Languages and EAL 

Curriculum rationale

A different language is a different vision of life.
                                                                                                                - Federico Fellini. 

In Languages we inspire students to become life-long linguists, who confidently acquire the essential knowledge of and about language and transferable skills that will empower them to express themselves and understand others.

We develop our students as people who are open-minded, respectful and compassionate; able to think creatively, interact empathetically and live cohesively in modern society. Learning a language opens the world to our students and our students to the world.  

The purpose of studying a foreign language is to provide students with an opening to other cultures and ways of life. Languages are part of the cultural richness of our society here in the United Kingdom as well as in the world in which we live and work. Learning languages contributes to mutual respect, a sense of global citizenship and personal fulfilment and we have a moral imperative for understanding and communicating well, breaking down barriers and opening up opportunities in our multi-cultural society. In a world of change, where countries can look inwards and fear the unknown, the knowledge of languages and cultures inspire hope and optimism for young people's futures. 

The ability to understand and communicate in another language is a lifelong skill for education, employment and leisure in this country and throughout the world. The learning of languages affords students opportunities to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and to express themselves with increasing confidence, independence and creativity. Students explore the similarities and differences between other languages and English and learn how language can be manipulated and applied in different ways. The development of communication skills, together with understanding of the structure of language, lay the foundations for future study of other languages and support the development of literacy skills in a pupil’s own language.  

The Languages and EAL faculty believe that a high-quality languages education fosters students’ curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world - developing open-minded and respectful global citizens. Our teaching and learning aim is to provide learners with the skills to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It also aims to provide opportunities for students to communicate for practical purposes and to discover new ways of thinking and become creative and curious linguists. 

Curriculum features: French and Spanish

We teach French and Spanish to GCSE.  We provide opportunities for first language speakers to gain a qualification in their language, if one is available.  we also support students who are new to English to develop their English Language skills. 

The modern foreign language curriculum at Orchard School Bristol aims to ensure that all students:  

• are resilient communicators, accustomed to listening to target language in the classroom, and develop their confidence, fluency and spontaneity in the language.  
• are able to decode language and have the determination to persevere when only partial understanding has occurred.  
• speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation.  
• are able to recognise rules and patterns to support understanding of grammatical structures which are interleaved through Key Stage 3 and 4.  
• develop a wide range of vocabulary, building in Key Stage 4 on learning in Key Stage 3 with Key Stage 5 stretch topics introduced to challenge students further.  
• understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources including literary resources.  
• broaden their tolerance and cultural horizons, comparing and contrasting sports, foods, festivals and traditions between countries.   

French - Journey on a Page

Spanish - Journey on a Page

 Staff Profiles

• Ms Laura Concannon, BA (Hons), PGCE - Head of Faculty 

I graduated from Bath University with a degree in German, Russian and European Studies before gaining my PGCE at King's College, London and then working as a teacher of German, French and Spanish for over twenty years. I have a particular interest in other countries and cultures and have used my languages to travel extensively and experience a wide range of different opportunities. As a result of the chances that my languages have given me, I am committed to equipping students with the tools needed to ensure that they too can confidently embrace the multicultural world we live in today.

• Mr Phil Edmonds, BA (Hons), QTS - Assistant Headteacher

After completing my degree in Spanish and European Studies, I returned to live in Spain to further develop my language skills. On return to the United Kingdom I gained my Post Graduate Certificate in Education and have enjoyed teaching in the local communities in the schools I have worked in. I am a passionate linguist and I love developing the cultural capital of young people that I teach.

• Mrs Enas Elmansuri, BA (Hons), MRes, MPhil

I graduated from Tripoli University and went on to complete a Masters of Research (TESOL) at Essex University and then a Masters of Philosophy at Bristol University. I have a particular interest in teaching English as an additional language and teaching English to other speakers of the language. I am a learning support assistant for EAL, an Arabic language tutor and a GCSE home language examiner.

• Miss Megan Jones, BA (Hons), PGCE

I graduated with a first class degree Ancient History at the University of Manchester and then went on train as a languages teacher. I spent my teenage years living in Spain where I learned Spanish and Catalan. I then learned Italian whilst living and working in Milan and at university I studied Latin, Ancient Greek and French. I am passionate about the power of language learning to open doors and connect with the variety of cultures and am particularly interested in etymology and syntax. 

• Miss Léa Saby, BA (Hons), PGCE

 I graduated from the University of Toulouse II Jean Jaurès with a degree in English and Italian. I went on to complete my teacher training at Liverpool Hope University. I’m passionate about exploring languages and cultures and am dedicated to sharing the benefits of language learning with students.

• Ms Kristina Slater - EAL Learning Support Assistant

I graduated from University of Matej Bel, Slovakia, with a degree in English and French. I worked as an EFL teacher and Functional Skills Maths tutor before I completed my PGCE MFL training at Portsmouth University. I have a passion for teaching English as an additional language and working with students from various cultural backgrounds.

• Miss Josie Stay, BA (hons), PGCE

I graduated from the University of Bristol with a first-class degree in French and Drama. As a teenager I attended French school for five years, and my work before starting my PGCE included volunteering in Latin America and tourism jobs in France. I am particularly interested in motivation for language learning, and how to demonstrate to young people the relevance and value of multilingualism.