“If you talk to a man in a language he understands,that goes to his head.
If you talk to him in his language,that goes to his heart.” Nelson Mandela
French
The Most Practical Foreign Language
An obvious reason to learn a new language is to be able to communicate with the people who speak it. This includes both the people you meet when traveling as well as people in your own community. Your trip to another country will be greatly enhanced in both ease of communication and friendliness if you speak the language. Speaking another’s language shows respect for that culture, and people in every country prefer it when tourists make an effort to speak the local language, even if all you can say in it is “hello” and “please.” In addition, learning another language can also help you to communicate with local immigrant populations at home.
There are all kinds of reasons to learn a foreign language in general, and French in particular. These include
Cultural understanding
Speaking a new language helps you to get to know another people and culture, as language and culture go hand in hand. Because language simultaneously defines and is defined by the world around us, learning another language opens one’s mind to new ideas and new ways of looking at the world.
Business and careers
Speaking more than one language is a skill which will increase your marketability. Schools and employers tend to prefer candidates who speak one or more foreign languages. Someone who speaks French will have an obvious advantage over someone who doesn’t.
Language enhancement
Learning another language can help you to understand your own. Many languages have contributed to the development of English, so learning those will teach you where words and even grammatical structures are from, and augment your vocabulary to boot. For many people, language is innate – we know how to say something, but we don’t necessarily know why we say it that way. Learning another language can change that.
In the French department at St Joseph’s, we strive to provide our students with the best teaching of our subject. Our team of native speakers, dedicated and enthusiastic teachers offer our students the opportunity to learn French in a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere whilst ensuring that National requirements are met. French is one of the most preferred foreign languages to learn. We are committed to give our students a very positive experience during their introduction to the language at KS3 and beyond.
In sharing our love for the French language with the students we hope to enthuse them and broaden their understanding and knowledge of the world in which we live.
Our students work on 4 main skills during the whole time of their French learning. These are speaking, listening, reading and writing.
KS3
Students are encouraged to develop these life skills in every lesson in a variety of topics ranging from meeting and greeting people to discussing their local area and homes. All the topics we cover are interesting and useful. Also, we deliver a number of cultural lessons which develop their awareness of the way of life in French speaking countries
Pupils do a lot of group and are constantly encouraged to interact with each other. They attend engaging lessons and gain confidence in speaking French through the range of interactive activities they do.
KS4
Students follow the AQA GCSE French course and the Department has always had excellent results. Pupils study healthy and unhealthy lifestyles as well as fashion and current environmental issues, etc. Through a range of topics, students are encouraged to demonstrate their grammatical knowledge and understanding along with expressing and justifying their point of view.
Candidates will sit a final listening and reading exam. During the course of the 2 years, they will also prepare and produce 2 pieces of spoken and written work. These can be done at anytime during KS4.
Lesson activities include discussions and comparisons of France and the UK, expressing future choices as well as discussing current global issues. We also study written and recorded materials.
KS5
A Level French with AQA covers topics similar to ones studied at GCSE such as Health and Family/Relationships but also further ones such as Media and Popular Culture.
In Year 12, students continue to develop the usual speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. They discuss and debate music preferences, cinema and benefits of new technology. They also discuss major current health issues relate to image and fashion.
In Year 13, pupils are given more freedom in the choices of topics which they study. An emphasis is put on cultural topics of which students choose 2. These can be an artist, film, etc.
Beyond
GCSE and VI Form students have the opportunity to be members of a film club. Through the viewing of French film, they get to practice their skills in a much more relaxed atmosphere, with people who share the same interest. We have film viewings here at the College or at The National Media Museum. We also try and take our students to Leeds Metropolitan University to attend Languages events.
TOP REASONS TO STUDY FRENCH
1. Be understood in 55 countries across five continents and by over 200 million people.
2. French is the third most common language on the Internet. Connect with pen pals, visit foreign websites and find student exchange opportunities.
3. Get a head start on learning other Romance languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian.
4. French is a melodious and romantic language with a relatively quick learning curve.
5. Develop critical, creative thinking and problem solving skills. French also provides the base for more than 50% of the modern English vocabulary, which improves performance on standardized tests.
6. Open the doors to art, music, fashion, food, architecture and literature.
7. Discover a new appreciation for other cultures in countries that speak French like: France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco and many African nations.
8. Use French to pursue studies in Francophone countries.
9. Promote language diversity throughout the world.
10. Be more competitive in the national and international job market in disciplines like business, medicine, aviation, law, transportation technologies, global/international distribution and luxury goods.
11.French is the official working language of the UN, NATO, UNESCO, the International Olympic Committee, the European Union, the International Red Cross and much more!
