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ISMLA N E W S L E T T E R Independent Schools’ Modern Languages Association

Summer 2014

www.ismla.co.uk

2

Chairman

Nick Mair

Dulwich College

[email protected]

Vice Chairman and Membership Secretary

Geoffrey Plow

University College School

[email protected]

Treasurer

Peter Ansell

Stonyhurst College

[email protected]

Secretary

Jenny Davey

Glenalmond College

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor

Peter Langdale

North London Collegiate School

[email protected]

Reviews Editor

Melvyn Bardou Mill Hill School [email protected]

Website Editor

Thomas Underwood

University College School

[email protected]

Awarding Bodies Liaison Officer Alex Frazer

Mill Hill School

[email protected]

Liaison with Prep Schools Anne-Marie Williams Bilton Grange Preparatory School, Rug-by [email protected]

Exhibitions Organiser

David Cragg-James

[email protected]

Other Committee Members

Jane Byrne, King’s School, Chester

Duncan Byrne, Cheltenham College

Kevin Dunne, formerly Ampleforth Col-

lege (Liaison with ALL, ISMLA repre-

sentative on Executive Council )

Jim Houghton, Highgate School

Astrid McAuliffe, Alleyn’s School

Richard Oates, Sherborne School

Daniella Mardell, St Paul’s Girls’ School

Helena Matthews, Godolphin & Latymer

Duncan Peel, Hampton School

Ben Pollard, Eltham College

David Sheppard, Tanglin Trust School,

Singapore

Julia Whyte, formerly St Francis’ Colle-

ge

John Wilson, Cheadle Hulme School

Contact the Committee

3

Contents

Page

From the Chairman 4

From the Editor 6

British Airways Language Flag Award 9

Using film to teach topics at A Level? 12

French debating competition final 2014 17

View from the Prep Schools 20

TO GAP or not to GAP ? 21

Setting up a Mother-Tongue Programme 27

What do you do now the ASSET exams are dead? 28

Reviews 33

The image on the front cover is Three Poplars, Summer by Claude Monet.

National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 14th November, 2014, ISMLA NQT Day, Mill

Hill School

Saturday 31st January 2015 ISMLA National Confer-

ence, St Paul’s Girls’ School, London

4

IMPORTANT:

Those of you who have read the 2013 Language Trends survey will take little

comfort in the considerable fall in the numbers of pupils in independent

schools taking modern languages at A level – not least because the fall is

running at double that of state schools (most worrying is the case of Spanish

– a 5% decrease in the independent sector compared to a 12% increase in

state schools).

With this as a backdrop I will be contacting all member schools towards the

end of term to ask your views about why this decrease might have occurred

and what you think ISMLA’s approach should be.

MOVING FORWARD

Many thanks to those of you who took the trouble to respond to the GCSE

consultation (the last day before half-term is perhaps not the easiest deadline

in the year for linguists…). Responses are important if we are to have some

hope of shaping future examinations.

My thanks too to the seventy teachers I was able to contact to inform the

ISMLA presentation made to the panel deciding the future format of the mod-

ern languages A level – the A Level Content Advisory Board (ALCAB) by

name. Their decision-making process is not necessarily well known and is as

follows.

ALCAB is made up of representatives from a number of Russell Group univer-

sities whose task is to decide the content of the new A level. Their format

then goes to Ofqual who in turn give this to the exam boards to turn into

examinations. The process is then reversed as Ofqual then decide if the exam

board offerings are acceptable. Finally these are passed back for ALCAB ap-

proval.

You will know that the first teaching for both examinations is 2016, with first

examining in 2018. I feel ALCAB has a good grasp of what will make a good

examination – the caveat is that they have control over content, not over

how the exam boards turn that content into an examination.

GAPPIES ABROAD

I have drawn up a scheme to allow pupils to spend a term as a Gappie in a

French, German or Spanish school. Most will be familiar with the Gappie

scheme – but this an ideal opportunity to develop it either for those going on

to read modern languages or those who wish to widen their A-level linguistic

and cultural knowledge. The format seeks to help schools develop long-term

From the Chairman

5

links and is aimed at pupils who have ‘prefect’ skills and maturity. There is a

bilateral contract to ensure that Gappies aren’t used simply to photocopy or

solely as cheap language assistants – and that they in turn undertake to ob-

serve guidelines about appropriate behaviour. To date, various funding solu-

tions have been found for the pupils involved (four) – but it is hoped that the

new Erasmus Plus scheme (£904 million allocated to the UK over 7 years)

can be used – even if it requires filling in a thirty-page application. More to

follow and all paperwork and links will be available – though I accept no lia-

bility!

THEY WORK FOR US…

Few publications will not make a mention of the rise of UKIP and Nigel Farage

– and the ISMLA newsletter could not fail to do so either. Of more interest

will be two initiatives which attempt to raise the profile of modern languages.

• Modern languages as part of every party manifesto

Baroness Coussins has written a languages manifesto and is keen to make

each party refer to the importance of languages in their manifesto. ISMLA

wholeheartedly supports this initiative and you should be able to find the

manifesto on the ISMLA website by the time you read this.

• Speak To The Future

The campaign for languages is running a similar initiative with the aim of

making all 650 MPs make a statement about the importance of languages

and language learning and to post these on the Speak To The Future web-

site in time for the elections in May 2015. The official launch of the cam-

paign will be in September but replies have already been received from,

among others, Elizabeth Truss (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for

Education and Childcare), Nick Clegg and David Blunkett. The peculiarity is

that MPs are required to answer letters only from those who live in their

constituency, so we hope to enlist the help of someone in each constitu-

ency. There is a helpful follow-up however! Were an MP not to answer a

letter from a member of his constituency then a letter to the Speaker of

the House of Commons would ensure a response. Many will no doubt want

to write their own letters, but by going to the Speak To The Future website

(under the Supporters tab and ‘Write to your MP’) you will find sample

letters that can be sent or amended – either by teachers or by pupils. If

you want to read more about this you could also have a look at page 38 of

the Summer 2013 Newsletter. Many of you will remember this happened

before the previous election under the ‘Wall of Language’ banner with

some 650 prospective MPs contacted.

6

WHAT NEXT?

The next year is likely to decide the next ten: the examination results this

summer, the new examinations at GCSE and A level, the political outcomes

both national and international. Interesting times indeed – make sure you

help steer and save modern languages.

Nick Mair

From the Editor

Until the last edition I ran a series of ‘Notes from the Editor’s Diary’. Without

wishing to repeat the format this time, I have been looking over my diary for

the last few months, at least for those with a connection with the teaching of

modern languages. This time I shall simply categorise my findings under

general headings:

Trips Abroad

I have certainly earned a great deal of goodwill in this department this year.

