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Year Six Language Option Information

All students are required to study a foreign language at Tavistock College.

We offer three main languages:

The language you choose in Year 7 will be your main language and you will not be able to drop or change it. It is therefore important that the choice you make now is the right one for you. You will be able to study an additional European language in Year 10 but you will not be able to study Japanese at a later date unless you chose to study it as your main language in Year 7. To help you choose your language, we’ve provided you with some information about the structure of the language’s curriculum and the range of courses and qualifications we have on offer.

Year 7

All students will study French, Spanish or Japanese. If you choose to study French or Spanish and have already studied one of them at primary school, we will place you in an “intermediate” class, so that we can extend and progress your existing knowledge. If however, you decide that you would like to learn a new language, we will place you in a “beginners” class.We have created a fast-track group in Year 7 in French and Spanish to challenge the more able students. Those students who are selected will have much more focussed grammar work and be given the tools to produce more complex language structures using several tenses at an early stage. We hope that students will attain higher levels of language than previously possible and, as a result, gain confidence in their language skills. The fast-track group will sit their GCSE French/Spanish at the end of Year 9 and will be able to then continue their studies at AS level and/or study a new European language in Year 10 and 11.

Years 8 / 9 / 10

French and Spanish Students in set 1 are those in the fast-track and will be taking their GCSE in Year 9. Students in sets 2 and 3 will be starting a GCSE course with a view to taking their GCSE in Year 10. Students in set 4 will be starting an NVQ business language qualification (levels 1 and 2).

Japanese
The Japanese classes are all mixed ability and students will remain in the same class until the end of Year 9 when they can choose to follow a short or full course GCSE. The Japanese short course is only one year and is suitable for those students who have found hard script (hiragana/katakana/kanji) difficult to read and write at key stage 3. The short course GCSE concentrates on speaking and listening skills only, so romaji is used. This short course GCSE is the equivalent of half a GCSE. Students are still able to achieve the full range of grades (A* - G). The full course is a two year course and is suitable for those students who have mastered hiragana and katakana at key stage 3 and who wish to further their knowledge and competency in reading and writing (including kanji) as well as in speaking and listening. Students who wish to continue with Japanese to AS/ALevel must follow this course.

Students pick their GCSE options in Year 9 in all subjects and will have the opportunity to opt for a second foreign language (European) as part of this system. Equally, we are hoping to be able to offer students the opportunity to continue to study their main language at AS level if they wish.

Why study French?

If you are a native English speaker, one of the best reasons to learn French is to help you understand your own language. French is the largest donor of foreign words in English. Unless your English vocabulary is much higher than average, learning French will greatly increase the number of English words you know. French is spoken as a native language in more than two dozen countries on five continents. French has 72-79 million native speakers and another 190 million secondary speakers. French is the second most commonly taught second language in the world (after English), making it a real possibility that speaking French will come in handy practically anywhere you travel. French is an official working language in dozens of international organizations, including the United Nations, International Olympic Committee, and International Red Cross. French is the second most frequently used language on the internet. French is ranked the 2nd most influential language in the world. We recommend you choose French if you are working at P level, as we offer a “Language and Communication Programme” to give you a taste of life abroad but also to support your literacy in English.

Why Study Spanish?

Spanish is a Latin language, therefore you will find as you study Spanish, you have a better understanding of English. It’s also the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world (after English, Chinese and Hindustani). Spanish is becoming of greater importance in Europe, where it is often the foreign language of choice after English. Spanish is a popular second or third language: with some 400 million speakers. It is an official language on four continents. Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of its vocabulary is similar to that of English, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic: Look at almost any Spanish word and you can tell how it is pronounced and how to spell it. While mastering the grammar of Spanish can be a challenge, basic grammar is straightforward enough that you can have meaningful communication after only a few lessons.

Why study Japanese?

If looked at from a linguistic point of view, Japanese is considered one of the easier languages for a beginner to learn. It has a simple pronunciation scheme and with few exceptions a straight forward set of grammatical rules. Limitations on sentence structure are also quite minimal. It is also worth pointing out that students who struggle with the constraints of a European alphabet may find Japanese easier to read and write. The most difficult aspect of learning Japanese is the mastery of the reading and writing of kanji, although this will give pupils a valuable knowledge of Chinese. Japan’s rise to a world economic superpower over the last century is one of the most prominent aspects of recent history. Japan is now one of the most important nations inthe world, therefore, an understanding of Japanese culture is now of great importance. For any economy, especially the Pacific Rim, it is desirable that a greater understanding of Japan and its people is reached. Japan is also involved in groundbreaking scientific research. It currently leads the field in artificial intelligence research.

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Page updated Wednesday, February 24, 2010