Modern Foreign Languages
Studying a foreign language is an incredibly rewarding experience and a great confidence booster. Recent studies have found that students who study foreign languages tend to score better on standardised tests, particularly in the categories of maths, reading, grammar, and vocabulary.
The MFL team at Welling consists of teachers who as well as being French and Spanish specialists have knowledge of languages such as Russian and Romanian. Passionate about the subject and the importance of equipping our young people in a competitive World and job market, we strive to make language learning fun and relevant. We encourage students to continue studying to GCSE and A-Level, enabling them to apply for some top universities .Every year we celebrate the European Day of Languages, with cross-curricular activities, quizzes, prizes and European dishes served in the school dining hall, while the weekly Language Café offers students the opportunities to experience other languages and to share any languages that they speak.
Key Stage 4 - all students are encouraged to take either French or Spanish GCSE. We follow the AQA examination board. Students make rapid progress throughout years 10 and 11, focusing on GCSE topics and grammar requirements. Homework is set weekly and students complete weekly Quizlet tasks enabling them to develop their vocabulary which improves the quality of their written and spoken work. Seneca is also used for reading practise, while GCSE questions are used for practising listening skills. Lessons are conducted predominantly in the target language and students are encouraged to speak the target language, whenever possible. Cultural trips to Spanish and French restaurants offer more opportunities to practise spoken language and to explore Spanish culture. Overseas visits are also offered to Year 10 students.
Heritage Languages Welling School provides opportunities for students to take on additional examination in a number of languages. In recent years, students have achieved success in Arabic, Persian, Panjabi, Urdu, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Modern Greek and Turkish.
How you can support your child
- Encourage to use the Study Hub regularly and to complete regular Quizlet sessions
- Children should watch target language programmes. Subscription services such as Netflix offer a wide variety of programmes in French or Spanish. (Teachers will recommend age appropriate content)
- Practice on BBC BITESIZE MFL
- Purchase revision books for GCSE (available at the school)
Head of Department: Ms Osei-Tutu
MFL Study Hub: https://sites.google.com/wellingschool-tkat.org/mfl