As well as taking some year 10 students on a trip to Florence, I led a study

trip to Seville for Year 8 on behalf of my Spanish teaching colleagues, ac-

companied by a German teacher and a Biologist. That was a very peculiar

linguistic experience for an Italianist with no prior experience of Spanish, but

quite evidently a far greater ability to pick up vocabulary, proved when we

decided to give the girls a test (sorry, quiz) on the penultimate day sitting

under a tree in Cordoba. The girls also got the shock of their lives when one

colleague decided to join their lessons at the language school! Furthermore,

I will be accompanying the Art Department to Paris after the end of term. In

the end, despite how much holiday time these trips take up sand the work

and responsibilities involved, what good fortune we have as linguists to trav-

el. In my case, the word of the Easter holidays was azahar (orange blossom

to the uninitiated).

Theatre and Cinema Trips

7

Well, actually only one this season, but a tremendously interesting one. In

March the Barbican hosted for three nights a play in Italian directed by and

starring Toni Servillo, the star of the Oscar-winning La grande bellezza I took

my pupils to see in the autumn term. The play, Le voci di dentro (Inner Voic-

es) by Edoardo de Filippo in a joint production between the Piccolo Teatro di

Milano and Servillo’s Teatri Uniti di Napoli. The English surtitles were essen-

tial not only for the pupils but also for many Italian speakers given the Nea-

politan dialect, but the evening was tremendously enjoyable for one and all.

Talking to Universities

I have referred in previous Newsletters to the project I am working on with

some University teachers of Italian. This has led to interesting discussions

about the cross-over between the teaching of languages in schools and uni-

versities and a considerable insight into the preoccupations of those with

whom I am collaborating as to the prospects for language teaching in univer-

sities following the fall in language teaching in schools.

There is, to say the least, a good deal of gloom and doom. However there are

some interesting initiatives around. On the marketing side, The Society for

Italian Studies is sponsoring a recruitment video which will be available in the

autumn for showing to prospective students of Italian, while on a practical

level, the project I am involved with is seeking funding which would lead to

the production of interdisciplinary material for use in schools. Similarly, there

is a prospect of a workshop for sixth formers on the representation of history

in film run by Leeds University, of which I hope more will emerge after the

summer. Are any readers aware of similar initiatives in other languages, es-

pecially less taught ones?

The Future

As I mentioned in the Spring edition, we are seeking someone to take over

the editorship of this newsletter. If any reader or a member of his or her de-

partment would be interested in taking over, please do not hesitate to con-

tact me or any member of the committee.

Best wishes for a successful exam season and a restful summer to all our

readers.

Peter Langdale

9

Were you sad to see the loss of the role play from the GCSE oral? Or do you

merely long for the return of more transactional language? If you answered

‘yes’ to either or both of the above, then it sounds like the British Airways

Flag Award is for you.

A number of years ago, upon starting its own language test, BA was horrified

to discover it had a desperate shortage of linguists. The British Airways Flag

Award for Schools is an adapted version of this test and provides teachers

with a stimulating way in which to get their learners talking in ‘real life’ situa-

tions.

The Test

Aimed at year 10 students, the test is comprised of four parts: general con-

versation, two role plays, reading aloud, and interpreting into and out of the

foreign language. Conversation topics are standard GCSE ones such as

‘home and family’, ‘holidays’ and ‘music’ etc. The role plays vary between

airport-based and shop/theatre/restaurant-based. In these role plays, the

examiner is always the customer and can ask whatever questions he or she

likes, using the card. The reading aloud section focuses entirely on airport

announcements while the interpreting task once again varies between gen-

eral and airport-based situations. Candidates are required to interpret four

sentences from the foreign language into English and one last one from Eng-

lish into the foreign language; they hear each recording twice and can make

notes. And that’s how simple it is! When I went for my training four years

ago, I was advised that preparing students for the test could take the form of

a course run throughout the year by the teacher involved, however I have

found this not to be necessary. I readily admit that I have reserved the test

for my more able students/native speakers in order to stimulate them further

but I know of other schools that run very successful preparatory courses for

their Year 9 students.

The test should last between 15-20 minutes and does not need to be record-

ed; BA operates the scheme on trust. All you have to do is fill in the excel

grid (provided by BA) as you conduct the test and the computer does all the

maths so you can tell the candidate if they have passed or failed (a fail is

40%) after they have completed the test. Prior to the end of each term, you

need to email BA the grid and they send you the certificates within about four

weeks.

British Airways Language Flag Award for Schools

10

Why do it?

Besides its obvious linguistic merits, it comes with a certificate and a badge;

what more could your students want? Although, “does it have UCAS points?”

is now a question I am regularly asked by students, the answer is no, it does

not. BA is working on the accreditation of the award and currently it can be

listed in any ‘records of achievement’ and can ‘contribute towards accredita-

tion through qualifications that are approved by the DfES and QCA for the

National Qualifications Framework’.

How do I get involved?

Contact Deborah Workman at the British Airways Learning Centre at

Heathrow ([email protected]) and she will let you know when it will

be possible to come in for a training day. You can train in more than one lan-

guage – and when I say train, I don’t mean anything intimidating but rather

that you are shown how to conduct and examine the test yourself.

Further information can also be found at www.ba.com/languageresources.

Daniella Mardell

[email protected]

London’s evening universitywww.bbk.ac.uk/arts/study-here/languages-at-birkbeck

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12

Using film to teach topics at A Level?

What I will describe in the article is an attempt to explore how a film, or ra-

ther an episode from it, can be used to enrich the study of a topic at A level.

The example is drawn from Italian so that for the vast majority of readers it

will not be immediately transferable to your classroom, but I hope that it

might serve as a model or stimulus to develop ’modules’ in other languages

based on the same principle.

I must emphasise straightaway that I am not a ‘film buff’ and that I have for

a long time been sceptical about the practicalities of using film in the lan-

guage classroom. Films are long and unwieldy when we are under pressure

to deliver the teaching of topics in a packed scheme of work. We rarely have

a screenplay to help focus on the acquisition of vocabulary and expression

and the great temptation is to watch with English subtitles to aid comprehen-

sion. Yet I have been to an extent converted to the possibilities offered by

film by the appearance in 2012 of a film entitled ‘Bella addor-

mentata’ (Sleeping Beauty) by the acclaimed Italian director Marco Belloc-

chio.

