Modern Hebrew Department

Curriculum

Key Stage 3

In Years 7 -9, all pupils study Modern Hebrew for three hours in each two-week lesson cycle. Using Ivrit Esrey (teenage Ivrit) textbooks 1-3, pupils cover the following topics:

  1. Pupil identity card
  2. Pupil activities in the classroom
  3. Pupil activities in school (break time, extracurricular activities)
  4. Life in boarding school
  5. Leisure time
  6. Telling the time
  7. Shopping for food
  8. In the restaurant
  9. In the post office
  10. Family
  11. Friends
  12. Shopping for clothes
  13. Travel
  14. Advertising
  15. A trip to Israel
  16. Health and illness

GCSE

Specification:
AQA

Course Outline:

By choosing to learn Modern Hebrew for GCSE, candidates will perfect their knowledge of the language of Israel and that of millions of people in Jewish communities worldwide. Many Jewish youngsters choose to spend a year in Israel between finishing High School and starting university. This course equips them with the freedom of being at ease with the language of the country.

Through the course pupils will gain the following skills:

1. The ability to communicate verbally, confidently, clearly
and efficiently in Hebrew.
2. The ability to understand and respond to verbal forms of Hebrew
3. The ability to understand and respond to written forms of Hebrew
4. The ability to use all the acquired language skills in studying other languages.

Sixth Form

Students joining the new Yavneh College Sixth Form in September 2008 will be able to study Modern Hebrew A level under the expert guidance of our Head of Modern Hebrew, who is also the Chief Examiner for Modern Hebrew A level.

Students learn a range of language skills: the ability to communicate confidently in Hebrew, to understand and respond to written Hebrew, to translate coherently from Hebrew into English, to structure essays using increasingly accurate, complex and varied language and to display critical thinking and analytical skills. All lessons are conducted in Modern Hebrew and emphasise the importance of translation, reading comprehension and essay writing.

The topics covered in the course are very varied. They include the media, family issues, religion, social issues, environmental issues, science & society, crime and punishment, education, employment & unemployment, law and order.

The second year of the course introduces literary and non-literary texts, ranging from subjects such as Individuals in the Mirror and In Society, Literary Representations of Historical Events and Topics, Democracy and Citizenship in Israel or Communities, Ethnic Groups and Religions in Israel.

We will be reading pieces written by leading contemporary Israeli writers such as David Grossman, Savyon Librecht or Amos Oz, and gaining an insight into the rich tapestry which makes up Israeli society of today.

Facilities

The Modern Hebrew Department has a dedicated teaching area, well-resourced with textbooks, language games, a library of Modern Hebrew literature and Modern Hebrew newspapers.

Enrichment

For those Year 7 pupils who join us without any prior knowledge of Hebrew, the Department runs ‘Catch-up Hebrew’ sessions three times a week during enrichment time.

The Department also runs an Israel Society. Twinned with Kibbutz Yavneh, our pupils learn about the land of Israel and have the opportunity to have pen pals/Internet pals among the youngsters of the Kibbutz.