ds1 is sulking because I won't help him with his German homework

[roisin]

He said he doesn't need a dictionary, then proceeds to ask me the German for half a dozen English words. I decline (after the first one).

I'm happy to help by suggesting some idioms, etc; or improving on some phrasing. But basic vocab/dictionary work is up to him, I think.

To gain the level (6 for all 3 tenses) he only needs to use Je vais + an infinitive - I would have thought any teacher would have slotted that into year 8 - it's not rocket science!! So I would go ahead at home. Then he can slot it into every piece of writing/speaking that he does!!

And they shouldn't be setting targets beyond what is on their scheme of work - that is completely unreasonable and will reflect badly on them if he doesn't achieve them! It is much easier to teach the future tense than any past tense in French so I don't know why they are not doing it. He doesn't need to use 'Je jouerai au tennis' as a tense - a simple 'je vais jouer au tennis' would be fine. We teach the immediate future in year 8 and the simple future in year 10.

Oh right! That makes sense. Thank you so much.
No reason why he can't do that. I'll have a chat with her.

(As far as reporting home/to students school just used to set end of yr9 targets, then no grades were reported just "on target" or above or below. [though of course they did get levels for individual assessments.] I think that's a far better system, as it stops them obsessing about particular individual levels or sublevels!)

roisin I'm a bit shocked actually that a yr 8 class wouldn't do the futur proche ie je vais + inf as tinuviel suggests.

Anyway a high achieving class, tho if it's only 3 lesson a fortnight maybe that's why...

Our not so high-achieving yr 9s have certainly already done it.

Agree no need for j'irai, je vais aller is totally fine.

Hello, Clary! How are you? How's it going?!

Well, they don't set for languages, so that might be one reason Clary.
Also they are all doing two languages.
At the school where I work the levels are much lower, but that's a different story.

Cool that they are all doing 2 languages (only do one at my school ).

Not so cool not to set tho, I am teaching unset yr 7s (we set from yr 8) and it's hard to get the differentiation right!

It's going OK here, school is excellent and staff super-supportive, my ironing pile is a nightmare tho

Excellent news. I'm delighted it's going well for you and that you have supportive staff.

ds1 did find it difficult in yr8 and yr9 because MFL was the only subject that wasn't set and he wasn't used to being in mixed ability group. But academically it worked for him (through the hard work of the teachers no doubt).

I guess they make the decision that they get better engagement from the students by allowing them to choose which languages they do. But if you do choice, that determines your classes, rather than academic setting. You can't do both!