About the Modern Foreign Languages Department

Bonjour!

Guten Tag!

i Buenos Dias!

Click here to Listen to the Year 8 Podcasts (June 08)

Click here to read comments made by our French exchange pupils who visited Northgate in 2008

Northgate into Europe

As we develop closer links with European partners foreign language skills for work and leisure are becoming increasingly important. At Northgate all pupils in Years 7 to 9 study French as their first foreign language. In addition in Year 9 two groups study either German or Spanish. All pupils in Years 10 and 11 have the opportunity to study a language to GCSE.

Teaching Resources

The Modern Languages Department is well equipped with varied and up-to-date resources aimed at developing the four linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Pupils use ICT both to reinforce their learning, and to experience authentic material in the language they are studying. They are encouraged to subscribe to language magazines and to reinforce their learning with the aid of phrase books and dictionaries.

Teaching Methods

We work hard to make the learning of languages an enjoyable and rewarding experience, and pupils actively participate both individually and in groups. Pupils enjoy using the foreign language they are learning in order to communicate: Either talking to each other in class, working on creative projects, taking part in exchanges, or using ICT to communicate with young people abroad. They are placed in teaching groups according to linguistic ability and their progress is constantly monitored through regular assessments.

Visits and Exchanges

All pupils are encouraged to participate in our full range of visits as we believe that the best way of learning a language is to spend some time experiencing different European cultures.

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