Fourth Year Explore Languages through Film

The MFL Department was delighted to host the inaugural Languages Film Studies Day for all pupils in the Fourth Year, combining language skills development with cultural exploration and history through the medium of film.

German

Pupils studying German examined the historical, linguistic and cultural impact on German society through the experiences of a Turkish “Gastarbeiter” family, in the film “Almanya Willkommen in Deutschland”. Pupils enhanced their history learning by examining the recruitment agreement that launched the “Gastarbeiter” programme in Germany’s post-war boom period, sampled some Turkish-inspired food to get a sense of the impact on German cuisine and culture, and practised their language skills by busting some well-worn national stereotypes.

French

Pupils studying French watched the film “Chez les ch’tis”, which comically, but touchingly plays with North-South prejudices within France, as a postman from Marseille gets ‘banished’ to an office in the dreaded North (“dans le nord”)! Various stereotypes again are revealed and debunked in a manner that is true to the theatre and cinema tradition of French farce, and the film finishes with a moving reflection on the proverb that a stranger to the North brays (cries) twice – once when arriving and once when departing.

Spanish

Both pupils of Spanish and those not studying a European language explored cultural idiosyncrasies in Spain with the film “Ocho apellidos vascos”, about a young man who falls for a Basque girl. His attempts to impress lead only to a comedy of errors. Alongside exercises to practise vocabulary and grammar, pupils were also treated to cultural insights into Basque culture, including personal insights and anecdotes from staff.

For all three groups, the day included a variety of preparatory activities allowing pupils to enhance their researching, vocabulary learning, grammar and analytical skills, and cultural awareness. Pupils then enjoyed the feature-length film. This was accompanied by cookies and popcorn to create an enjoyable (and arguably more authentic) cinematic experience.