MFL Enterprise week

Year 8 pupils were involved in an enterprise project last week. Pupils have had to make a dice. One dice will cover the topic "hobbies" and the second dice will cover the topic "opinions". They've had to find 6 pictures of a hobby and stick them on the different sides of the dice. When they are completed, pupils can make a sentence using teh target language. Genius!!!!!!!!!!!!

Year 7 pupils had to create a revision mat. They 've had to select the different topics they've learnt so far this year for instance days of the week, school's items, numbers etc..... They used the laptops to type up the vocabulary and they've had to use their creativity skill to make the matt look fun!!!

What do teachers do in their holidays? Well, this one has had a toenail removed this half term and whilst resting up has brushed up on his Latin to prepare materials to introduce a simple Latin course after Christmas. We will initially start with the highly acclaimed Minimus course by Barbara Bell, "Starting out in Latin".
Latin is an incredible language, its beauty is difficult to rival. Much of the language we use today in English is derived from Latin - the same can be said of French, German, Italian, Spanish, Romanian etc.

What do you think the following mean?

exit
villa
via
habitat
frigidarium
sub aqua
rex
regina
obesus
pastor
stella (not beer)

The Romans had a huge empire two thousand years ago stretching as far as Africa. Recently in Wales a huge find of Roman coins was discovered, nearer to home there was a villa at Gargrave near Skipton, Ilkley was home to a Roman fort, York was a vibrant city and Castleford a settlement.
Latin has long been a language often associated with lawyers, vets, doctors, clerics, writers, poets, pharmacists, biologists, linguists, zoologists and historians.

NPW

Mr Xiong, Our assistant coming from China

Mr Xiong is coming from our twin school Beijing 55 in China. He is teaching mandarin to our pupils. This picture has beem taken on the Opening evening where pupils and parents were learning to write their name in Chinese. Parents and pupils really enjoyed the evening!! More to come. Watch the space !!

Some very useful websites to use in lessons. Try them on and have fun!!!
www.mflgames.co.uk
http://www.sunderlandschools.org/estrellas/french-index.htm#hob
http://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/index.htmhttp://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/french/index_fr_video.htm
http://www.abroadlanguages.com/languagegames/wordsearch/frenchp.asp?sec=4
http://en.lyrics-copy.com/chansons-populaires.htm
http://www.francaisfacile.com/correspondants/millions/
http://www.francais-extra.co.uk/

Competition

Watch out for details in the next Weekly Reporter for news of the MFL Department's competition, designed to bring out your best powers of description using French or German.

RAFFLE

A collector's item. 25 piece boxed set of Simpsons characters. Details and tickets available from Mr. Walker, Miss Lahcene and Ms Wright. Proceeds towards department funds for Mandarin software and Latin after school lessons to start after Christmas. We hope to follow the highly acclaimed Minimus course. Salvete omnes! Nee harw!

Endlich & enfin

Over 40 of our Years 7, 8, 9 and 12 students have just signed up to a 4 day trip to the Christmas Market Trip in Cologne, Germany. We will be leaving after school on Wednesday 10th. December and returning on Saturday morning. This follows our spring trip to Cologne in 2007 where we enjoyed glorious weather, delicious food and fine German hospitality.

In the spring of 2009 we will be running our first trip to France.
WATCH THIS SPACE!