French
Head of Department - Madame Virginie Salin
Bienvenue!
At Trinity we are passionate about French. We believe it is fun, interesting and exciting to learn, and we have put together a video about why we think French is such an important language in Europe and in the world at the beginning of the 21st Century. Just over 400 students currently study French at Trinity. We have 6 members of staff, and a full-time French lectrice.
The department is fully equipped with its own library, médiatheque, interactive learning software and all French students have regular access to a state of the art 26-PC Digital Language Laboratory. 
Students attend 3 periods of French per week at KS3, rising to 4 periods per week at KS4 (contact time with the Lectrice is included in these 4 weekly periods (one conversation class approx. every 3/4 weeks). Students in the Sixth Form attend 8 timetabled periods per week as well as a weekly conversation lesson. At GCSE for the first examination in 2011, the two Higher sets are preparing for the Edexcel IGCSE, while the two Lower sets follow the new AQA GCSE specification French in the Fourth and Fifth Years builds the bridge between gaining a basic understanding of the language in the Lower School and in -depth study at AS and A level. The aim is to provide students with language skills that are highly sought after in an ever-changing job market, but at the same time to give them an understanding of different cultures and life-styles. European languages, therefore, play an integral part in the personal development of students by helping them to build self-confidence in dealing with a wide variety of topics of the modern world.
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« C’est une belle langue à qui sait la défendre. |
The Department offers the opportunity for each student at every level of the school to participate in regular trips, visits and homestay programmes. Recently we have hosted visits by M. Laurent Batut, the Deputy Cultural Attaché and a group of French government school inspectors. Students have visited Paris, the French Institute and have participated in a highly successful Languages Festival.
We also run weekly clubs. Trinity’s Senior French Society is open to all students in the Fifth Form and above and is a student run society. We watch films, discuss current affairs, and listen and give presentations in French and English on a wide range of topics. We also invite guest speakers and arrange our own trips and visits. The Intermediate French club is open to Third and Fourth year boys and provides an opportunity to watch films, play games and use French outside of the classroom. The Junior French club is open to First and Second year boys and provides an opportunity to play games and practice the French learned in the classroom.
