Why Talk About School in Another Language?
One of the first things you learn in a Modern Foreign Language (MFL) — like French, Spanish, or German — is how to talk about everyday life. And what takes up most of your everyday life right now? School! Being able to describe your timetable, name your subjects, and say which ones you like or dislike is a brilliant way to have a real conversation with someone your age from another country.
Naming Your School Subjects
Every language has its own words for school subjects. In French, for example, Maths stays pretty much the same — "les mathématiques" — but Science becomes "les sciences", English becomes "l'anglais", and History becomes "l'histoire". In Spanish, Art is "el arte" and Geography is "la geografía". Many subject names are actually quite similar to the English versions — these are called cognates, and spotting them makes learning much easier!
Think of it like... finding a friend in a crowd. Cognates are the familiar faces — words that look almost the same in both languages, so you can recognise them straight away even without studying them.
Talking About Your Timetable
Your timetable (or emploi du temps in French, horario in Spanish) tells you which subjects you have and when. To talk about it in another language, you need to know the days of the week (e.g., lundi for Monday in French), the times (using the 24-hour clock is common in Europe), and phrases like "J'ai maths le lundi" — meaning "I have Maths on Monday."
Think of it like... building with LEGO bricks. Each word is a brick — the subject, the day, and the verb snap together to make a complete sentence. Once you know the pattern, you can build any sentence you like!
Giving Your Opinion on Subjects
The really fun part is saying what you think! In most MFL lessons you'll learn phrases to express opinions. In French: "J'aime" means "I like", "Je n'aime pas" means "I don't like", and "Je trouve ça difficile" means "I find it difficult." In Spanish: "Me gusta" means "I like" and "No me gusta" means "I don't like." You can add reasons too — "parce que c'est intéressant" (because it's interesting) or "porque es aburrido" (because it's boring).
Top Tips for Remembering It All
Try labelling your actual timetable with the foreign language words for each subject. You could also make flashcards, use a language app like Duolingo, or even describe your school day aloud in the target language while you're getting ready in the morning. The more you practise using these words in real situations, the faster they'll stick in your memory.