Parents

Languages

Our Languages Faculty encompasses English and Modern Languages of French and Spanish.

Pupils and parents can be confident that transitioning across year groups and indeed from teacher to teacher is characterised by continuity of method and approach to learning.

Education is that which remains after that which has been learned has been forgotten.

B. F. Skinner

Skinner’s famous reminder looms large in the Language Faculty. Our mission is to ensure that pupils leave ready to engage with the world beyond our gates.

Our Senior pupils study English for five years. Our year group sizes allow teachers to get to know pupils well and build solid relationships, and to have a very secure knowledge of each individual's strengths and weaknesses.

Our aim is to develop each pupil’s language skills so they can express their own thoughts and feelings clearly, both orally and in writing. We also aim, through the study of literature, to develop awareness of the society around them and further afield, allowing them to empathise with the feelings and situations of people belonging to different cultures, backgrounds and eras.

Our approach to the certification stage is particularly innovative; we ensure, insofar as is possible, that pupils retain the same teacher in S4 and S5 - the two most common certificate stages. This approach reinforces continuity and allows teachers to build optimum working relationships with pupils when they are needed most.

Ultimately, we aim to foster the self-confidence of each pupil and their belief in the worth of their own ideas.

As the world continues to become increasingly connected, learning a language other than English is a necessity. Advancing technologies have afforded us the ability to communicate no matter where we are in the world, amplifying the importance of foreign language study.

The great thing about languages is that, other than being a form of communication, they also serve as a means of relating to others on a cultural level. It’s the only way to understand how other cultures think and express themselves.

As well as grammar and vocabulary, our language teaching draws on history, geography, politics, literature and film. Whichever career path you move on to, people with foreign language skills will always stand out compared to people without them.

Kelvinside Academy is committed to equipping our pupils with these skills, and the process begins in the early years of the Junior School when pupils are introduced to French and Spanish.

Pupils can choose from French and/or Spanish in S1.  They then continue with their first foreign language up until the end of S4.  A second language can be selected for National 5, and a very large number continue to Higher and Advanced Higher.

Pupils are encouraged not to view languages in isolation, and cross-curricular activities include the use of ICT in the classroom. The Department also organises trips and exchanges to France and Spain.

Senior students learning modern languages at Kelvinside Academy