Languages

The Languages Department at The Hayesbrook School currently teaches French, German and Spanish.  We aim to make lessons interactive and engaging for all of our students so that they enjoy language learning and understand its importance in today’s global society.  We encourage independent learning through the use of ICT to record and develop speaking skills, and give students the opportunity to really engage with the sounds of the language.  We believe it is very important that students can use a bi-lingual dictionary effectively and therefore encourage this in all lessons. As early as Year 7, students are taught basic linguistic terminology such as infinitive and cognate, as well as constantly revising what is meant by a noun, adjective and verb, to develop their literacy skills.

Finally, we believe it is vital for our students to have experiences in the country of their chosen language, and trips are organised regularly to put language learning into a real context.

The Languages Department organises trips every July to reward KS3 students who have made a consistent effort throughout the year.  If they study French they spend a day in Disneyland, take a boat trip along La Seine and walk up La Tour Eiffel.  Similar trips are organised to Germany and Spain.

In Year 7, all students have a taste of all 3 languages and learn each one for 10 weeks before moving on to the next.  They all leave their first year at Hayesbrook being able to introduce themselves, talk about their families, ask for and give directions, and order food and drink in French, German and Spanish.  They have also learned skills necessary for learning a language effectively.

At the end of Year 7, students choose which language they would like to study in Years 8 and 9.  During these years students have the opportunity to correspond with students in other countries in order to develop their language skills.  In Year 9, we run a Languages@work Week which gives students the opportunity to think about why language learning is important and how it will benefit them in the future.

Our aim is to make language learning relevant and enjoyable so that all of our students will choose to continue with their language learning in Key Stage 4.  They have two options should they decide to continue:

1. GCSE

Students take the full AQA modular course over 2 years.  They submit recorded speaking assessments and written coursework assignments, as well as taking reading and listening examinations.

Topics include: Myself, family & friends; my town; my house; my school; my leisure time; my daily routine; my future plans; holidays, transport, directions; at the bank and post office, at the doctor’s; camping and making reservations at a hotel, ordering food and drink; keeping fit, money matters; a day out; the environment; education; youth culture and choices and responsibilities.

2. NVQ

The National Vocational Qualification provides students with a vocational approach to learning languages and focuses on putting language learning into a real, work-related context.  Students spend 2 years working towards a Level 2 qualification, building a portfolio of evidence including reading, speaking, writing and listening tasks.  There are no examinations, so this course is perfect for students who find revising and recalling information under exam conditions difficult.

Tasks include:

• Be an advertiser: Prepare a powerpoint to give information about the schooland its facilities
• Be a Manager of a sports centre: Create a publicity leaflet or brochure for the sports centre
• Be a Head Chef: Create your own menus
• Be a top restauranteur: Perform role plays serving customers
• Be a journalist: Write a report of an accident for a local newpaper

The Languages Department is proud to offer a wide range of additional activities.  These all enhance the students’ experience of learning languages and build on a range of other skills.

Language Leaders Award

Students in Years 8, 9 and 10 are invited to participate in the Foreign Language Leaders Award, during enrichment time.  The course runs for a year and successful students gain a recognised leadership qualification to enhance their CV.  The award provides our students with the invaluable opportunity to:

• Learn how to lead and teach primary school children
• Be creative when making their own resources
• Grow in confidence
• Improve their communication and organisational skills
• Improve their own language skills
• Organise a Language Festival for primary school children

We currently visit Sussex Road Primary School once every 3 weeks and the leaders deliver 2 half hour sessions to Year 5.  We are also helping to support Valence School and the leaders are developing new skills when helping and supporting their students who all suffer from physical disabilities.

Lunchtime clubs

The Languages Department runs a number of lunchtime clubs to support students, including Gifted and Talented clubs, coursework support sessions and Fun Friday, for any language students to play language games and generally enjoy language learning.

School trips

International trips run every year in order to give students the valuable opportunity to practise their language skills and put their classroom-based learning into a real context.  We have partner schools in France, Germany and Spain, and exchanges take place annually.  We also organise reward trips every year for our Key Stage 3 students who have made a consistent effort in lessons.

Working with AEN

As a department we work very closely with our Learning Support Assistants to support students who find language learning challenging.  Their knowledge and understanding of individuals and their needs, is a invaluable tool for ensuring that every student thrives in the language classroom. 

International days

Throughout the academic year, various International Days take place, including The European day of Languages which is the day when the whole of Europe celebrates the 6,000 languages spoken around the World.  We use this day to encourage all departments to use language as a theme in their lessons, and to raise awareness of other cultures and the importance of learning languages.  Volunteers from The Japan Society visit for the day and deliver workshops to all our Year 9 students on Japanese language, culture, calligraphy and origami.

Cross-curricular activities – linking with sport; Enterprise Days

A number of other activities take place in the Language Department throughout the year.  We work alongside other departments on Enterprise Days in order to raise awareness of how languages are useful in the working environment and to integrate students’ language skills into other areas of the curriculum.  We also realise that most of our students are passionate about sport, and therefore use as many links as possible to this area of the curriculum, in order to motivate our students even more to learn languages.  This could involve a Spanish trip including a visit to Real Madrid, or a visit to the Sports Museum in Cologne, as well as using sport to introduce key grammar and structures.

For more information about learning languages at The Hayesbrook School, please contact the Curriculum Leader, Julie Bevan: bevan@hayesbrook.kent.sch.uk