French

Departmental Philosophy

There has never been a more exciting and critical time to learn French at a time where we need to reach out to our closest European partners on the continent. More than 800 million people speak French across the globe, and the objective in the French department at all levels is to create confident French speakers who can thrive in authentic contexts beyond the classroom. Indeed, many pupils who continue with French beyond school do so for a number of reasons. They recognise that French is a language for the international job market, and want to enhance their career prospects in key sectors such as commerce, engineering, law or banking. Other pupils see French as integral to their future careers in diplomacy and international relations, given its status as the official language of leading European institutions. For others, it is France’s rich cultural heritage that particularly appeals to them, with its world-renowned music, art and literature, not to mention the nation’s famed philosophical tradition.

The French department is a diverse department that aims to foster an international outlook and to engage meaningfully with the target language and culture. We encourage pupils to embrace the process of language learning, with solid grammatical foundations just as central to our approach as an immersive, communicative style of learning. Lessons are engaging and fun, stretching yet supportive, and provide pupils with the skills required to succeed at all levels.

Sixth Form

Pupils who sign up for French Pre-U in Lower Sixth from MCS or other schools do so in order to build on the foundations laid at GCSE and to delve deeper into global issues through the target language. An average week might include an exploration of laicité in France, and the controversial ban of the burka, or a debate on Macron’s controversial reforms to the French university system, or even the impact of Mariage Pour Tous (marriage equality) in France since 2013. The exciting nature of the French Pre-U course is such that the topics covered are constantly evolving in real time, and so authentic texts, news reports, and podcasts are indispensable tools for cultural engagement. Pupils keep a portfolio of articles selected from their own reading to draw upon in conversation classes and discursive essays. What pupils often enjoy most are the films and texts studied, both as part of the course, as well as in the salon littéraire with our Waynflete intern. The department creates opportunities for L6th pupils to take a lead with French events via our ambassador programme.

Extra-curricular

The French Department at MCS offers a rich and varied extra-curricular programme. We run regular trips to France, including a bi-annual study trip to Lyon for U4th and 5^th Form pupils. Film nights with Q&A discussion are a common event in the departmental calendar, as are regular competitions, such as the Stephen Spender competition and Juvenes Translatores, in which pupils have enjoyed success in recent years. We offer a number of cultural excursions to London to see a French play or visit an exhibition, and frequently welcome visiting theatre companies from France to entertain Lower School pupils. We make the most of our proximity to the University of Oxford, hosting visiting guest speakers from the Modern Languages faculty, as well as visiting the Maison Française to hear experts present on their specialism. Pupils may also attend a student theatre production of a seminal work of French drama. In short, there is something for everyone.

Where French could take you

French is highly valued by leading universities and employers around the world. Many pupils leave MCS to go on to read French at Oxbridge or Russell group universities, either in combination with another language or another discipline. One of the main advantages of pursuing a modern language at undergraduate level is the opportunity to live abroad doing an internship with a company, working as a teacher, or attending a foreign university. Many OWs with a degree in French go on to work in a diverse range of sectors such as marketing, International Relations, research, law or engineering. We rely on the experience of these OWs to encourage would-be linguists to consider languages at degree level for the doors it has opened for them personally.