Modern Languages

Welcome to the Faculty of Modern Languages.

For our young people

 To open the doors for young people to learn languages and skills for life.

  • To create a welcoming culture, where young people can clearly see the value and importance of learning a language in 2024.
  • To be a department where our lessons inspire and engage all pupils, at any stage of their learning journey.
  • To challenge young people to be resilient when learning a language, and to understand that making mistakes along the way can help them become more confident in future.
  • To be a department which continues to have a reputation for success and celebrating achievements at all levels.

For our staff

  • To be a group of colleagues that recognise each other’s gifts and abilities, so that teamwork is par for the course.
  • To be a group of colleagues who take time to celebrate their own successes, but who also challenge themselves when it comes to new ideas and approaches to learning & teaching.
  • To be a group of colleagues who take an interest in the whole school community.

“I am so glad to see my language skills improving – it means I can actually try speaking the language to someone”

“Ah, that was the lightbulb moment, it all makes sense now!”

Curricular Choice / Course Information

S1 French

S1 French

The S1 French course is an opportunity for new pupils to experience the French language and French culture by coming to classes three times a week. During S1, pupils will work through the following topics:

  • Primary revision – revision of conversational French from primary school;
  • School – learning how to talk about your school and learn about what school is like in France;
  • Where I live – learning how to describe your home area and your house, as well as seeing what life is like in France.

Pupils will be shown how to build their confidence in the skills of reading, writing, listening and talking and will also understand how French grammar works. We are glad to say that every S1 pupil will have a French ‘twin’ who they will write to at a few points during the year. Our hope is that our pupils have a rich cultural experience in French, and that they leave S1 with skills which equip them for continuing in S2.

S2 French

S2 French

The S2 French course is an opportunity for pupils to continue their learning experience with the French language and French culture by coming to classes three times a week. During S2, pupils will work through the following topics:

  • Food, drink and healthy eating – learning how to talk about different food and drink in French, as well as how to buy something in a café or shop. Pupils will also learn about the importance of eating healthily.
  • Clothing and fashion – learning how to talk about what clothes they like to wear and how to have a conversation in a shop.
  • A visit to Paris – pupils will learn about the culture of France’s capital city and talk about going on holiday there.
  • TV, film and social media – learning how to talk about what type of TV shows and films are of interest to them, as well as talking about how they spend their time on social media.

Pupils will be shown how to continue to build their confidence in the skills of reading, writing, listening and talking and will also understand how French grammar works. Our hope is that our pupils have a rich cultural experience in French, and that they leave S2 with skills which equip them for continuing in S3.

S3 French

S3 French

The S3 French course covers similar topics to those covered in S1 and S2, however at a more elevated level and in more detail. Pupils will enjoy building on the knowledge they gained in S1 and S2 as well as building in confidence with the skills of reading, writing, listening and talking. There will be opportunities for pupils to continue to learn about French culture and other French-speaking countries. During S3 pupils will also study one or two French films and potentially have the opportunity to visit France on a school cultural immersion trip.

The S3 course allows pupils to then work towards a National 4 or 5 qualification when they move into S4.

National 4 French

National 4 French

The National 4 French course provides an opportunity for pupils to attain a base qualification in the French language. Pupils will work on the same skills of reading, writing, listening and talking and will be given an assessment in each area which will be recognised as a pass. There are no grades allocated to this examination, however achieving this demonstrates a base skill in the language and shows communication skills have been developed in a foreign language.

National 5 French

National 5 French

The National 5 French course provides an opportunity for pupils to attain a qualification in the French language. Pupils will work on the same skills of reading, writing, listening and talking and will be examined on each of these skills. The talking element of the exam is conducted during the course of the year with the class teacher. The exam is broken down into four aspects:

  • Reading paper – 30 marks, worth 25%
  • Writing paper – 20 marks, worth 25%
  • Listening paper – 20 marks, worth 25%
  • Talking exam – 30 marks, worth 25%

Many pupils choose to continue with French to Higher in order to continue their development of the language which has been learned since primary school.

Higher French

Higher French

The Higher French course is a natural continuation of the language from National 5. It allows pupils to maximise their potential with the French language and grow into a more confident communicator in French. Whilst it has a similar layout to the National 5 course, there are more in-depth topics studied such as:

  • Taking a gap year abroad
  • The role of peer pressure and friendship
  • Future plans and the world of work
  • The challenges of drugs
  • Experiencing French culture

Pupils will also have the opportunity to experience the skill of translation, with a part of the final exam being dedicated to this skill. The exam is broken down into four aspects:

  • Reading & translation paper – 30 marks, worth 25%
  • Writing paper – 20 marks, worth 25%
  • Listening paper – 20 marks, worth 25%
  • Talking exam – 30 marks, worth 25%

Being equipped with a Higher qualification in French will allow pupils to feel ready to experience life in a French-speaking country as well as pursue the subject at Advanced Higher level or in further education. It will also show stronger communication and leadership skills amongst pupils.

Advanced Higher French

Advanced Higher French

The Advanced Higher French course is intended as the final step from Higher to university. It allows pupils to maximise their potential with the French language and grow into a more confident communicator in French. It is expected that pupils will work more independently and in more depth. At the same time the level of complexity and sophistication in the language will increase.

