Languages

Overview

It is proven that studying a language will develop your grammar skills in English, increase your problem-solving skills and improve your memory! Watch this short video to find out more.

https://classroom.google.com/c/NDE5NDkzNTQwMTha

Pupils enjoy studying languages at Villiers. The journey starts in Y7 where pupils study one of either French, Spanish, Panjabi, Urdu or EA (English).

You will practice listening, speaking, reading & writing, grammar & translation over a range of topics.  You will learn how to communicate in countries where the language is spoken. You will learn about different cultures, whilst reflecting on your own. The aim of the course is to develop your knowledge and skills in your chosen language, so that you to become gradually more confident at expressing yourself & exploring your ideas, opinions, experiences and future plans, as well as understanding those of others.

Competitions, clubs events & trips.

At Villiers there will be plenty of opportunities to take part in languages competitions, clubs, events, assemblies & trips.

French & Spanish Reading List

Here are some of our younger pupils performing a play in French about la Révolution Française written with their French teacher.

Here are some souvenirs from the trip to Spain.

Spanish

In Y7 pupils study

• Welcome! Preparation for the Spelling Bee
• Myself, my family & my pets
• My school
• My hobbies
• My holidays - shopping for clothes & souvenirs

Questions from a pen pal letter as part of a Y7 class letter exchange with a school in Spain using SharePoint.

In Year 8 pupils study:

• Where I live - my town
• Welcome to my house
• Shopping for & ordering food
• My everyday routine
• Holiday destinations

Pupils in Y8 watching a presentation from SOAS university about languages.

In Year 9 pupils study:

• Me, my family & friends
• Technology in everyday life
• Free time activities
• Customs & festivals
• Home town neighbourhood & region & Social issues

Here is one of our Y9 pupils on stage during a visit to watch a play in Spanish!

Key Stage 4 French & Spanish

Pupils in Y10 can apply to do a week’s taster at four top London universities. Here are 2 pupils at SOAS university.

At key stage 4 we study how to;

• Cope with unpredictable questions
• Develop your knowledge of vocabulary, structures and idioms
• Increase your confidence in reading, listening & understanding 
• Become more confident in speaking and giving opinions.
• Translate sentences and short texts from English into French and from French into English

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Theme 1: Identity and culture

• Me, my family and friends
• Technology in everyday life
• Free-time activities
• Customs and festivals in Francophone or Hispanic speaking countries/communities

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 Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest

• Home, town, neighbourhood and region
• Social issues
• Global issues
• Travel and tourism

​

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

• My studies
• Life at school/college
• Education post-16
• Jobs, career choices and ambitions

​Visit to a French play.

Visit to a Spanish play

Assessment  

The GCSE syllabus is introduced throughout the year to prepare students for the final exam.

Formal assessments take place half-termly and individual targets are set for each student to progress.

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• Unit 1: Listening - 25%
• Unit 2: Reading - 25%
• Unit 3: Speaking -25%
• Unit 4: Writing -    25%

KS5

AS and A-Level Spanish/French

Course Content

In Y12 we will choose a film or book to study in depth. In Y13 we will choose a second book or film to study in depth. We will further develop & deepen knowledge of grammar so that you are ready to study a language at University should you so wish.

Additionally, we will use a variety of media such as music, films, news & YouTube clips to explore & discuss & develop opinions about current trends such as:

Spanish

• El ciberespacio
• La igualdad de los sexos
• Los valores tradicionales y modernos

French

• La cyber société
• La famille en voie de changement
• Le rôle du bénévolat

Find out about & debate current issues such as:

Spanish

• La influencia de los ídolos
• La convivencia
• La inmigración

French

• Comment on traite les criminels
• Les aspects positifs d’une société diverse

Carry out an individual research project on an area that interests you such as:

Spanish

• La música de hoy
• La identidad regional en España
• Jóvenes de hoy, ciudadanos de mañana
• Movimientos populares
• Monarquías, repúblicas y dictaduras
• El patrimonio cultural

French

• La musique francophone contemporaine
• Cinéma
• Les adolescents, le droit de vote et l’engagement politique
• Une culture fière de son patrimoine
• Manifestations, grèves – qui a le pouvoir?
• La politique et l’immigration
•  

You will also have the opportunity to visit the French/Spanish Institute in London and a French/Spanish sixth form in France/Spain.

Panjabi 

Overview

At Villiers High school the Panjabi department has a variety of resources and extracurricular activities to encourage students to learn Panjabi. We also encourage our students to write articles and their own poetry. Pupils are immersed in the language, and everything we create is used to this end, from the layout of the classrooms to the use of authentic Panjabi resources such as newspapers, magazines and films.

Our aim is to make the experience of learning Panjabi dynamic, interactive and enjoyable for students across all key stages and, it gives us great pleasure to see our students reading, understanding, writing and communicating fluently in Panjabi by the time they reach Year 11 and achieve excellent results. We pride ourselves in 100% pass rate at GCSE.

Key Stage 3  

In year 7 pupils study: The languages around us – taster languages in a variety of languages as well as the languages offered at Villiers. After half term, all pupils study just one language.

 In year 7 Panjabi lessons pupils are introduced to a range of topics including:

• Greetings
• Alphabet and Numbers

• Colours
• Time
• Days & Months
• Myself & others
• Family and Friends
• My home and daily routine
• Sports and Music

In Year 8:  Further development includes the following topics:

• Food & Drink
• House & Home
• Travel &Transport
• Fashion & Clothes 
• Weather & Countries
• School & Festival.  

