In an ever-increasing multi-lingual world, the importance of learning another language has never been greater. Learning another language enables pupils to become confident individuals who learn how to interact with others in real-life situations.

S1 FRENCH

All P7 pupils who come to Portobello from one of our learning community primary schools will have experienced French throughout the primary education. They continue their study of French in S1 and S2. We have very good links with our local primaries, and we always endeavour to build on pupils’ prior learning.

Pupils can opt to study Spanish in addition to French in S1 or S2 as part of the “School of…” programme. This allows students to have 3 periods a week of French and 2 periods of Spanish. We plan to introduce this approach for S1 Italian in 2025-26.

Pupils’ progress is assessed formatively through class tasks and homework and summatively through assessments in the skills of Reading, Listening, Writing and Talking. Pupils receive regular written and verbal feedback on their progress in each skill.

S2 FRENCH

All students continue with French in S2 for 4 periods a week. We also provide a 6-8 week taster block of either Spanish or Italian for all students ahead of course choice.

S3-6 FRENCH/SPANISH/ITALIAN

S3 is the culmination of the Broad General Education (BGE) during which pupils continue to develop their skills and lay down firm foundations for learning leading towards National Qualifications in S4. In S3, pupils can continue with French, or they can move to beginners’ Spanish. In moving to Spanish and given that it is an intense, fast-paced course, pupils must consider their ability and motivation to achieve the same in Spanish as they would otherwise have done in French.

Students who wish to study Italian must do so alongside either French or Spanish. It is possible to study all three languages in S3.

Beyond S3, students can opt to study French, Spanish and Italian at National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level. The department has a proud record of very high levels of academic success at all levels and in all languages; young people excel in Modern Languages at Portobello High School.

• Miss B Brown – French and Spanish
• Ms A Lopez  – French and Spanish
• Ms E Russell – French and Spanish
• Mr G Lecomte – French and Italian
• Mrs E MacNicol – French and Spanish
• Ms H Taylor – French and Spanish

Studying languages at school and university opens the door to a wide range of careers. Language skills are valuable in fields like translation and interpretation, where proficiency in multiple languages is essential. Careers in international relations, diplomacy, and foreign service often require strong language abilities to communicate across cultures. Additionally, language studies can lead to roles in journalism, publishing, and media, particularly in foreign correspondence. Marketing and advertising also seek multilingual professionals to reach global markets. Teaching, both locally and abroad, offers opportunities, as does tourism, where language skills enhance customer service. Many global businesses also value multilingual employees in management or communications roles.