School Email Newsletter Click here to sign up to our mailing list and start receiving school news and information via email.

 
?

"America, this is our moment. This is our time." Who will win in November?
Barack Obama
John McCain
Total Entries as of 20/07/2008: 115087

Past Polls

Modern Languages

In the Modern Languages Department at Merchant Taylors' we aim to teach modern languages to a high standard.  We aim to ensure that all our pupils, whichever language they are studying,

  • understand the spoken language;
  • speak fluently and confidently;
  • are able to read a range of texts with confidence and ease; and
  •  write accurately and idiomatically in a variety of registers.

Wherever possible we go beyond a purely functional view of language and aim (not just at 6th form level) at providing intellectual and linguistic challenges consistent with the abilities of the boys we teach.

French is taught from the 3rd Form (Year 7) while German, Italian and Spanish are also taught from the 4th Form (Year 9) and all languages are taught at AS/A2 level. Many boys choose one or two languages at AS level and go on to a full A level. Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese are also taught as part of the school's General Studies programme. Results are excellent with around 60% of boys gaining A* in a typical year at GCSE (90% A* and A) and around 60% of candidates also getting an A grade at A2 (92% grades A or B).

The 11 full time modern language teachers and 4 foreign language assistants are based in a modern purpose built block. We benefit from 3 digital language laboratories based on the Sony Virtuoso/Soloist software (which we were the first school to install in this country)  and make extensive use of ICT in our teaching at all levels. We regularly record online and satellite video and audio materials and we have interactive whiteboards in most classrooms. We subscribe to many of the best online resources for teaching languages including Authentik online, Baccalaureat.co.uk, Real French,! Oye¡, Zut! and Gut! and are developing our own web pages to provide pupils with links to all the best materials available.

We regularly organise outings to theatre and cinema, and boys are given the opportunity to go on study trips abroad, while 6th formers are offered the chance to do work experience in those countries.

Peter Langdale
Head of Modern Languages

Welcome Back!
All you need for an organised start to the new academic year!
Click here
Welcome to MTS
New Boys' Introductory Day 2nd Sept Timetable
What to look forward to
Open Morning
Our next Open Morning is Sept 27 from 10 to 12:30. No need to book. Just come along!
Plan your morning
The Great Tradition
Will your son be a great poet like Edmund Spenser, found an Empire like Clive of India or conquer Hollywood like Boris Karloff? They all attended MTS
More at Wikipedia
Visiting the School in August?
Road Works affecting entry to School during August
Click Here
Week A or Week B?
From Monday 1st Sept we are on Week A
Summer Timetable