MVS Newsletter December 2020

FEATURES
FANTÁSTICO, FANTASTIQUE, EUGE!
Modern Languages wrap up
by Ms Trafford, Head of Modern Languages
We have had a very busy term full of opportunities and new adventures in the Modern Languages department.
One of the highlights has been connecting with our pen pals in Spain and sending our first handwritten
letter. We have made waves in the online community too, with our highest achievement on LanguageNut
ranking no. 98 in the world. Pupils have also worked brilliantly using retrieval practice to strength memory
skills- notably using our flashing disco grid which now has more than 1,200 views on Twitter! GCSE Pupils
have consolidated their grammar knowledge and made beautiful past tense cakes to help them remember
that as there are 3 layers to a cake, there are 3 parts to the past tense! Year 7 pupils are looking forward to an
introduction to French through studying the film Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont when they return in January.
FEATURES
Latin has been extremely popular with our pupils
Alex, Year 7: “I have learnt how to
recognize plural and singular verbs
and what declension a noun is. Latin
is useful as it is still used in jobs such
as a lawyer or doctor.”
Collaborative language work - pupils comparing their
translations of the story
Model pupil prep - pupils re-created Roman theatre masks
Pen pal writing in Spanish Recall disco grid Speaking activities
Devan & Peggy (Year 7) teaching the class about Roman numerals
by Ms Christou, Teacher of Latin
Year 8 tell us about their first term studying French and
Spanish
Pupils have learned much Latin vocabulary and many English
derivations, as well as new grammatical features, including
Emma: "In French and Spanish this year we have covered a wide range
Latin word order; noun cases and declensions; verb endings;
of complex vocabulary and grammar. I have made great progress in my
and the imperfect and perfect tenses. Pupils also got to know
tests results and enjoy learning very much. Ms Trafford and my peers
Caecilius and his family very well via our story translations
are helpful and supportive and we have a nice working environment to
and they learned about how the Romans used to live via
flourish in. I am looking forward to learning more in Languages!"
creative projects on a variety of cultural topics. These projects
included designing Roman dinner party invitations and Roman
Jonah: "I really love learning languages as it is very interesting and I am
villa adverts, and creating Roman theatre masks and visitors’
learning a new language from scratch. It is fascinating to learn about
guides to Pompeii. Pupils enjoyed opportunities to work
different countries, regions in Spain, foods and traditions."
independently, collaboratively, creatively and analytically,
using the CSCP website and the textbook. Pupils reflected on
Thomas: "In French and Spanish we have learnt a large amount of new
their own work to set Wreaths and Lamps, but also maturely
vocabulary and grammar. When I first joined Maida Vale I hadn't learnt
Spanish before but after a couple pf lessons I soon got to grips with it
and thoughtfully gave feedback to their peers. This term was
and made huge improvements. In French we have learnt about La Réunion
aimed at not only equipping pupils with the basics of the Latin
and how it is a volcanic island and what you can do there."
language, but also enabling them to gain an understanding
of the legacy of the Romans, as well as an appreciation for the
modern relevance and cross-curricular worth of studying Latin.
Active vocabulary learning using derivations & home-made
8
flashcards
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