Massey High School
International Languages
Massey High School offers you the following international languages:
- Chinese
- Japanese
- French
- Spanish
Learning Languages is one of the eight Learning Areas of the New Zealand Curriculum and an important part of our curriculum at Massey High School. In Year 9, it is compulsory to study one International Language or Te Reo Māori, but it is also possible to study two languages.
Why learn a language?
The study of languages opens up career opportunities in economics, international business and trade, international law, education, tourism, hospitality, communications, arts, journalism, governmental and foreign affairs and many other areas. They are also valuable in many research areas like science and environmental studies as the world is moving closer and business and research is done internationally. Languages enhance any career path and will give you a competitive edge. The New NZ Curriculum states regarding languages, that “they link people locally and globally. They are spoken in the community, used internationally, and play a role in shaping the world. Oral, written, and visual forms of language link us to the past and give us access to new and different streams of thought and to beliefs and cultural practices. As students learn a language, they develop their understanding of the power of language. They discover new ways of learning, new ways of knowing, and more about their own capabilities. Learning a language provides students with the cognitive tools and strategies to learn further languages and to increase their understanding of their own language(s) and culture(s).”
The introductory course in Year 9 is a one-semester course which gives you the basic skills to make yourself understood in everyday situations. From Year 10 to Year 13, international languages are option subjects which lead to the three NCEA levels and to the Scholarship Examination.
Level | Chinese | Japanese | French | Spanish |
Year 9 | Half Year | Half Year | Half Year | Half Year |
Year 10 | Half Year | Half Year | Half Year | Half Year |
Year 11 | Full Year/Correspondence | Full Year | Full Year | Full Year |
Year 12 | Correspondence | Correspondence | Full Year | Full Year |
Year 13 | Correspondence | Correspondence | Full Year | Full Year |
Our language students can also take part in the Spanish Debate Competition, the Alliance Française Speech Competition and the Japanese School Essay and Shodo Competition and the French DELF (Diploma awarded by the French Ministry of Education). Learning Languages does not only take place in the classroom, it also happens overseas. The Department of International Languages has organised several study tours overseas and are planning more yearly.
The Department
The Department of Languages is a very vibrant department with IT access and with lots of activities happening. We promote the use of devices for learning, and all our classrooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, computers and access to computer labs. From time to time we are also fortunate to have the help of Foreign Language Assistants.
Classrooms
The Languages classrooms are L1-L3 and are situated on the western side of the school overlooking the sports field.
Contact
You can contact the Languages teachers via email:
Mr C. Bidois - HOD - [email protected]
Ms S. Wilson - [email protected]
Courses in this Learning Area
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