The topics studied are linked to current affairs and studied in more depth:

  • Learning: the importance of languages and further studies;
  • Society: role of women and gender inequalities, marriage, environmental issues, importance and dangers of new technologies;
  • Culture: immigration;
  • Employability: changes in work patterns.

In addition, pupils study a literary text in French and carry out a piece of individual independent research which will result in a critical essay in English of 1500 words (the portfolio). This can be a critical analysis and evaluation of a theme or an aspect from at least one literary text plus at least one other source in the target language. They also prepare for a Talking Assessment which takes place with an external examiner, and where they must be able to converse in French for 20 minutes.

Being equipped with an Advanced Higher qualification in French will allow pupils to feel ready to experience life in a French-speaking country as well as pursue the subject at university. It will also show stronger communication and leadership skills amongst pupils.

The exam is broken down into:

  • Reading and Translation paper – 50 marks, worth 25%
  • Writing paper – 40 marks, worth 20%
  • Listening paper – 30 marks, worth 15%
  • Portfolio – 30 marks, worth 15%
  • Talking exam – 50 marks, worth 25%

S3 Spanish

S3 Spanish

The S3 Spanish course is an accelerated course which allows pupils to work towards a qualification in the Spanish language. Pupils will enjoy building knowledge of the language quickly as well as building in confidence with the skills of reading, writing, listening and talking. There will be opportunities for pupils to learn about Spanish culture and other Spanish-speaking countries. During S3 pupils will also study one or two Spanish films.

The S3 course allows pupils to then work towards a National 4 or 5 qualification when they move into S4.

National 5 Spanish

National 5 Spanish

The National 5 Spanish course provides an opportunity for pupils to attain a qualification in the Spanish language. Pupils will work on the skills of reading, writing, listening and talking and will be examined on each of these skills. The talking element of the exam is conducted during the course of the year with the class teacher. The exam is broken down into four aspects:

  • Reading paper – 30 marks, worth 25%
  • Writing paper – 20 marks, worth 25%
  • Listening paper – 20 marks, worth 25%
  • Talking exam – 30 marks, worth 25%

Many pupils choose to continue with Spanish to Higher in order to continue their development of the language which has been studied in the previous two years.

Higher Spanish

Higher Spanish

The Higher Spanish course is a natural continuation of the language from National 5. It allows pupils to maximise their potential with the Spanish language and grow into a more confident communicator in Spanish. Whilst it has a similar layout to the National 5 course, there are more in-depth topics studied such as:

  • Taking a gap year abroad
  • The role of peer pressure and friendship
  • Future plans and the world of work
  • The challenges of drugs
  • Experiencing Spanish culture

Pupils will also have the opportunity to experience the skill of translation, with a part of the final exam being dedicated to this skill. Being equipped with a Higher qualification in Spanish will allow pupils to feel ready to experience life in a Spanish-speaking country as well as pursue the subject at Advanced Higher level or in further education. It will also show stronger communication and leadership skills amongst pupils.

Advanced Higher Spanish

Advanced Higher Spanish

The Advanced Higher Spanish course is intended as the final step from Higher to university. It allows pupils to maximise their potential with the Spanish language and grow into a more confident communicator in Spanish. It is expected that pupils will work more independently and in more depth. At the same time the level of complexity and sophistication in the language will increase.

The topics studied are linked to current affairs and studied in more depth:

  • Learning: the importance of languages and further studies;
  • Society: role of women and gender inequalities, marriage, environmental issues, importance and dangers of new technologies;
  • Culture: immigration;
  • Employability: changes in work patterns;

In addition, pupils study a literary text in Spanish and carry out a piece of individual independent research which will result in a critical essay in English of 1500 words (the portfolio). This can be a critical analysis and evaluation of a theme or an aspect from at least one literary text plus at least one other source in the target language. They also prepare for a Talking Assessment which takes place with an external examiner, and where they must be able to converse in Spanish for 20 minutes.

Being equipped with an Advanced Higher qualification in Spanish will allow pupils to feel ready to experience life in a Spanish-speaking country as well as pursue the subject at university. It will also show stronger communication and leadership skills amongst pupils.

The exam is broken down into:

  • Reading and Translation paper – 50 marks, worth 25%
  • Writing paper – 40 marks, worth 20%
  • Listening paper – 30 marks, worth 15%
  • Portfolio – 30 marks, worth 15%
  • Talking exam – 50 marks, worth 25%

Success and Achievement

Every term we celebrate our Language Legends for each class. We are delighted to celebrate achievement, success, ambition and above all amazing language legends! Our next set of Language Legends will be shown below:

(we will show these and update them as appropriate)

Skills for Life, Learning and work

Studying languages can help you to develop your problem solving and transferable skills, improve your career options and open more doors in the future.

Understanding other languages and cultures makes travelling and going on holiday easier and more interesting and it can give you different educational options at university, such as studying abroad.

You can put your language skills to the test through taking part in some of our immersive language experiences both in the classroom and abroad on some of our cultural visits.