French

Staff

Head of Department    Mr. W. Buttery

Teacher                        Mrs A. Buttery

Teacher                        Ms A. Brackenridge

Curriculum

Today’s world is often described as a Global Village. Never before has it been so easy to study, work and travel right around the globe, and the proliferation of different nationalities coming to live in Northern Ireland would bear testimony to this. Employers recognise the value of languages in their employees, not just in traditional export sectors but increasingly in many different areas, such as banking, software engineering and investment analysis, where it is recognised that having language skills gives you the edge over other candidates.

GCSE

Pupils follow the CCEA Specification, in which each of the four areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing are worth an equal 25%. All exams are taken at the end of year 12, although for speaking, part of the exam can be prepared in advance as CCEA state a compulsory topic to be studied in September of year 12. We expect pupils to learn in small amounts on a daily basis, using the Quizlet app. We have one vocabulary test per week. We do listening and reading in class weekly, and pupils will feel supported by their teacher on every step of their language learning path. All we need is positivity!

We offer classes with a Foreign Language assistant, contact with partner schools in France and Spain, and a vibrant Modern Languages Society open to all pupils.

AS/A2 

The Modern Languages Department offers French at AS and A2 level, following the CCEA specification.  The course consists of six units (three taken in each year), with AS available to be studied as a stand-alone course or as a foundation for the A2 year.  The units are divided as follows:

AS Themes:     

1 Relationships

2 Culture and Lifestyle

A2 Themes         

3 Young People in Society

4 Our Place in a Changing World