French in the Sixth Form
The study of French in the Sixth Form at The Abbey aims to encourage positive attitudes to foreign language learning and to further intellectual and personal development by promoting learning and communication skills. It is generally accepted that fluency in a language other than one's own is a tremendous asset in modern society from both a social and professional point of view; what better reason therefore for learning French, one of the official European languages?
In addition to being intellectually stimulating, every effort is made to make French fun. Students are encouraged to participate in trips to France, to watch French films, to listen to French radio, to read French newspapers and magazines. Sixth Formers are encouraged to attend residential courses in France to improve their fluency. A wide variety of courses are available but most recently those in Montpellier and Thonon-les-Bains, on the shores of Lake Geneva, have been chosen.
In addition to those who continue to study French at University, many students choose to combine their language proficiency with a further skill and use their French to complement their studies of business, the law, technology etc. Prestigious law and accountacy firms are often looking for young professionals with good language skills to staff their offices in Paris, Brussels etc. A recent article in The Times lamented the loss of millions of pounds in exports attributed primarily to the shortage of foreign language speaking staff.