The case of Eluana Englaro

Before going any further, I should explain a bit of the background. Back in

1992, a 20-year old Italian girl, Eluana Englaro, was involved in a car acci-

dent as a result of which she went into a coma. A year later doctors conclud-

ed that she had no hope of recovery and for the next sixteen years she was

kept on life support. In 1999, Eluana’s father started on a long journey

through the courts to have the life support switched off and to allow his

daughter to die, a journey which ended up in the European Court. To cut a

13

very long story short, the judicial process eventually sanctioned the suspen-

sion of life support in late 2008. In February 2009, the Berlusconi govern-

ment put before Parliament a Bill i to change the law to prevent the suspen-

sion but just before it could be passed, Eluana had been allowed to pass

away. The case was a tragic and received much publicity in Italy, not least

because of the position taken by the government and the image of a father

who battled for so long to end his daughter’s life.

Phase One

In early 2009 I was looking to prepare lessons on ethical issues (yes, the old

chestnuts such as the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia) when I read

of the case. I put together a few articles and news clips from YouTube includ-

ing some violent reactions in Parliament. “Eluana non è morta, è stata

ammazzata!” (Eluana has not died, she has been murdered), cries out some-

what overdramatically one senator on the news of her death.

I created (as one does) some reading and listening exercises, got the stu-

dents to write about it and encouraged some debate in class on the issues

involved – all very successful judging by the reactions of the students, how

they wrote about it and in one case used the material for her oral. We have

since used the material each year and have noted how the students engage

with the ethical issues because it was such a real and striking case.

14

Discovering the Film

The film appeared in 2012 but it only came to my attention this year. My

first instinct was to arrange for the students to watch it after having studied

the case in class. However, it seemed to me that there was more to be done

with it than simply as an ‘add-on, but how?

The film does not seek to retell the story, but is set in February 2009 as the

vote on the Bill to change the law to prevent Eluana’s death is passing

through Parliament. It follows the cases of three characters, a doctor trying

to prevent a drug addict committing suicide, a fading actress keeping alive a

daughter who is seemingly in a similar situation to Eluana and a Senator

whose daughter is keeping vigil outside the clinic where Eluana is lying and

who is battling to decide which way to vote (with his party, evidently Forza

Italia, that of Berlusconi, to keep her alive or with his conscience to vote

against as we discover that earlier he had helped his terminally ill wife to

die).

Using the Film

Clearly, the whole film was too unwieldy and complex to use alone. However,

it was clear to me that there was scope to do something with it that would

further the discussion. I therefore went through the film looking for a scene

of no more than 5 minutes that could be exploited in an interesting way and

encourage a more nuanced debate among the students. I lighted on a scene

...I would have done anything to keep her alive one week, one day

longer.

15

where the Senator is alone in his office in the Senate rehearsing his speech,

laying out his thoughts in private as his party colleagues listen through the

door.

To make sure that students follow it carefully and have the vocabulary and

expression firmly in their minds, I decided I would show the extract with the

Italian subtitles for the hard of hearing rather than any in English (see the

screen shot on the preceding page). I then set about creating the obligatory

worksheet. And that is where it got interesting. The film extract allowed me

to ask simple comprehension questions but also to ask

• questions that explore certain cinematographic aspects, such as about

the set, the lighting and so forth and why they might be so;

• what students make of what he said (either as a class discussion or a

written response) ; and

• having watched the real life parliamentary outburst I mentioned

above, a piece of writing on how the Senator in the film might have

responded. Consider the demands of using the conditional and the

resulting sequence of tenses.

What I believe is stimulating for the students is the meeting of the real life

situation and its cinematographic counterpart in a film that sets out not to be

dogmatic but to explore the issues in a sensitive and intelligent manner,

where drama can illuminate the questions and contradictions inherent in the

real life moral issue.

There are certainly many films and scenes in all languages which can similar-

ly be used to enliven and enrich the otherwise potentially dry teaching and

study of ‘topics’. I hope that at least this example can serve as a stimulus to

thinking about how best to employ them in the language classroom.

If anyone is interested in getting hold of the material I created, please email

me at [email protected] and I will happily send it to you.

Peter Langdale

“No more euthanasia in honour of Eluana” - a slogan illus-

trating one reaction to the case which could be used as a

stimulus for discussion not simply framed as for and against.

For a guide to the rules governing the study

of films in school, consult the Summer 2013

edition of this newsletter (P 31)

A refreshingly new approach to school visits to Spain!

We only use hotels with a proven track record of providing first-rate service and

food, and where children are treated with the same respect as adults.

We know the island so well and are able to provide transfers, excursions and activities to suit all requirements, and all ages of students at the best possible rates. We also arrange for experienced language school teachers to come to you as we create classrooms within your hotel, so minimising travel to and from lessons.

A C A D E M I C Y E A R 2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5

Mallorca?

“Mallorca for a school trip? Isn’t that Magaluf? You’ve got to be kidding!!” But hang on a minute. Isn’t Mallorca one of the world’s best-loved holiday destinations? Hasn’t it got some of the most beautiful scenery, towns and villages in the whole of Spain to say nothing of its amazing beaches? We have taken all of those elements that make this island so popular; a great range of hotels, fantastic infrastructure, wonderful beaches, a fascinating culture and history, a huge range of fun activities and truly amazing scenery. We have then used our experience as tour operators to tailor make packages for schools, which are miles away from the usual school trip model.

We are thrilled that Dulwich College has already booked a return visit for this October. Why don’t you get in touch with us too? As we tailor make each visit, there’s almost nothing we can’t provide for your budget, plus we will look after you while you are here and be on hand for anything that crops up or that you might need during your stay. It would be a total pleasure to welcome you and your pupils here in Mallorca and to provide you with a school trip of a lifetime!

Contact us at: [email protected] www.premiertravelservices.co/school-groups

“Just a few words of thanks for your wonderful organisation which made our Year 9 Activities and language trip to Mallorca such a great success. It was without doubt one of our best Spanish trips yet and the boys have not stopped talking about it, particularly the journey through the mountains by train to Soller and the paintballing on the final day which caused such excitement! “ Sameer Tanna, Head of Lower School Learning and Spanish Teacher - Dulwich College

h to school visits to Spain!

y use hotels with a proven track

17

French debating competition final 2014

The National Final of the “joutes oratoires” (French debating competition)

took place on 17 March 2014 at the French Institute in Kensington, as part of

their “semaine de la Francophonie”. With 12 teams from seven different re-

gions, we had the largest ever number of participants. We were particularly

delighted to welcome the winners of two new regional competitions: the East

(Stephen Perse and Perse Upper) and South London (Whitgift). Altrincham

Grammar, now seasoned veterans of this competition, represented the

North; the Cheltenham area was represented again by Dean Close; Wycombe

Abbey and King Alfred had come top of the North London heat; Abingdon

made their entrance for the West; and Central London had sent Sevenoaks

(also pillars of this competition), St Paul’s (boys) and Westminster.

