Modern Languages
modern languages
COURAGE THROUGH COMMUNICATION
Modern Languages is a broad and interdisciplinary subject, spanning language, literature, film, history and politics. Through learning to speak, write, listen and read in other languages, students develop flexible thinking and a deeper understanding of the world around them.
At CLC, the department is one of the largest in the UK. Core languages include Mandarin Chinese, French, Italian, German and Spanish, with Japanese offered in the Sixth Form. We also support students’ home and additional languages wherever possible, including Modern Greek, Arabic and Russian.
Students are encouraged to become independent, confident linguists, supported by a stretching curriculum and expert teaching. We believe in releasing the creative potential of learning languages to motivate and inspire independent learners who are curious about the world around them.
OPENING DOORS THROUGH LANGUAGE
Learning a foreign language opens up new ways of understanding people, cultures and the world. It strengthens communication skills and supports a wide range of future pathways, from business and diplomacy to media and travel. Language learning also develops cognitive skills and deepens understanding of one’s first language.
The Modern Languages Department runs residential trips to China, Japan, Spain, France, and Italy, has long- standing German and Italian exchange programmes and work experience in Europe. These trips open doors for pupils into futures they may never have otherwise imagined.
We offer a whole host of co-curricular activities to enable linguistic confidence, from debating clubs to cookery. Many of our pupils take part in competitions such as the UK Linguistics and German Olympiad, the Oxford University Flash Fiction competition, the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators, the Stephen Spender Prize, the Cambridge Language Collective essay competitions, Routes into Languages Translation Bee and more.
Those who know many languages live as many lives as the languages they know.
Czech Proverb
LC1 (Year 7) and LC2 (Year 8): Pupils may choose their first language of study and College allocates the second from a choice of Mandarin, French, German and Spanish.
UC3: (Year 9) Pupils may pick up an additional language ab initio choosing from French, Italian and Spanish.
All students prepare for AQA GCSE (or Pearson GCSE for Chinese) as the formal qualification and we link study wherever possible to culture and current events. All pupils take one Modern Language GCSE and many take several languages. Heritage language speakers have the opportunity to sit the GCSE in UC3 (for example, the Pearson iGCSE in Chinese).
If following the IB pathway, students can study Chinese, French, Italian and Spanish at Standard or Higher Level. They can also choose from Italian, Arabic, Japanese and Russian ab initio. Classes run subject to sufficient numbers.
If following the A Level pathway, pupils can study Italian, French, German, Spanish.
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