Modern Foreign

Languages GCSE

All students should study one of the Modern Foreign languages, either French or German, to GCSE. We

recommend that students choose the language they have been studying since year 7. Students may choose to study both languages if they wish and any student considering a career in languages would be well advised to do this. Spanish will also be offered from year 10 this year but students

wishing to take this subject must take it in addition to French or German.

All departments follow the AQA examination board GCSE course. All

skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) will be assessed.

The listening and reading skills will be assessed in a final examination in year 11. Each skill is 20% of the final mark. There is an option of Foundation and Higher tier. In order to gain grades A* to C, students will need to take the

Higher tier for those skills.

The speaking skill will be assessed in school and marked by the

modern language teacher. This skill is 30% of the final examination mark. A minimum of two speaking

tests will be done over the two years. There are no Higher or Foundation tiers for this skill.

The writing skill will be assessed in school under supervision. This skill

is 30% of the final examination mark. Two pieces of writing must be submitted. Again there are no Foundation or Higher tiers for this

skill.

Students opting for Spanish, or French or German (their second

foreign language which they started in Yr 9) will be expected to work hard to reach GCSE standard in two or three years and should be

aware of the intensive nature of the course when opting for this

subject.

All languages will provide opportunity for revision work of work covered in Key Stage 3, as

well as introducing new grammar, new vocabulary and topics.

Topics

Lifestyle

• Health

• Healthy and unhealthy lifestyles and their consequences

• Relationships and Choices

• Relationships with family and friends

• Future plans regarding: marriage/partnership

• Social issues and equality

Leisure• Free Time and the Media

• Free time activities

• Shopping, money, fashion and trends

• Advantages and disadvantages of new technology

• Holidays

• Plans, preferences, experiences

• What to see and getting around

Home and Environment• Home and Local Area

• Special occasions celebrated in the home

• Home, town, neighbourhood and region, where it is and what it is like

• Environment

• Current problems facing the planet

• Being environmentally friendly within the home and local area

Work and Education• School/College and Future Plans

• What school/college is like

• Pressures and problems

• Current and Future Jobs

• Looking for and getting a job

• Advantages and disadvantages of different jobs