French

“The French Department consists of two specialist teachers whose aim is to make foreign language learning a consistent, enjoyable and rewarding experience.”

All boys at Willington start French in the Foundation Stage. They learn through repetition, songs and games. Whilst the emphasis is very much on oral work, the boys are slowly introduced to the written word in Year 3 through copying or aural recognition of familiar vocabulary.

When they reach the senior part of the school, with four periods a week increasing to five in Years 5-8, the boys have gained confidence in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. These skills are nurtured and developed to meet the demands of the senior schools’ Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations.

The French Department consists of two specialist teachers whose aim is to make foreign language learning a consistent, enjoyable and rewarding experience, to promote awareness of other cultures and understanding of other ways of life and the importance of French in the world.

In order to offer the boys first hand experience of the language, trips to France are organised. Every year Year 4 go to Wimereux, in Northern France for the day and every two years, Years 6 and 7 boys spend a week in Lyon. We have links with a French school, we stage a European day of languages every year, we subscribe to magazines in French and we invite French touring theatrical companies to school regularly.