Teams had had only four weeks to prepare three ambitious motions:

• Les écoles confessionnelles ne devraient pas être financées par l'argent

public.

• L'interdiction de fumer devrait s'étendre aux logements où il y a des en-

fants.

• Il serait préférable que le parlement européen siège et travaille unique-

ment à Strasbourg.

Debates were fierce, as usual, and we were struck by the quality of the com-

peting teams. Fluent and idiomatic French, solid arguments supported by in

depth research into the topics, honed debating skills and ability to convince

with quick fire replies, humour, even panache, were qualities the jury, led by

Cultural Attaché M. Yves Letournel, admired in many teams.

18

The new evaluation grid we were trialling, with marks out of 10 rather than

5, and no equal scores allowed, proved very successful; four teams emerged

as clear victors at the end of the first round and went on to debate unpre-

pared motions in the next round.

Stephen Perse and Whitgift faced each other in the “petite finale” on the mo-

tion: “Le cannabis devrait être légalisé”, and came 4th and 3rd, after a su-

perb performance on both sides. The grand final was a magisterial confronta-

tion between Westminster and Wycombe Abbey, on the motion: “Le droit de

vote devrait être accordé à 16 ans”. Both teams were extremely strong, and

the quality of the debate was staggering. The victory finally went to West-

minster, whose excellent team had already finished as runners up last year.

The event, which took place in the Institute’s elegant first floor salons and

was both festive and heated, was greatly enjoyed by all. It was an excellent

opportunity for students to practise their French in a real context and meet

fellow Francophiles with an interest in debating. For teachers, it was good to

get to know or meet again colleagues from similar schools.

Our congratulations go to all participants, and our thanks to the Institute

team, who hosted the event and adjudicated the debates, as well as to

ISMLA, who sponsor us every year. Their generous contribution enabled us to

present £60 book tokens to the two winners and £40 book tokens to the run-

ners up, as well as offer refreshments.

We hope to get more and more schools to take part in French debating. The

dates for next season’s regional heats should be known early in the autumn

term and will be posted on the ISMLA website. For further information, you

are also very welcome to contact me [email protected] (organiser of the

Central London competition and coordinator of the National final). I look for-

ward to hearing from you.

Hélène May St Paul’s Girls’ School

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усский язык Italiano 日

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中文دو

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spañol русский язык It

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20

View from the Prep Schools

Transition has been a popular topic amongst Prep Schools for many years

and this remains a subject prep teachers feel strongly about. In order to help

bring about changes and improve levels of communication, meetings at IAPS

district level have taken place.

In a day conference organised by Margaret Curran, Head of Modern Lan-

guages at Benenden in January, keynote speaker Dr Shirley Lawes gave a

very interesting presentation on senior school expectations, i.e. where they

expect pupils to be at Year 9 entry. Subsequent discussions focused heavily

on concerns raised by Prep School teachers:

• lack of communication

• feedback on individual CE exam grades

• diverse range of levels needed for entry to different schools

• inconsistent use of CE/scholarship at 13+.

• high or unrealistic expectations and standards in scholarship papers

• a strong feeling that Prep schools are not taken seriously.

To move things on and explore further the areas for concerns a meeting is to be held on Wednesday 25th June led by Colin Draper, IAPS district coordina-tor and Head of Upper School at Rose Hill. If interested in attending, con-tact Colin at [email protected].

Finally, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you want to share

any ideas or get involved. My email is [email protected].

Anne-Marie Williams

Contributions to the Newsletter

We value all articles, letters or reflections in any form which contribute to

enriching the debate about modern language teaching in our schools. Con-

tact the editor.

The Reviews Editor, Melvyn Bardou, would be happy to hear from anyone

wishing to review books, websites and other teaching materials. Contact him

at [email protected] if you would like to help in this way.

21

TO GAP or NOT TO GAP ?

Regular readers of this Newsletter may be familiar with the regular advertise-

ments for Maison Claire Fontaine a language and activity centre for UK

schools in Burgundy. In recent times, the centre has employed gap year stu-

dents with plans to read Modern Languages at university. The Director, Alex

Hardy here shares her experiences and those of four young people who have

worked at the centre before going up to university.

I cannot believe that it is now over 5 years since I

took the plunge and missed my first September

‘rentrée’ having resigned from 20 years of working

as a teacher and senior manager in London schools

to explore new and different opportunities. It is just

over 3 years since these adventures brought me to

France with my partner Mark to run Maison Claire

Fontaine.

In these three years I have enjoyed the freedom to

develop an educational provision that benefits from

the perfect language teaching classroom. Not only

do we have a beautiful setting and a business that

combines learning with fun (a real win win for pu-

pils and us alike!) but we are in ‘la France profond-

e’. Locals here cannot and do not speak much Eng-

lish. Our visiting groups experience a warm wel-

come and a truly French experience.

Two years ago we decided to investigate

the possibility of offering teaching assistant

positions to English students during their

gap year. Part of the reasoning for this was

to enable us to present real role models for

pupils: English students who have already

chosen French as a subject for further

study. It is important to us that all our

teachers are bilingual French nationals and

therefore provide pupils with access to real

French speakers with real French experi-

ences. However, during meal times and

free time we felt there was an opportunity

to encourage even more French speaking in a more relaxed atmosphere as

well as discussing French as a subject at school and an option for the future

with someone who really knows.

MCF is situated in the

quiet hamlet of Mélu-

zien , near Avallon

The MCF team, summer 2013,

with English students Matt and

22

The experiment has been a real success and something we will continue. Just

recently we received the following feedback from a parent of a 10 year old

boy who visited MCF with his school :

‘Thank you so much for looking after the boys for the past few days. Daniel

returned suitably exhausted but enthusing about everything he had done in

France and the wonderful staff at MCF. Daniel certainly seems to have en-

joyed himself and has come home feeling more confident understanding spo-

ken French. He will have lots of fond memories of you - he's already men-

tioned the opportunities for GAP year/Uni students so you've had quite an

impact - we'll see what time brings . . . ‘

For the first time I have seen and understood the real value of spending a

year away from home before University. We have really enjoyed seeing our

gap year students develop into independent young people, confident in

speaking French and are pleased that one of our first recruits was so taken

with his work supporting children with their French learning that he is now

just completing his PGCE in primary education with French as his specialism.

