Bengali – Mulberry Stepney Green

Head of Faculty:

Mr D. Bahier

Deputy Head of Faculty:

Ms N. Robinson

About the department:

GCSE Bengali helps students develop their language skills in a variety of contexts and understand the culture of countries and communities where Bengali is spoken. It encourages enjoyment of language learning and the recognition that language skills enable students to take their place in a multi-lingual global society.

Key stage 3 Curriculum:

Students choose to study Bengali in year 8. During year 8 they study the following subjects:

Introducing yourself
School
My family
My house
My Free time
My town

Key stage 4 Curriculum:

Most students who choose Bengali in year 8 continue to study it in KS4 to GCSE level.

The exam board used is AQA Bengali Full Course (8638) and students complete final exams in year 11 in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. All components of the exam are 25% of the final mark.

In GCSE Bengali students study the following areas:

Theme – Identity and Culture

Me, my family and friends
Talking about socialising and family
Describing people
Talking about friends and family
Describing mealtimes
Technology in everyday life
Talking about social networks
Talking about what’s trending
Free-time activities
Making arrangements
Talking about reading preferences
Talking about free-time activities
Talking about TV programmes and films
Talking about what you usually do
Talking about sports
Talking about typical foods
Discussing different types of entertainment

Customs and festivals in Bengali-speaking countries/ communities:

Talking about who inspires you
Talking about illnesses and injuries
Comparing different festivals
Describing a special day
Ordering food in a restaurant
Talking about a music festival

Theme – Current and Future study and Employment

My studies/Life at school/college
Giving opinions about school subjects
Describing school uniform and the school day
Talkingabout subjects and teachers
Describing your school
Talking about school rules and problems
Jobs, career choices and ambitions
Talking about different jobs
Talking about work experience
Applying for a summer job
Talking about plans for a school exchange
Talking about activities and achievements
Talking about how you earn money
Education post-16/Jobs, career choices and ambitions
Talking about the importance of learning languages
Discussing gap years
Discussing plans for the future

Theme – Local, National, International and global areas of interest

Home, town, neighbourhood and region/Travel and tourism
Discussing holidays and weather
Saying what you do in summer
Talking about holiday preferences
Saying what you did on holiday
Describing where you stayed
Booking accommodation and dealing with problems
Giving an account of a holiday in the past
Talking about places in a town
Talking about shops
Describing the features of a region
Planning what to do
Shopping for clothes and presents
Talking about problems in a town
Describing a visit in the past
Describing types of houses
Social issues and Global issues
Talking about healthy eating
Discussing healthy lifestyles
Talking about international sporting events
Considering global issues
Talking about natural disasters
Talking about local actions

Extra-Curricular:

The Bengali department offer A level and AS level in year 12 and year 13.
The Bengali department also offers lunch time clubs for KS3 and KS4 during the term time on Monday and Wednesday from 12:40-1:10pm