Welcome to the Modern Languages Department!
Advice for parents - link
Whether your child is learning French, German or Gaelic, private study
and good personal organisation are important for successful learning.
It is strongly recommended that you puchase a foreign language
dictionary for your child. This will be essential for all those taking a
language in S3 and beyond. For S1/2 and those studying up to National 4
level in S3/4 only, a “pocket dictionary” - like Collins Gem or similar - is
sufficient. For those studying National 5 in S3/4, a larger dictionary is
recommended. Please see the French, German or Gaelic pages for
information specific to each language.
In all three subjects and at every stage, pupils are equipped with a
vocabulary jotter or (for those studying French/German at National 5
and above) a folder for storing vocabulary and other work. Clearly it is
important for your child to develop a wide vocabulary in order to build up
understanding of the language, and vocabulary lists for each topic need to
be kept and revised regularly. This vocabulary jotter or folder needs to be
carried by all pupils. When learning vocabulary at home, some pupils
may find it helpful to be tested on the words they are expected to know.
Do not worry if you do not know any of the language yourself – the
encouragement and positive attitude which you can foster are more
important.
In all three subjects at S3 and above, past exam papers are issued
regularly as homework tasks. Careful completion of these using a
dictionary will help develop your child’s languages skills further and help
exam technique.