We are, in part, influencing and contributing to the next generation of lan-

guage ambassadors …!

For this article I thought I would ask some of the language students that we

have had working here to write a little about their experiences, to hear their

side of the story. I know that ‘to gap or not to gap’ may be a question that

you are asked by your own 6th formers so I hope you may find it interesting

reading and perhaps provide you with some useful thoughts or quotes in re-

sponse. Please do also feel free to ask students to get in touch with me at

Maison Claire Fontaine if they have any questions about a gap year with us.

Alex Hardy Director of Maison Claire Fontaine

www.maisonclairefontaine.com

Jess went to Trinity School, Croydon for Sixth form and did

History, Maths, French and Spanish A Levels. She is going

to study Modern and Medieval Languages (French and

Spanish) at Cambridge University in September 2014.

I actually didn’t decide to do a gap year initially. When I

was offered my place at Cambridge, they offered me a de-

ferred place as the college felt that students with a gap

year would cope better with their course. As I truly wanted

to go to Cambridge I took up the opportunity of a gap year.

I spent September and October working for Maison Claire Fontaine in Bur-

gundy, then a further month in Montpellier in France at a language school,

23

tutoring English and living in a host family. Afterwards to improve my Span-

ish I spent 5 months living in Seville working as an Au pair and attending a

language school. Finally I will spend a month inter- railing in Europe.

I have learnt so much. From an academic point of view, my fluency, confi-

dence and knowledge of French and Spanish has improved as well as my

cultural knowledge of the countries. It has given me opportunities to travel

which I would not have otherwise had. I feel it strengthens your character,

challenges you to put yourself out there, take every opportunity you get and

make friends from all across the world.

My advice before deciding to take a gap year would be to have clear reasons

for why you want to do a gap year and a rough idea of what you want to do

to make it worthwhile. I had no idea of exactly what I was going to do to

improve my languages initially but I knew that I wanted to be living and/or

working in France or Spain to be fully immersed. Knowing this made my gap

year easier to organise and has made it invaluable.

Matt went to Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke and did

A Levels in Maths, Philosophy and French, also AS Lev-

els in Chemistry and History. He is now at the University

of Bristol studying French and Portuguese.

I took a gap year between college and university be-

cause I felt the need for a break from education not only

to earn a bit of money before starting uni but to decide

if uni was the best course of action for me.

I spent the year working at Maison Claire Fontaine, although during the win-

ter months, whilst Maison Claire Fontaine was out of season, I returned to

England and found a job there for a couple of months. Given my time again, I

would have continued to work elsewhere in Europe, to make the most of the

year.

The year gave me the opportunity to work with young people in and outside

of the classroom, and these experiences dramatically developed my confi-

dence, leadership and communication skills. The world of teaching was pre-

sented to me and therefore now I see it as a career possibility. In addition to

this, it assured me that university and a future in learning was right for me,

meaning that I managed to learn a great deal about myself.

My advice to other students thinking of a gap year would be to consider the

24

fact that a language course at University generally includes a year abroad, so

this can be seen as a gap year in itself. However, the jump from A Level to

degree standard is fairly large and I found a year in the country whose lan-

guage I'm learning has helped me a great deal. It is also important to contin-

ue with some academic work during the year, be it reading or keeping a diary

or blog, so that returning to education is not too much of a shock.

Ria took English, History, French and Maths A Levels at

North London Collegiate School. She is now reading Ital-

ian (ab initio) and French at Cambridge University.

I took a gap year as I was undecided on what subject to

apply for at university and it took too long to commit to

what I wanted to do – but luckily it all fell into place and

I realised how much I could do with a year between

school and university and apply for a subject that I really

enjoyed.

During the year I volunteered at the Paralympics in Lon-

don, worked as a waitress at home for 7 months to save up money, then

worked at MCF for two months, then travelled around Asia and Australia/New

Zealand for two months.

I would say that a gap year is absolutely worth doing in that I can think of no

other experience that could replicate it. Working as a waitress taught me a

lot: on the basest level about the working world instead of moving straight

from school to university, but also that not everything goes smoothly and

that not everyone you meet in life will be friendly and polite! I also learnt the

value of money in being able to correlate how much I worked for how much I

earned and having to save up for something I really wanted to do. Inde-

pendence was also a large part of what I learnt: travelling alone to new coun-

tries and providing for myself in a way that I would never have experienced

had I gone straight to university.

If I had the time again I would have liked to spend more time in France and

perhaps have gone to Italy but I wouldn’t say that there was any part of my

year that I regret or thought didn’t have any worth. There just weren’t

enough months in the year to fit in everything I would have liked to so it’s

probably a good idea to plan a bit further in advance than I did.

For other 6th form language students considering a gap year before Universi-

ty I would unreservedly recommend it and suggest finding something course-

relevant abroad which you will really enjoy. Working in France at MCF was an

invaluable experience in that it immersed me in French in a way that is im-

possible to receive at school. However, there are so many months to fill that

25

whatever it is you are interested in pursuing you will be able to find the time

and opportunity to do so. A gap year provides a context of complete freedom

that it is unlikely you will experience again after entering the world of higher

education and then moving on to the working adult world.

Olly took German, English Literature and French A

levels at Boston Grammar School in Lincolnshire. He

has a place to study French and German at the Uni-

versity of Kent in September 2014.

I decided to do a gap year because during my final

year at school I wasn’t confident that my knowledge

of French and German was sufficient for University.

Also, at University open days many lecturers were

emphasising the usefulness of gap years for language

students. A year away from full time education was

also an attractive prospect.

I joined a website called workaway.info early in the year and subsequently

had the opportunity to work in Germany on a voluntary basis in March. Prior

to that I spent two months with some friends working on a renovation project

in France. Finally I am currently working at a Maison Claire Fontaine in

France for 4 months.

Undoubtedly this gap year has widened my knowledge of the working world

and improved my French and German significantly. I feel far more confident

conversing in French and German than I did prior to this year. I feel my gap

year has been totally worth doing. Besides my improved language skills and

confidence I’ve seen more of the ‘real’ France and Germany.

If I had my time again I would have planned the year more thoroughly. I had

2 months free after the New Year which I could have used more efficiently.

Generally I am happy with the year and the experiences I have had.

For 6th formers considering a gap year I would say ‘go for it’. I have no re-

grets in spending a year exploring Europe and using my languages in real

situations. A gap year is a great opportunity to reinforce the knowledge and

skills learnt at school. I now feel I will take new levels of confidence and mo-

tivation to University.

