Modern Foreign Languages
Why should I learn a language?
- English is not enough – 75% of the world’s population do not speak any English
- Languages are the perfect way to travel and immerse yourself in a new culture
- Employers love a second language on their CV
- Learning a foreign language can help you understand your own language
- A second language improves your memory and brain function
What languages can I learn at Bay House?
We teach French, German, Mandarin and Spanish across all year groups. Before you join us, you will be asked to select your first and second choice language that you would like to learn.You will then be allocated a language from those on offer. You will then continue to study this language throughout your time at King’s Academy Bay House.
How many hours a week will I have?
Pupils in Year 7, 8 and 9 all have 2 lessons a week in their allocated language. GCSE pupils have 3 hours a week. The department also runs additional after school sessions to support pupils preparing for their exams.
What will I learn about?
Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is all about teaching the basics of the language to build confident learners and speakers of the language from the very start. We start Year 7 by teaching pupils the basic phonics and skills needed for success to ensure pupils can speak the language confidently from the start. We teach phonics,vocabulary and grammar to enable pupils to talk about their lives and topics that are important to them, while also preparing each pupil for their future employment and travel. Alongside this, we also teach pupils about the culture in the wider world; our curriculum looks at countries beyond simply France, Germany, China and Spain. This reflects the number of speakers for those communities and enables pupils to develop a wider global perspective.
Will I have the chance to travel abroad?
The MFL department has run numerous trips over the years. The trips on offer vary from year to year in order to be able to find exciting new opportunities for our pupils and students. Some of the trips we have offered recently are:
- Berlin Christmas Markets
- Lille and Northern France Christmas Markets
- Goethe Institute day trip to London
- China Town, London
Mandarin Excellence Programme
We are proud to be able to offer the Mandarin Excellence Programme to our pupils. Parents will
be contacted when their child is in Year 6 to offer them the chance to take part in this programme. A class of 30 pupils from those who have expressed an interest will then be selected to join the programme. If you are selected for the programme, this will be your language of study throughout your time at King’s Academy Bay House and pupils will have 4 lessons of Mandarin a week. This exciting programme includes a two week visit to China for an intensive study trip and a residential trip to a UK university.