Students at Koç School currently choose one language from French, German or Spanish, which they then study for seven years from Grade 5 to Grade 11. From Grade 7 onwards students are offered the chance of taking extra preparations session to prepare them for external exams, viz. DELF (French), FIT (German) or DELE (Spanish). However, it must be noted that students wishing to take those exams must apply directly to the language institutes, and attend the exams at the institutes themselves. Students can also opt to study French / German / Spanish as part of their IB course. The Koç School’s Modern Foreign Languages Department is proud of the excellent results our students obtain in all external exams.
All teachers offer students a variety of stimulating activities in order to develop their ability to communicate effectively in the foreign language and to instill enthusiasm for the language. We consider a differentiated approach to be the most effective way to ensure the best progression for each student. After four years of Middle School French / German / Spanish students are able to communicate on a wide variety of topics with confidence and with a good level of accuracy. Students should be able to comfortably pass the A2 level language exam at that point. We also put an emphasis on helping students to look at the culture of the countries where the language is spoken and encourage them to take a more profound look at their own culture.
Our Modern Foreign Languages Department is well-stocked and the Library works closely with us to update the Foreign Language section. Furthermore, the School has invested in the latest technology to teach MFL. All classrooms are equipped with a Smartboard and a sound system. Teachers use interactive ActiveTeach coursebooks and we make frequent use of web-based educational tools and games which the students connect to with their personal electronic devices. This proves to enhance the learning experience. MFL teachers use film clips, video clips, songs, etc. to keep the students interested in the foreign language and to improve their level of fluency. The Department has an annual subscription to a couple of websites that are very popular with both staff and students. We have access to computer labs and to class sets of Tablets so that students can do research, web quests, online exercises, etc.
In Middle School, we use textbooks that provide students with a solid foundation. The books we use are: