students eating snacks

Modern Foreign Languages

The Language Department’s philosophy at Palmers Green High School is to encourage a love of foreign languages and civilisations. The study of a foreign language is beneficial to all pupils. It improves memory and attention span, enhances cognitive ability and aids the understanding and fluency of one’s own language.

PGHS’s Modern Foreign Language (MFL) department has access to an extensive range of resources and pupils are taught through a wide variety of active methods which make learning fun. These include class oral work, pair work, group work, acting and the learning of vocabulary. Pupils also learn through video and audio media such as listening and watching recorded material, singing, playing language games, dictation, using interactive computer resources, memorising talks and writing compositions. These methods enable pupils to develop excellent oral, aural, reading and writing skills.

“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world”

Chinese Proverb

Curriculum

Languages play an important role in the School’s curriculum and senior pupils study French in Years 7, 8 and 9 with Spanish being introduced in Years 8 and 9. In Years 10 & 11 one MFL is compulsory at IGCSE with pupils often choosing to successfully continue studying two languages at this level.

IGCSE

Please click on the link to view the IGCSE curriculum (link will take you to the MFL page in the options booklet)

MFL Trips and Enrichment

  • Annual residential trips to France and Spain (Y10/11)
  • Day trips to Boulogne (Y7)
  • Weekends in Paris (Y9/Y10)
  • Visit and activities with the French Institute.
  • Annual Visit to French & Spanish restaurants (Y11)
  • Theatre visits, Interactive French and Spanish plays (Onatti) (Y4-Y11)
  • Visiting Drama Workshops (Spanish)
  • Hispanic Day celebration
  • Food tasting – Mardi Gras crêpes, le petit déjeuner français, la galette des rois
  • Celebration of the European Day for Languages
  • International competition ‘Vocabexpress’
  • Internal Spelling Competition

Extra-curricular Clubs

Weekly drop-in sessions to reinforce the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing & Speaking) are available for both French and Spanish.