26

French language immersion in

beautiful Burgundy

At Maison Claire Fontaine we are completely focussed on providing amazing French immersion trips for school groups of 8–18 year olds

in a safe and intimate environment. We offer:

We are also looking for UK gap year students to work with us

from September 2014. Do you know anyone who might be intere-

sted in a French experience before University?

• Exclusive use of our centre for your visit.

• All lessons and activities led by bilingual native French speakers.

• A small, enthusiastic, professio-nal and experienced team.

• A uniquely individual and tailo-red service which is recommen-ded by many leading indepen-

For more information please contact Alex at

[email protected]

or visit our website at www.maisonclairefontaine.com

27

Setting up a Mother-Tongue Programme

Since moving to the British International School in Singapore, Tanglin Trust

School, I have been made aware of a movement within schools that is accel-

erating at a fast pace across the international sector: Mother-Tongue Educa-

tion. Looking at the ISC data below, I am sure that it won’t be long till it hits

the shores of the UK, if it hasn’t already.

Source: Independent Schools’ Council census 2013 http://www.isc.co.uk/Resources/Independent%

20Schools%20Council/Research%20Archive/Annual%20Census/2013_annualcensus_isc.pdf

The idea is simple and one that I am sure we would all, as linguists, adhere

to: being bilingual is good for you, whatever languages you speak. Recent

research has shown to what extent this statement is true and some of the

claims are startling. Apparently, bilingualism leads to heightened cognitive

skills; better focus; a larger memory; enhanced decision-making skills and a

better ability to multitask ( http://www.bhlingual.com/brain-benefits-bilingual

-infographic/ ). Even if just half of these turn out to be true, combined with

the practical benefits of communication and cultural knowledge, it is worth

educators sitting up and taking note.

Inspired by IB’s vision for languages that culminates in its school-supported

self-taught programme at KS5, we surveyed our pupils and discovered that

almost 20% spoke another language at home. The next logical step was to

look at how we could support the families by providing space, resources

(where possible), exam board expertise and, crucially, time. We facilitated

native speakers of existing languages taught at school by allowing them lan-

guage curriculum time to pursue a bespoke, first language curriculum with a

teacher. Often, it is a matter of students following national French/Spanish/

28

Singaporean curriculums. For speakers of other languages, we are creating

lunchtime and afterschool clubs, with tutors, as well as allowing for a small

amount of curriculum time in year 9.

We are only in our first year but the uptake has been remarkable and the

feedback from parents, anxious about their children losing their native lan-

guage through attendance of a British school, consistently positive.

To me, the benefits of such a programme are a no-brainer. Mother-tongue

students arrive at your school with a well-developed body of knowledge and

skills. Do you help to maintain and grow this or, rather, let it wither?

David Sheppard

What do you do now the ASSET exams are

dead?

How best to encourage learners before GCSE? How do you recognise the

achievements of learners who don’t make it all the way to GCSE? Finding

GCSE Chinese too long a slog but want to reward learners?

Many of us who tussled with such questions ended up using the excellent

OCR Asset exams which filled a welcome void. Pupils giving up a second lan-

guage at the end of Year 9 (how could any pupil be so foolish?) could at

least sit a simple, easy to conduct exam that recognised their efforts. Simi-

larly those struggling with the longish road to success in GCSE Chinese could

break the journey and be refreshed by positive (impossible to ‘fail’) accredi-

tation.

We have asked the exam boards to lay out their offerings that might replace

the Asset exams.

Edexcel Entry level certificates

The Edexcel entry level certificates,

available in French, German and Span-

ish, were originally designed for those

undertaking compulsory language study

at KS4 and who would find it difficult to cope with the demands of GCSE.

However, they also offer a positive KS3 progression route to GCSE. Stu-

dents realise that they can achieve and are, therefore, more confident and

motivated to continue learning a language.

29

Student work is teacher assessed and is externally moderated based on a

sample of short tasks that can be integrated into everyday classroom activi-

ties when students are ready to take them. Tasks must cover all four lan-

guage skills and students must also undertake at least one piece of course-

work (30 words of spoken or written language).

Mapped to previous GCSE specifications, the Edexcel Entry level certificates

promote familiarity with target-language rubrics and instructions and cover a

range of familiar topic areas:

• At Home and Abroad

• Education, Training and Employment

• House, Home and Daily Routine

• Media, Entertainment and Youth Culture

• Social Activities, Fitness and Health.

The qualifications are supported by a comprehensive assessment pack featur-

ing all the tasks that you would need to assess your students. It features

guidance on classroom assessment, possible coursework tasks and a mini

scheme of work mapped to each of the prescribed areas of experience and

linked subtopics.

You can visit the Edexcel level Certificate in French, German or Spanish home

page to access more information including the specification, key FAQs and

examiner reports.

Final certification of this qualification will not be until August 2017 so, stu-

dents can be recruited up to September 2015 based on a 2 year programme

(or September 2016 if delivered over one year).

Although not directly mapped to the Common European Framework for lan-

guages, these qualifications could be linked to the A1 reference point.

AQA Foundation Certificate

The Foundation Certificate of Secondary Education

(FCSE) is a Level 1 qualification to certificate

achievement in Chinese, French, German, Italian

and Spanish at National Curriculum Levels 4, 5 and

6 (or equivalent).

30

A versatile, flexible and manageable qualification for both teachers and learn-

ers, FCSE is suitable for a wide age range from Key Stage 2 to adult learners.

It can be used as a standalone qualification and can provide an ideal basis for

progression to GCSE and the English Baccalaureate.

FCSE covers all four language skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writ-

ing, and four themes: My World, Holidays and Leisure, Lifestyle and My Com-

munity. Assessment is straightforward - learners take assessments when a

topic has been covered, at any stage in the course, with resit opportunities

for all assignments. We provide externally-set, centre-assessed assignments

in Listening and Reading. Teachers have the freedom to set the Speaking and

Writing assignments but we provide exemplar tasks for these skill areas

which can be used without adaptation. Free access to practice assignments is

also available.

Flexibility is key - teachers choose the units they want to cover and learners

complete their assignments over one, two or even three years. Administra-

tive procedures are also simple; paperwork is minimal and no teacher ac-

creditation is required.

Learners can take the qualification as a Full Course covering all four skills or

as a Short Course in either Spoken Language (Listening and Speaking) or

Written Language (Reading and Writing).

