Who remembers the ‘old days‘ of daily French lessons, with grammar, more grammar, and some advanced grammar thrown in for fun? And then last-minute panic as the CE Oral Exam (or ‘Speaking’ in modern parlance) approached and it dawned on us that there might be a real purpose for French, beyond obstruse rules on gerunds. Or do you remember when it was trendy for the teaching to ‘bathe’ the pupils in the target language, leaving traumatised pupils to sit confused and uncomprehending?
At Lockers Park, learning French is about confidence, resilience and aspiration. Boys of all abilities leave the school with beautiful French accents, able to join in with enthusiasm in class and with a foundation that will stand them in good stead up to GCSE – and beyond for many. Senior schools remind me often and unambiguously that having one language securely under the belt is far more valuable than half-formed ideas in two, three or even four languages.
And how is this achieved? You can google ‘EPI’ if you want a scientific explanation – finally a method that combines common sense and outstanding research to teach MFL effectively. My own motto is ‘all boys doing, all of the time’. Teaching listening and speaking in chunks with boys in pairs or in groups building scaffolding sentences. Having boys extrapolate meaning using cognates and clues. Employing differentiated writing templates so boys can write secure sentences in a variety of tenses and expressing opinions. Encouraging discussions about etymology and how French links with English and Latin. What links English ‘courageous’ with French ‘mangeons’? What is the link between ‘moon’ and ‘glasses’ in French, and why? What animal is an ‘épagneul’ and where is it from?
Boys of all abilities enjoy the wide range of linguistic challenges and are set up to succeed not just in the present but also long into the future.
Charles Phillips
Head of French