Spotlight on MFL
The next a
rticle in our Spotlight on Success series focuses on our MFL (Modern Foreign Langues) Department.
Miss Ann Butters, Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Longhill, was extremely pleased with students’ results in Spanish this year, with 80% of students gaining an A* to C grade, which was 8% above the national average.
“Languages have become a less popular choice with students in recent years”, said Miss Butters, “But here at Longhill we try to encourage students to plan ahead and think “outside the box” when choosing their options.”
“For example, if a student wishes to study for an English Baccalaureate (EBacc) qualification, then they will need to achieve at least a C grade in a language at GCSE level. In addition, many university courses require a language to secure a place.”
“Languages can open the door to many career opportunities”, continued Miss Butters. “Teaching is one such career, of course, but what about international law, marketing, interpreting, medicine, or a career in an international charity?”
To help bring languages alive for students, there are various trips available to them throughout their time at Longhill. Students of Spanish have enjoyed trips to Salou in Catalonia, which also include exploring the fascinating historical city of Barcelona, with its world-renowned architecture and fabulous market ‘Mercado de La Boqueria’.
Students of French have the opportunity to visit Paris, which is a jam-packed 4 days exploring iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacré Coeur and the Pompidou Centre, not to mention a fun trip on a Bateau Mouche on the River Seine.
“Our trips are a mixture of learning, sight-seeing and fun.” said Miss Butters. “We want the students to enjoy their language lessons and these trips bring languages to life for them. I’m really looking forward to taking 40 of our Year 8 students to the Christmas Market in Amiens in December!” she said.
Perhaps as a reminder of the diverse nature of the city of Brighton and Hove, it is possible to enter a student for any language for which there is a GCSE exam available. In the past two years, Longhill students have successfully gained GCSEs in Arabic, Turkish, Greek, German and Iranian. This year, we also have students studying Polish, Hebrew and Dutch.
Miss Butters, Head of MFL
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