The Modern Foreign Languages Department

The Modern Languages department at Tarporley provides students with many opportunities to engage with languages, both in terms of the language itself and the culture of French, Spanish and German speaking countries. These opportunities arise in the classroom, as well as in an extra-curricular capacity. 

In Year 7, all students have the opportunity to take part in the Foreign Language Spelling Bee. This is a great opportunity to take part in a fun class competition in either French or Spanish and gives students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and confidence. Each year, three students represent the school in the regional competition, we have been very successful in sending students to the National Spelling Bee final. In Year 8, some students build on this by taking part in the National Translation Bee and in Year 9, students have the opportunity to gain the Language Leaders Award.

KS4 and KS5 students have the opportunity to explore their chosen languages and associated cultures outside the classroom through engaging with our ‘Read, Watch, Listen’ programme and by taking part in enrichment opportunities such as university visits, film evenings and our Foreign Language Book Club.

Every year, we run visits to Berlin, Paris and Barcelona for our KS4 and 5 students. These trips are a brilliant opportunity for students to bring their languages to life, allowing them to develop their fluency, as well as their knowledge and understanding of the history and culture of these fascinating cities. In Berlin, students visit many incredible sights including the Reichstag and really develop their understanding of Germany’s modern history by visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Germany’s 1936 Olympic Stadium and the remnants of the Berlin Wall. In Paris, students climb the steps of many of Paris’s iconic monuments including the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré-Coeur and the Arc de Triomphe. They also have the opportunity to develop their speaking skills at a local market, where small groups receive a budget to buy their lunch, which they then present in French. In Barcelona, students visit the Sagrada Familia and many of Gaudi’s famous monuments, as well as shopping on Las Ramblas and exploring ‘El Clásico’, the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, through a visit to Barcelona’s stadium ‘Camp Nou’.  

We encourage all student to engage with opportunities outside the classroom. In the words of the author Frank Smith ‘one language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way’.