Head of Department: Mr L Disney

 

Languages

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world​” -   Ludwig Wittgenstein 1889–1951

In the Languages department at TKASA, our mantra is “be bold, and make mistakes”.
We want to train linguists who are confident communicators, so that they can be resilient, thrive when faced with challenges and most importantly, make friends and connections across borders and cultures.

We truly believe that languages are for everyone, and we aim for students to become fully acquainted not only with the language itself, but the diversity of different peoples around the world and the opportunities which speaking another language can offer.

Even if languages aren’t part of your child’s career plan, learning a language is an ideal way to develop ‘soft skills’ such as public speaking, confidence and coping with the unexpected.

Curriculum Overview

At TKASA we provide a rich Languages curriculum that combines the key pillars of vocabulary, grammar and phonics with a solid understanding of the customs, history and culture of both French- and Spanish-speaking communities from all over the world.

At Key Stage 3, students will study either French or Spanish. These two languages are closely related, so although prior knowledge isn't necessary from primary school, students will still be able to lean on concepts and related words they've already seen at KS2.

In Year 9, students will be given the opportunity to continue studying one (or more!) languages at GCSE, and in Year 11 they will experience a taster of studying languages at A Level. We’re proud of the number of students who study languages into Key Stages 4 and 5, and we welcome students of all abilities who wish to continue their language learning journey.

We also offer a range of exciting extracurricular activities to complement students’ classroom study, including cultural opportunities and an overseas visit. GCSE students can also take advantage of tailored support from our passionate and dedicated staff in after school revision sessions.