French Department
 Back to Curriculum page |
Our principle aim in teaching French is to give our pupils the confidence and the knowledge to communicate in a foreign language. By doing so we lay the foundation not only for the future study of French, but also the study of other languages.
French is introduced in Reception and the boys are encouraged from this early stage in all four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. An integral part of learning French is the opportunity to learn about and appreciate other cultures and lifestyles both in Europe and other French-speaking parts of the world.
It is becoming increasingly important to be able to use other languages for both work and pleasure. In the workplace a good working knowledge of at least one modern foreign language is becoming a prerequisite in many organisations and there is no substitute for reading literature in the original language or talking to people in their own tongue. We aim to give the boys the desire to aspire to this.