For further information, visit aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages or email

[email protected]

ASDAN Languages Short Course

The Association for Language Learning and

ASDAN Education teamed up to develop the

Languages Short Course, which cuts across

boundaries of age, ability, setting and per-

formance tables either as a stand-alone

programme or as an introduction to the CoPE qualification. It aims to help

young people find the relevance of language learning to their own lives,

building enthusiasm, confidence and understanding, as well as improving

their knowledge base.

• It can be an introductory or companion course for young people at

various ages and stages in their language learning accredits between

10 and 60 hours of language studies and activities and is suitable for

learners aged 13-19 with a wide range of abilities

31

• It is suitable for Home languages, Community languages, European

languages, World languages

• It can be used as an accreditation ‘wrapper’ for languages through

other subjects, e.g. Russian through physical education

• The Languages Short Course can provide certificates of achievement

for Language Clubs, year groups, one-off MFL events, improvement

programmes, cultural groups, exchange courses

To achieve accreditation students have present a portfolio of evidence of their

activities that will contain

• A completed Languages Short Course book and evidence of challenges

completed

• Planning and reviewing documents

• A record of progress

• A summary of achievement, identifying skills development

For further details contact Kath Grant ([email protected] ) or

visit www.asdan.org.uk/Award_Programmes/languages. For more general

information on CoPE qualifications go to www.asdan.org.uk/Qualifications/

CoPE_Through

ABC Language Awards

ABC Awards languages qualifications cover

Arabic, Greek, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian,

Turkish, Urdu as well as French, German, Ital-

ian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish There are

also qualifications in British Sign Language. They offer qualifications at vari-

ous levels from Entry 2 through to Level 3 so that learners have progression

opportunities. For more information email businessdevelop-

[email protected] or call 0115 854 1616.

32

GCSE FRENCH/SPANISH/ GERMAN CONFERENCE ON IMPROVING

EXAM RESULTS. IN-SCHOOL.

A former Chief Examiner and Head of Languages with 28 years' teaching

experience will come to your school and deliver a session or sessions to your

students: sessions specifically tailored to your needs.

Speaking and Writing

• Students are shown a video clip (subtitled in TL and English) of a student

performing at grade D in speaking.

• Then they will be given 10 rules to take the performance up to grade C

followed by a subtitled video of these rules being implemented.

• This process is followed moving through the grades from D to A*

• The same process for Writing

Listening and Reading

Hands-on listening and reading tasks with advice

on how to improve.

Language-orientated sketches (optional) in conjunction with one of the

UK's leading professional comedy groups who perform entertaining and en-

gaging sketches. Short plays in the TL. Short subtitled films. Video montage.

A talent competition. Songs and music.

Contact

Terry Murray

[email protected]

www.terrymurray.co.uk

01299 871600

∗ You choose which skills to focus on.

∗ Flexibility around content and duration (one hour per language to a

full day per language).

∗ Neighbouring schools can be invited at no extra charge.

∗ Student participation and interactive activities throughout.

∗ Cost: from £500.

"I had my Yr 11s today and

they were raving about the

session with you. We should

definitely do this again with

Yr11s next year!”

"Ante todo quisiera darte las gracias

por el curso al que asistí ayer. Fue

excelente, fenomal, fantástico, extraor-

dinario, maravilloso, soberbio, increíble

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"My students are more

likely to take advice

from outsiders!"

"Having your support was invalua-

ble to achieve such good results.

We got 77% when the school was

happy for us to achieve 38%. Can’t

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33

Stimmt 1

Rachel Hawkes/Michael Spencer

Pearson Education Limited, 2013 ISBN 978 1 447 93521 6

From the new Stimmt! German course, ISMLA received for review (as above)

the first Pupil’s Book. Stimmt! is intended for Key Stage 3 and is described by

the authors as focused on developing language-learning skills, encouraging

students to manipulate language independently and helping to prepare them

for Key Stage 4 and beyond. At each level, there is one book for the whole

ability range, with inbuilt differentiation. The 2014 National Curriculum is fully

covered by the course.

In a previous review of Zoom Deutsch 1, published in the ISMLA Newsletter

in Autumn 2011, I outlined some characteristics which, if evident in a GCSE

German course book, might point to its usefulness and potential success.

Among these were: an acknowledgment that learners can deduce much

about German vocabulary from their existing knowledge of English via cog-

nates; encouragement to the learner to formulate his or her own rules on the

basis of the analysis of examples and exceptions; and a serious and organ-

ised treatment of grammar, with regular résumés of material covered.

A first examination of the book suggests that these desiderata have been

catered for, along with quite a few others. The topics covered in the 144-

page volume are those one would expect at this level (Meine Welt und ich;

Familie und Tiere; Freizeit – juhu!; Schule ist klasse!; Gute Reise!). But dis-

tinctive features in the book mark out the handling of this content as mark-

edly reflective of a learner’s needs above all else:

(1) double-page spreads break the topics down into manageable les-

son units (and each broad topic ends with a spread on the grammar

covered there, with explanations and examples in English);

(2) there is an early and commonsensical decision to include indica-

tions to the learner not just of what s/he is being taught but how use-

ful/relevant that material might be – manifested (a) in the form of

short lists of Oft benutzte Wörter at the end of each of the five main

topics, not quite vocabulary and not quite grammar, and involving

such bits of linguistic ‘putty’ as time-expressions, adverbs and con-

junctions, and (b) via five Strategien which the student is introduced

to in the course of the five topics to help steer learning; they are:

Reviews

34

vocabulary acquisition; the importance of cognates; looking out for,

identifying and predicting high-frequency words; the use of memory

and mnemonics; and using phonics to group new words together for

memorisation (i.e., by sound rather than by meaning);

(3) there is encouragement to the teacher to embed meaningful oral

practice at an early stage (learners are being prepared for an oral

presentation as early as page 41, topic 2, Die Familie, and are given

advice about how to gist-read German in order to collect material to

that end);

(4) writing is foregrounded as a skill, with a consequent understanding

that certain constructions that course books used to hold back (e.g.

weil and all the word-order changes that accompany it) can usefully

be introduced early;

(5) the central importance of knowing how to ask and answer ques-

tions is featured early on (topic 2), arguably an underplayed point in

some courses but essential especially in the context of the German-

language question-setting found in IGCSE.

As I said in the 2011 review I referred to above, one never quite knows how

books 2 and 3 of a new modern foreign languages KS3 course will turn out.

In their opening volumes, course-writers may feel understandably tempted to

steer clear both of knotty complications traded in by public examinations and

of the higher-end aspects of complex skills such as listening. This temptation

is all the greater in books where the second foreign language is being han-

dled (it is only natural for writers to be disinclined to run the risk of putting

learners off a language only months after they have started it).

