Welcome!

Bienvenue!

Wilkommen!

Bienvenido!

A few years ago the importance of learning a modern foreign language was recognised when the Working Group for Modern Foreign Languages reported:  “For the UK as a trading nation, competence in foreign languages will be of crucial importance in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive world. The enlargement of the European Union is but one pointer to those changing circumstances. Our students will need to be prepared for a world where greater skills in modern foreign languages will be very much in demand. We need to be able to communicate with our trading partners in their own languages."  This is of even greater importance today, given the increasing globalisation.

It has also been established that language learning enhances a wide range of analytical, interpretive, and critical skills, which pupils require for a wide range of career choices in later life.

Accordingly, at Warminster School, we embrace fully the concept that, wherever possible, all pupils should have the opportunity to experience a modern foreign language.

Encore Tricolore Total 1 and Encore Tricolore (nouvelle édition) for French, Na Klar/Logo for Germand and Aventura Nueva/Listos for Spanish, form the main courses up to GCSE. As well as using the target language whenever possible, we are committed to those aspects of the National Curriculum which benefit our students, such as employing a variety of teaching styles, encouraging group work and pair work, independent creative learning, and using authentic materials. The learning of grammar and language structure is, of course, of prime importance but not at the expense of fun and interest. Gone are the days of dull, grammatical exercises. Those International Baccalaureate students who are native German speakers assist in the Lower School German classes as part of their CAS requirement, broadening the language learning experience. We strive to motivate and inspire students with dynamic, interactive and communicational language, drama and song.  We all have a well developed sense of humour!

At 'A' level we have introduced new materials over the last few years to meet the changes in the specifications.  In French and Spanish we work extensively from current newspapers and periodicals such as Authentik and Authentik en Espanol, to afford pupils access to current texts, as well as more traditional coursebooks. Currently, we use Au Point, Tout Droit AS and A2 for French, Brennpunkt for German and Sigue (tercera edicion) for Spanish. CDs, the Internet, satellite TV and a host of personally collected materials all contribute extensively.

ICT is used extensively throughout all years. Students use word processing for writing letters and articles, publishing applications for producing tourist information leaflets and posters etc, databases for class and school surveys in the target language, spreadsheets, activity programmes and text exiting programmes. Encarta in the target language and the Internet provide invaluable research facilities for all our students.

As well as each full time teacher having his/her own classroom, the Department boasts its own resource room, used for Sixth Form study and the centralised storage of reference books, newspapers, magazines, readers, OHPs, worksheets, foreign language films and TV language CD  courses. We like all of our walls to be covered with an ever-changing display of students’ work.