countries. Our Sixth Form students have the opportunity to undertake work experience abroad which greatly enhances their fluency in preparation for their speaking exams.
Miss Christelle Fournès
Head of MFL
