What will you do on this course?
We currently offer A Level courses in French, German and Spanish. For native speakers, we also offer Italian, Chinese, and Russian. The core content comprises of:
- Social issues and trends (e.g. how criminals are treated/the changing nature of the family)
- Political & artistic culture (e.g. immigration/should teenagers have the right to vote?)
- Grammar
- Study of film & literature
- Listening to podcasts and news reports in the target language
- Reading articles from authentic newspapers and magazines from the target language country
- Watching and analysing films in the target language
- A lesson once a week with the Language Assistant to focus on speaking
- Students are also encouraged to take part in an arranged home stay in the country where their language is spoken. There are several pre-existing trips and proposed trips to Spain, France and Germany.
How will you be assessed?
The A Level exam is based on three tests:
Paper 1: Listening, reading, and writing, including translation into English and the target language (2hrs 30 mins, 50%)
Paper 2: Writing (2hrs, 30%) - written response about a film and a literary text, grammar and translation
Paper 3: Speaking (21-23 mins - including 5 mins prep time, 30%)
Section A: Discussion based on a stimulus card
Section B: Presentation and discussion on student’s Independent Research Project.
No coursework.
What could this course lead to?
It is well established that universities, the Russell Group in particular, like candidates who have studied a language to a higher level, even if their chosen field of university study is not Modern Languages.
Study of languages gives proof of higher order thinking skills. If you wish to attend a European university, then the study of a foreign language will be of obvious benefit. It is also of great benefit for applications to future employers as many major companies now operate in several different countries and like their personnel to be equipped with more than just their native language.
Requirements
Previously studied the language at GCSE level or equivalent of three years studying and have achieved a grade 7 or above.
For Italian, Chinese and Russian, it is required you are a native speaker. You will be offered 1 lesson per week in Year 13 to cover the main topics, prepare for exam-style questions, study the film and literature and essay-writing techniques in your native language and prepare as best as you can to get top marks in your exams.
What syllabus do you follow?
AQA 7652 French, 7662 German, 7692 Spanish
Italian, Chinese & Russian: Pearson Edexcel Advanced GCE
