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Page last updated on
Monday, 05 December 2011 at 12:03:18 GMT
MODERN LANGUAGES
A Year in the Life of the Department
AUGUST Our three new Assistants arrive for the new School Year SEPTEMBER Spanish and German Exchange visitors enjoy a traditional Scottish Ceilidh OCTOBER Pupil on Work Experience in Tours with colleagues and young charges NOVEMBER Pupils in class recording interviews with each other – en français, bien sûr! DECEMBER German Santa (guess who) handing out presents at “Weihnachtsfeier” JANUARY Pupils making good linguistic use of our in-class computer suites FEBRUARY Pupils enjoying a Spanish breakfast - ¡Qué aproveche! MARCH Pupils on Lower School trip to Clères – their day out in Paris APRIL Easter German trip; Trier Amphitheatre; pupil condemned to death! MAY Pupils on our French Exchange visit one of the famous Loire Castles JUNE Second Year class enjoy language-learning games JULY German Exchange - Dollar pupils and their partners cool down on a hot day
We aim to incorporate the many diverse benefits of language acquisition in our teaching, helping pupils to achieve their optimum level of communicative competence.
HIGHLIGHTS
Languages include French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and Japanese.
Our rooms are equipped with video and listening labs and pupils can also take advantage of satellite European Broadcasts and the Internet.
Pupils can visit France, Germany and Spain and stay with families, participate in 'exchange' visits and even enjoy Foreign Work Experience programmes (see Foreign trips below).
Italian, Russian and Japanese are available for senior level pupils. All French, Spanish and German courses are structured as follows:
Junior I and II: Pupils are offered French, Spanish or German as their main language and learn 'personal' spoken language, brought to life by songs, games, tapes and project work.
Forms I and II: Courses increasingly involve pupils in rôle-playing exercises. While communication remains the primary objective, emphasis on skills such as formal grammatical knowledge increases.
Forms III and IV: Almost all pupils continue to Standard Grade. Some choose to study a second language. Confident, competent communication in everyday situations is still the primary objective but reading and writing become increasingly important.
Forms V and VI: At Higher and Advanced Higher level, pupils progress beyond everyday situations to use the language discursively in greater depth and complexity.
FOREIGN TRIPS
France
7 days 'two in a household' with French families in the
Normandy village of Clères: Juniors, Forms I and
II.
7-day exchange with Dollar's French partner school, the
Institution St Grégoire, Tours: Form III and above.
14-day Work Experience is offered through our connection
with Tours and la Ville aux Dames, Dollar's twin town: Forms
V and VI.
Germany
7 days 'two in a household' with German families in the
Rhine area: Juniors, Forms I and II.
10-day Fellbach Exchange with Dollar's partner school,
the Gustav-Stresemann-Gymnasium: Form III and above.
14-day Work Experience in Fellbach:
Forms V and VI.
Spain
7 days 'two in a household' with Spanish families in Salamanca, including morning language classes: Juniors, Forms I and II.
7 days exchange with our partner school, IES Luis
de Lucena in Guadalajara, near Madrid.
14-day Work Experience in Guadalajara: Forms V and VI.
7 days 'two in a household' with French families in the
Normandy village of Clères: Juniors, Forms I and
II.
7 days 'two in a household' with German families in the
Rhine area: Juniors, Forms I and II.
7 days 'two in a household' with Spanish families in Salamanca, including morning language classes: Juniors, Forms I and II.