Staff Information
Ms. S. Allen (Head of Department)
Mrs. N. Dorrian
Ms. A. Mitchell
Our vision
We, as a department and school, believe that language learning opens the door to endless opportunity. Whether it is to get the most out of travel abroad, hobbies, interests, or career development, learning a foreign language helps our knowledge and understanding of the world around us and makes us global citizens. Learning a language also promotes transferable skills, such as the ability to communicate and encourages self-development and builds positive self-image.
We create an environment where our students will fall in love with languages and will explore the pleasure that learning Spanish and French can bring. Everyone is welcome and respected and in Spanish and French classes. Furthermore, we actively celebrate and reward achievement and enthusiasm.
We set high expectations and support and encourage our students to be the best linguists they can be with not only a knowledge of the language they are learning but also a respect for the cultures of Spanish and French speaking countries.
Key Stage 3
In Year 8 all students study Spanish. Each class has three periods of Spanish per week. Students will learn basic introductory phrases and explore topics such as family, pets, my home and school. By the end of Year 8, all students will be equipped with the fundamental grammar and sentence structures to be able to manage extended writing tasks and respond to increasingly complex bursts of target language. There will be a variety of learning tools used in the MFL classroom ranging from active learning and role-plays, IPADS, ICT tasks and digital textbook-based learning with audio activities. This is the same for all year groups regardless of level.
In Year 9 we stretch our students further looking at more advanced grammar and begin to embed more complex language skills and encourage our students to use connectives, opinions and to justify their opinion. Students learn to manipulate the language to help them translate both from English to Spanish and vice versa. Two classes also get the opportunity to begin their French studies and study both French and Spanish simultaneously. The second language French course moves at a faster pace as those gifted linguists will be able to successfully apply their prior language learning skills.
In Year 10 we lay the base foundations in preparation for the start of the GCSE course for both Spanish and French. Students explore advanced grammar rules and practice translation skills and extended writing tasks alongside presentation and conversational skills. There is a large focus on more advanced topics such as the rights of young people in the Spanish and French speaking world and we learn about their customs and festivities in a celebration of cultural awareness.
Key Stage 4
We offer GCSE Spanish and French to our students and follow CCEA specifications. Building on their Key Stage 3 foundation, students explore advanced Spanish and/or French language and look at the customs and culture of each country. They develop their skills and confidence and learn to work with complex texts. There is a large focus on topics such as the environment, social issues and new technology. The four target language areas are all assessed at the end of the two-year course and have equal weighting. It is not compulsory to study a language at GCSE level, but it does have many benefits for the individual student.
Key Stage 5
In Strangford Integrated College we currently offer the CCEA A Level French course to our 6th form students. This is an intense language learning course with a focus on improving speaking skills and learning to read, write and listen to complicated extracts of French.
In Year 13, students study the novel ‘No et Moi’ and the topics for the language elements cover issues such as family relationships, culture and heritage, travel, and new technology. In Year 14, students learn about the occupation of France during the Second World War and discuss issues such as immigration, social responsibility, rights and democracy and the world around us. The novel we study for A2 is ‘Therese Desqueyroux’. We hope to offer A Level Spanish soon as the Modern Languages’ Department grows.
Extra-Curricular visits and trips
Every year we have an MFL trip abroad. We have been to Normandy, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona Venice and Verona and Valencia in previous years. We thoroughly enjoy taking our students away and think it is a privilege to encourage them to use their language skills in an authentic setting. Our school trips are usually open to all students from years 8-10 but we hope to extend this to senior pupils this year. In 2024, 22 of our year 10 French language students visited Paris in January to have a day at our partner school Collège Raymond Poincaré. There were also opportunities for sight-seeing in Paris and a day trip to Disneyland Paris.
We host Onatti plays delivered entirely in Spanish and French each year. These plays are highly entertaining and in line with the demands of Key Stage 3 and 4 language learning.
This year, we are launching a lunchtime MFL club for students.