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In Year 9: By this stage student should have excellent command of the language and vocabulary. Topics include:

• Relationship & Choices
• Home & Local area
• Healthy Living
• Holidays
• Free tome & Media
• Charity/voluntary work

Key Stage 4 – Panjabi GCSE

At this stage student will be expected, as they progress linguistically, to:

• Cope with unpredictable questions
• Have a great knowledge of a range of vocabulary and structures
• Discuss issues and give personal opinions.
• Translate sentences and short texts from English into Panjabi and from Panjabi into English to convey key messages accurately and to apply grammatical knowledge of language and structures in context.

​

Students should be able to discuss own Life, Leisure, Home and Environment, Work and Education and that of other people, including people in countries/communities where Panjabi is spoken.

​

Theme 1: Identity and culture

• Me, my family and friends
• Technology in everyday life
• Free-time activities
• Customs and festivals in Panjabi-speaking countries/communities

​

Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest

• Home, town, neighbourhood and region
• Social issues
• Global issues
• Travel and tourism

​

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

• My studies
• Life at school/college
• Education post-16
• Jobs, career choices and ambitions

​

Assessment  

The GCSE syllabus is introduced throughout the year to prepare students for the final exam.

Formal assessments take place half-termly and individual targets are set for each student to progress.

• Unit 1: Listening - 25%
• Unit 2: Reading - 25%
• Unit 3: Speaking -25%
• Unit 4: Writing -    25%

Key Stage 5

AS and A Level courses in Panjabi will appeal to students who have an interest in reading a wide range of literature from the past and the present and enjoy expressing their opinion and justifying their comments on a variety of texts.

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Topics include:

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Students will study either one text and one film from the list below.

Texts

• Boota Singh Shaad: Noori
• Gurmel Singh Bainiwal: Rishtian de Rang
• Mohan Singh Save Pattar

Films

• Asa Nu Maan Watna Da: Manmohan Singh (2004)
• Jatt and Julliet 2: Anurag Singh (2013)

Research topics​

Students will choose one of the research topics below

• The role of women in Panjabi society
• Social Issues in the Panjab
• Tourism in the Punjab
• Partition of the Punjab in 1947

Assessment for AS and A level is via examination

Urdu

Overview

​

 At Villiers High School we aim to develop fluency in language and help students interact in Urdu. We develop this by making lessons creative and by using interactive resources such as newspapers, magazines and films.

We enable our students to communicate with the confidence and ability both verbally and in writing in Urdu. They will also increase a skill transferable to the workplace, and in expanding global markets. Pupils will develop an awareness of the nature of language and gain some understanding of cultures different from their own.

Key Stage 3  

In year 7 pupils study: The languages around us – taster languages in a variety of languages as well as the languages offered at Villiers. They will go on to study just one language.

In Year 7 Urdu they will do the following topics:

• Greetings
• Alphabet and Numbers

• Colours
• Time
• Days & Months
• Myself & others
• Family and Friends
• My home and daily routine
• Sports and Music

In Year 8

The skills learned in Year 7 are developed further in Year 8. Topics include:

• Food & Drink
• House & Home
• Travel &Transport
• Fashion & Clothes 
• Weather & Countries
• School & Festival.  

In Year 9 Topics include:

• Relationship & Choices
• Home & Local area

• Healthy Living
• Holidays
• Free time & Media
• Charity/voluntary work

Key Stage 4 – Urdu GCSE

​

At this stage student will be expected, as they progress linguistically, to:

• Cope with unpredictable questions
• Have a great knowledge of a range of vocabulary and structures
• Discuss issues and give personal opinions.
• Translate sentences and short texts from English into Urdu and from Urdu into English to convey key messages accurately and to apply grammatical knowledge of language and structures in context

​

Language will be considered transferable, as appropriate, to any topic and students should be able to understand and provide information and opinions about these contexts relating to the student's own Life, Leisure, Home and Environment, Work and Education and that of other people, including people in countries/communities where Urdu is spoken.

​

Theme 1: Identity and culture

•  Me, my family and friends
• Technology in everyday life
• Free-time activities
• Customs and festivals in Panjabi-speaking countries/communities

 Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest

• Home, town, neighbourhood and region
• Social issues
• Global issues
• Travel and tourism

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

• My studies
• Life at school/college
• Education post-16
• Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Assessment

The GCSE syllabus is introduced throughout the year to prepare students for the final exam.

Formal assessments take place half-termly and individual targets are set for each student to progress.

Listening – 25% 

Reading – 25% 

Speaking – 25 % 

Writing – 25 %

​

Urdu A Level

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Key Stage 5

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AS and A Level courses in Urdu will appeal to students who want to develop an understanding in a variety of contexts and genres, and learn to communicate confidently, clearly and effectively in Urdu. They'll also develop an awareness and understanding of the contemporary society, cultural background and heritage of the countries or communities where Urdu is spoken

Students will be expected to give relevant and appropriate information, convey opinions, interact and respond to a range of questions.

General Topics:

Literary texts

• Angan Khadija Rever … novel
• Peter’s Articles Ahmed Shah Peter Bukhari
• Tomorrow my eyes open
• The last book of Urdu
• Muridpur’s foot
• The geography of Lahore

• Bastat Bassar Kazmi -  Play

Films

• Bin Rai Momin Darya 2015
• Baghban Ravi Chopra 2003
• Bajarangi brother Jan Kabir Khan

​Research topics

Students will choose one of the research topics below

• Independent research on Pakistan

• The role of women in Pakistan society
• Social issues in the Pakistan

Assessment for AS and A level is via examination

We also offer language clubs for Panjabi, Urdu, French, Italian and Spanish which are available at lunchtime

French & Spanish Reading List