French

People are now pursuing their careers all over the world and thus the ability to communicate in a foreign language and to appreciate other cultures is very important.

At Reigate Grammar School A Level French is studied by students of every discipline.

There is scope and choice for study in all areas of interest from European politics to French art, drama and literature, media and environmental issues. Considerable emphasis is laid on speaking skills and understanding what is heard in French. The multi-media language learning centre ensures immediate access to worldwide sources, interactive communication and all the developing advantages of language laboratory teaching. There is weekly conversation practice with the Foreign Language assistant and a weekly French lunch where staff and pupils can enjoy informal conversations in French. Trips to French courses or theatre performances are organised to complement the syllabus and widen the students’ exposure to the language and culture.

We give our Sixth Form students opportunities to enthuse younger pupils about languages through volunteering and leading weekly clubs and activities at Reigate Grammar.

The A Level course is a natural sequel to GCSE and is accessible to students who performed well at that level. It includes the practice and testing of the skills of listening, reading, speaking, essay writing along with translations into both French and English. Detailed course content is available in the A Level course guide.

Opportunities for university entrance are good and a number of students of French have been accepted at top universities (including Oxbridge) in recent years. In addition to dedicated language courses at university, there are many joint courses which combine languages with other disciplines such as Law, Marketing, Management, Drama and Art. French at A Level is both challenging and rewarding, offering a wide range of experience and the invaluable development of social skills.