What I like most about the first book in the Stimmt! series is its ambition.

This is manifested in the explicit recognition that learners are involved in an

apprenticeship designed to help them learn better (i.e., they are not just

‘covering material’). That way, they gather a lot of linguistic experience early

on; but the book is clear in insisting that they need to harness their pre-

existing knowledge of language if they are to do so.

The result of all this is that the first Stimmt! book offers interesting and de-

manding material which, when coupled with sensitive teaching, can make the

first year of learning German both manageable and highly rewarding.

Geoffrey Plow

35

Oxford IB Diploma Programme Spanish B Course Companion

Suso Rodríguez-Blanco and Ana Valbuena

This course companion provides source material for students of standard and

higher level Spanish B for the International Baccalaureate programme. The

book is clearly set out by topic according to the 2011 syllabus, and each

chapter contains objectives, some introductory discussion material, two texts

complete with comprehension and language exercises, and some follow up

oral and written tasks. The texts are meaty and relevant, and the cultural

references will certainly enhance knowledge of the Hispanic world. The IB

mission statement is engrained throughout the book, as further research and

discussion opportunities are suggested in order to given an international per-

spective on the themes that are addressed, and suggestions for CAS activi-

ties are made at regular intervals.

The final chapter, a series of literary extracts will provide some additional

cultural interest and the easy availability of answers to all exercises online

means that students will be able to check their work independently, for better

or for worse.

I always feel that encouraging students to read independently whilst referring

more than a little to a course book lends a certain incongruence (rather like

ensuring that students are ‘prepared’ to speak spontaneously). And this

book is by no means a one-stop shop for those teaching the IB course. Rigid

consistency between chapters, albeit with a sharp focus on the requirements

of the exam, results in a lack of overall variety of task. Furthermore, the

treatment of grammar is fitful as the grammar notes are brief and lacking in

development, and teachers will have to look elsewhere for drills and practice

exercises, although the Skills and Practice book in the same series would

certainly be of use here.

This book is, however, fit for purpose. It provides some useful reading and

practice material, as well cultural insight, all within the global context of the

IB philosophy.

Robert Sykes Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School

36

El Mundo en español : nivel A (junior) ISBN: 978-84-93991142

El Mundo en español : nivel A2 ISBN: 978-84-61474950

Pulished by Hablaconeñe (Madrid)

If you have ever wondered what the likes of Don Quijote, Mester, Enforex

and other language schools use as their course books, the answer is in El

Mundo en español. These books would never work as stand-alone textbooks

in the UK, but they do provide superb alternative comprehension exercises

for able GCSE sets and all AS pupils. The Junior edition contains chapters on

music, art, sport, the environment and history; as well as some challenging

grammar and comprehension exercises that will really get the most gifted

pupils thinking about the language.

Although the A2 edition (nothing to do with our Year 13 course) might also

be used with GCSE pupils, it would certainly boost learning in AS level les-

sons: it contains lengthy yet accessible articles and audio material on cine-

ma, sport, music, media and holidays. At the end of each unit there are ex-

cellent exercises, some which are similar to, and others refreshingly different

from AS exam-type questions.

The Hablaconeñe website allows you to download (for free) extra PDF-file

resources to accompany the books, and this company has also created a bi-

monthly cultural/literary/current affairs magazine for Spanish learners called

Punto y Coma: well worth a look for stretching Sixth Form pupils or even for

colleagues so that they can keep their Spanish up-to-date.

Melvyn Bardou

Cambridge IGCSE French (foreign language)

Grime, Y and Witt, J, Hodder Education, 2013

When deciding whether to move to CIE IGCSE French, the “Which course

book?” question cannot long be ducked. Until recently, the answer to the

question might have run along the lines of “There isn’t a dedicated course

book, so let’s stick with (insert name here of the book we used for GCSE).”

The volume under review is therefore timely and fills an increasingly-felt gap.

The authors make explicit and easily accessible reference to all 5 examination

topic areas, including the sometimes awkward “World events and issues”.

37

Here we have pollution, overpopulation, what can be done to save the planet

… so far, so conventional. However, there’s also a section entitled “La vie

n’est pas toujours rose” dealing with the various ills that can beset us all in-

cluding (uniquely in my experience of teaching French) serious treatment of

the lives of older people.

For your money, you get a course book that reflects the new (first examina-

tion in summer 2015) exam, with its choice of tasks in the writing paper. You

will also get densely-packed pages of exercises, vocabulary and specimen

sentences to learn. This is a solid piece of work, as befits the rigorous nature

of the Cambridge IGCSE, and one with high production values: full colour

throughout, end of unit tests and plenty of examples of exam materials. Any

department adopting it will have plenty to keep them busy. Don’t even think

of having it just to dip into: it’s not a mérite un détour; this one definitely

vaut la visite.

Richard Oates

Exam Grade Booster: GCSE French

Liam Porritt, Available from www.examgradebooster.co.uk and

www.amazon.co.uk

The introductory material to this book claims that it is: ‘By students, for stu-

dents.’ It is aimed at students of GCSE/iGCSE French and is written by a

quite remarkable current pupil at Tonbridge who has demonstrated plenty of

enterprise by producing a resource from the pupil’s perspective. It is some-

what refreshing to be able to see excellent material produced from the other

side of the desk, especially when the content is so good.

The book is divided into four sections: Introduction and Explanation; The

Exam & What You Need To Do; Tools To Boost Your Grade; Specific Essential

Learning. These divisions make this guide easy to navigate and use for both

student and teacher. Throughout each section the author has carefully la-

belled content and advice which is relevant to various iGCSE and GCSE speci-

fications: this allows the reader to ensure they are absorbing the correct ad-

vice.

The coverage is more than adequate on how to prepare for the each of the

four skills assessed at (i)GCSE and the style in which this book is written

makes it accessible to pupils (jargon and terminology are rendered transpar-

38

ent). There is a range of step-by-step guides on how to complete certain

tasks and even a fully annotated sample essay which is very useful for pupils

to see how to incorporate a range of vocabulary and structures to aim for the

highest grades.

Furthermore, there is certainly an emphasis on linguistic variety and gram-

matical rigour without being in anyway daunting for the less motivated pupil.

This book would therefore be very helpful in preparing pupils for AS Level and

in bridging the gap in grammatical knowledge, given the clear explanation on

how to construct sentences and use more difficult structures.

The entrepreneurial spirit of this young man and the clear presentation of

complex language make this a very worthwhile purchase and I wholehearted-

ly recommend it .

Chris Lowe Mill Hill School

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