The modern foreign languages department at Chigwell School aims at developing and fostering an interest in foreign languages and cultures. Knowledge of foreign languages is becoming more and more important – Chigwell School reflects the needs of a modern society by offering three modern languages – French, German and Spanish.

Modern languages are taught from the first year onwards. Lower One pupils (Year 3) start with French, which stays compulsory until Year 8. In Year 8 pupils start a second modern language -either German or Spanish. All students study at least one modern language for their GCSE course, the more talented linguists can study two

Whilst supporting the idea of a communicative approach of language-acquisition, the modern foreign languages department emphasizes the systematic learning of grammar from an early age onwards. We follow the OCR examination board for GCSE in French, Edexcel in Spanish and German, and use Edexcel for A level studies in all three languages.

Three foreign language assistants from France, Germany and Spain help developing the linguistic competence of our students. Pupils and students of all age groups benefit from the active involvement of our assistants – examination groups have additional lessons in very small groups with the assistants to prepare their oral examinations.

The modern foreign languages department is running the following trips and visits in 2007: exchanges with Hamburg and Madrid, an Activities Week visit to Belgium, and possibly a Junior School day trip to northern France. Recently we have offered work experience in France to our 6th form French students, and 6th form hispanists have visited both Madrid and Bilbao in the last two years with the school.

Click here for the MFL Department website