Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures.
In the George Salter MFL department, we strive to ensure that all students have the best possible learning experience through a knowledge-rich curriculum; one which fosters a love of learning languages, develops the confidence needed to be world citizens and bursts the cultural bubble.
We are committed to enabling students to express their ideas and thoughts in another language, to learn new ways of thinking, to foster resilience and to equipping them with the skills they need to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing.
We explicitly teach our Key Concepts which enable all students to become the best linguist they can be; Mechanics of Language ensures that students have an excellent command of phonics and grammar; Communication and Comprehension teaches students how to interact for practical purposes and Intercultural Understanding opens the doorway into the French and Spanish-speaking world.
We set high expectations for all and encourage students to adopt a positive attitude towards a life-long language-learning journey.
The staff and our Post 16 ambassadors offer a wide range of opportunities both in and out of lessons, which not only support students with their language learning experience, but also offer an insight into culture. We are currently running a number of extra-curricular clubs geared towards improving independence in language learning and broadening the cultural awareness of our students.
Head of World Languages: Mrs J. Williams [email protected]
“Spanish isn’t like other subjects it has a real use in my life. I really enjoyed being able to speak to people on the Spain trip, they actually understood me!”
“French is hard, but being able to have a conversation that other people can’t understand is great!”
“The French trip was amazing, we had so much fun and learnt a lot, the teachers were kind and really cared about us, they wanted us to have fun and planned lots of activities.”
“Belgium was so much fun. Living with a French family really helped me improve my French.”
During Key Stage 3, students will build upon their Key Stage 2 foundations of language learning in either French or Spanish. Not only will they acquire a solid base of grammar and cover topics such as giving personal information and opinions, describing others, discussing free time, school and their local area but they will also learn about the cultures of the target language speaking countries that they are studying through music, film and authentic materials. Across the Key Stage, students will be introduced to our Key Concepts, which will open doorways to further language learning at Key Stage 4 and beyond.
During Key Stage 4, students will follow the AQA GCSE course in either French or Spanish. They will build upon their Key Stage 3 language foundations and begin to see the Key Concepts in action through the transferability of prior knowledge and skills to the GCSE course topics and examinations. Students will cover the three Themes of Myself, Family and Friends, Local and International Areas of Interest and Future Plans. Students will be assessed in the four skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (each weighted at 25%) Students will then have the opportunity to further develop their language skills and knowledge at Key Stage 5, should they choose.
Throughout the Key Stage 5 course in either French or Spanish, students build upon their Key Stage 4 foundations and develop a strong understanding and appreciation of language, culture and history. Students will have the opportunity to study a variety of interesting and topical themes and to hone their skills in Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Translation and Research; excellent preparation for further study at university and abroad!
Please visit the designated Sixth Form section to find out more information about the courses we offer.