French
Teachers of French at Colet Court have always been mindful of the need to prepare boys for a world in which knowledge of one or more foreign languages brings many advantages.The boys learn about the basic structures of the language and we aim to develop their listening, reading and memory skills as well as improve the accuracy of their speaking and writing in order to meet the demands of the National Curriculum and the syllabuses of all major examinations.
The department consists of three full-time French teachers and one native speaker assistant who is with us for a year, and whose task is to help and encourage the boys to develop their speaking ability. A French games club, a remedial club, a clinic, various conversation clubsand a computer club are run by members of the Department.
In the Lower First Year boys have one lesson of French a week and in the First Year they have two. Since their experience of the language before coming to Colet Court varies enormously, the aim of the work at this initial stage is to establish a firm common base on which all boys will be able to build successfully in future years and generate positive attitudes towards the subject.
In the Second Year, boys start our main course, Encore Tricolore. This course offers thoroughly up-to-date material including a good set of Listening Comprehension exercises. In addition, all boys are issued with a grammar and vocabulary booklet to support the course which prepares them well for the range of exams to be taken at 13+.
ICT is now fully integrated into the teaching of French at Colet Court as a means to reinforce language learnt in class. For several years now boys have successfully used a virtual language laboratory in one of the computer rooms.
