Our Modern Foreign Languages Department prides itself on offering students a high quality language curriculum promoting a passion for achieving a wider understanding of and a respect for our global neighbours. Research has shown that learning a modern foreign language leads to improved mathematical, interpersonal and verbal skills. Graduates with language skills are in high demand; knowledge of a modern foreign language enhances career prospects in many different fields. The ability to communicate in a foreign language is useful in any career with a global outlook. 

The Modern Foreign Languages Courses – French, German and Spanish

Students have the opportunity to pursue a GCSE in the language they have studied at KS3, be that French, German or Spanish.  The GCSE course lays considerable emphasis on practical language skills and aims to give the students the confidence to talk about themselves, to obtain information from others and to communicate within a range of everyday situations such as shopping, using local transport, eating out, finding their way around town and so on.

Each language has four skill areas (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) which are examined in two tiers referred to as the Foundation Tier and the Higher Tier. Each skill area is worth 25% of the final grade and is examined at the end of the course. 

Students will be learning from up-to-date course materials where the emphasis is on authenticity of task, supplemented by audio and video material.  All students in Years 9, 10 and 11 have regular access to a dedicated ICT room with 38 PCs (with Internet access) based on the Languages corridor.  We feel that this enhances both linguistic and ICT skills for all our students.  There is obviously much new material to be learnt, including new grammatical structures and a considerable amount of topic-related vocabulary on which students are tested regularly.  Whilst continuing to practise and build up oral, listening and reading skills, students learn to extend their ability to write good French, German or Spanish by way of letters, translations and short texts. Additionally, there is an ongoing programme of trips/exchanges abroad to the countries whose languages are being taught at LCHS.  On such trips, students have the opportunity to practise and develop their oral skills and experience first-hand the culture and way of life of the country being visited. 

We endeavour to support students taking examinations in many community languages as and when appropriate.