Languages in the Senior School and Sixth Form

Our students have displayed huge amounts of resilience and creative thinking during lockdown learning, and a tremendous amount of teamwork.

They have collaborated with each other to find ways around technical difficulties and have shared their experiences and brainstormed regularly to find better ways of working. All have learnt new ways of presenting and working together with a common goal. Students have taken initiative and managed their own learning by creating digital revision resources to share and by accessing recorded lessons again to consolidate their learning.

Highlights

• Year 7 made lots of oral contributions throughout remote learning, and a particularly memorable Spanish lesson with a dreadful song – the girls sang along and did some “desk dancing”. 
• Year 8 girls worked hard on their Year 9 French topic on the importance of learning languages during the Spring Term of remote learning and they produced some lovely digital posters.
• Three of the girls in our Year 11 French Extension Group worked really hard on a video clip for a competition led by Lancaster University. The final video clip is still being judged.
• It has been very exciting re-introducing A Level German back into the curriculum this year and our three students have embraced the course with great enthusiasm.
• Year 12 and 13 Spanish students enjoyed preparing typical Hispanic breakfasts and Year 8 Spanish students made guacamole as part of their module on parties and food.
• Our Sixth Form Spanish students have produced excellent newsletters showing various aspects of the Hispanic world throughout the year. These newsletters are a fantastic showcase of their language skills and also show their cultural awareness and digital and design skills.2020/21 has really emphasised the value of communication skills, and has reminded me that speaking a language needs so much more than words! Interpreting gestures, body language and lip-reading have all been rendered more difficult whilst working online and I have valued every second that I’ve been back in the classroom with my students and able to interact in person.

We have all learnt so much from this experience and will undoubtedly come out the other side stronger, more resourceful and resilient – and more grateful for every moment that we can share with others in person.

Image 1: Brexit poster in French by Lauren D, Issy H and Mia R-B (Year 13)

Image 2: Jess F. Crystal D. and Amelia F. prepare Hispanic breakfasts (Year 12)

Miss Lees

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