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Modern Foreign Languages

The Modern Languages department believes that every pupil should have access to a wide and varied experience of as many different cultures as possible. The learning of new languages and cultures should inspire pupils to be adventurous in spirit and to embrace all that is unique about the many cultures that make up our world. Through their language lessons they should begin to understand the importance of effective and sensitive communication and always strive to achieve their best.

Course Specification

Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 

In year 7 pupils choose two languages from French, German and Spanish, and they continue with both until the end of year 8. At the end of Year 8 pupils can choose whether to continue with two languages (ie French and German or French and Spanish) or just to continue with one language for IGCSE (French, German or Spanish). At least one Modern Foreign Language is compulsory for IGCSE.

IGCSE course topics 

Areas covered include Home and abroad; Education and employment; House, home and daily routine; The modern world and the environment and Social activities, fitness and health.

Edexcel IGCSE exam

Listening (25%): - tasks include completing a grid, multiple choice, box ticking, true or false
Reading and Writing (50%): - reading will involve similar tasks to listening. Two writing tasks – one short (50 words), one longer (150 words).
Speaking (25%): - talk about a picture that you have chosen followed by a discussion on the wider topic area. Then two conversations on other topic areas.

A Level AQA French, German and Spanish 

Year 1

  • Aspects of target language-speaking society: current trends
  • Artistic culture in the target language-speaking world

Year 2

  • Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues
  • Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world

Literary texts and films: pupils must study either one text and one film or two texts which will be chosen from the AQA list of set films and texts.

How is the A Level tested?

Paper 1: Listening, reading & translation tasks (50%) of final A Level

Paper 2: Writing: 2 essays on film and literature studied (20%)

Paper 3: Speaking (30%) In this test the candidate will discuss a topical stimulus card and also their individual research project taken from one of four sub-themes.