French could be said to be the backbone of the great variety of languages which flourish at JAGS; it is the path along which most girls first come to the principles of language learning, including grammar. Many girls entering Year 7 have already learned French to varying levels and using differing methods. No girl should worry, however, that she will be at a disadvantage if she has not done French; language learning is essentially cumulative and will always involve revisiting basic structures and consolidation. The main aim of the department is always to enable each individual girl to achieve her full potential.

Halfway through Year 7 girls choose their second modern language from German, Italian, Russian and Spanish which they will start in Year 8. Although the school insists on at least one modern language at GCSE this does not have to be French. Everyone benefits from this greater freedom of choice and in this way French is set within the context of the other European languages, remaining a very popular choice at both GCSE and A level. 

We aim to make French enjoyable by every means at our disposal! While a good command of grammar, accuracy and vocabulary are central to a girl’s ability to manipulate the language in order to express what she wants to say, creativity and imagination are also emphasised. Girls are encouraged to write poetry and imaginative prose and to enter writing in French for the school magazine and for outside competitions. Every year, girls gain prizes in the annual Song and Poetry competition.

Each year we are very pleased to welcome the European Theatre Company’s professional live production in French. We have recently enjoyed productions of Les Trois Mousquetaires and Le Petit Prince. Each play is prepared with booklets beforehand and also leads on to discussion and written play reviews.

Movies and songs play an important support role at all levels: it brings France, la Francophonie and French culture directly into the classroom, providing another dimension and stimulating discussion in French.

The French department offers numerous trips including a day-trip to Boulogne in Year 7, a language-course  for a week in Montpellier in Year 10 and 11 and a cultural visit to Paris in Year 12. We also recommend language summer schools and work experience programmes in which girls can participate in the summer between AS and A2.

The department sees the AS/A2 structure as a positive challenge. Year 12 have benefited strongly from preparing an independently researched presentation for their AS oral examination. Again, the opportunity for girls to select their own topic has proved highly motivating, with girls setting their own high standards in an impressive variety of subjects such as:

• L’état actuel du théatre en France to Le verlan
• Le rap en France
• Les O.G.M.
• Certains aspects de la pollution en France
• Le cinéma français
• La mode en France
• Le racisme en France.

The emphasis on knowledge of current affairs in France and la Francophonie has also been welcome.

In Year 13, we offer literary topics; in our experience JAGS girls enjoy reading creative writing and we believe that studying outstanding examples of French writing, from Sartre, Mauriac and Begag through to Baudelaire, Voltaire and Molière is thought-provoking and teaches critical analysis.  It also lifts the course into a dimension additional to the socio-political topics studied in the language units.