Key Stage 4
Pupils who continue with a Language will commence a two year GCSE course in French or German in Year 10. In addition, some pupils may have the option of taking GCSE Spanish. We follow the AQA GCSE course and the textbooks we use are Expo for French, Logo for German and Mira for Spanish.
What will I study in Languages at Key Stage Four?
The German, French and Spanish GCSE course at Key Stage 4 is designed to allow you to build on all the skills you have developed in Key Stage 3. You will take part in a variety of listening, speaking, reading and writing activities.
The GCSE course is divided into 4 Units: Units 1 (listening); Unit 2 (reading); Unit 3 (speaking); Unit 4 (written coursework)
Below is the course at a glance.
Unit 1
LISTENING
Tiered 20% of GCSE
Higher (40 mins)
Foundation
Unit 2
READING
Tiered 20% of GCSE
Higher (40 mins)
Foundation (30 mins)
Unit 3
SPEAKING
Untiered 30% of GCSE
2 Tasks
Unit 4
WRITING
Untiered 30% of GCSE
2 Tasks
Languages
Pupils will learn how to provide information and give opinions on the below topic areas. They will also learn how to understand information and opinions of other people, including people in countries/communities where the language is spoken.
LIFESTYLE
Health
Relationships and Choices
LEISURE
Free time and the media
Holidays
HOME AND ENVIRONMENT
Home and Local area
Environment
WORK AND EDUCATION
School/College and Future Plans
Current and Future Jobs
GCSE Course
The GCSE course is divided into 4 Units: Units 1 (listening); Unit 2 (reading); Unit 3 (speaking); Unit 4 (written coursework)
Below is the course at a glance.
Unit 1
LISTENING
Tiered 20% of GCSE
Higher (40 mins)
Foundation
Unit 2
READING
Tiered 20% of GCSE
Higher (40 mins)
Foundation (30 mins)
Unit 3
SPEAKING
Untiered 30% of GCSE
2 Tasks
Unit 4
WRITING
Untiered 30% of GCSE
2 Tasks
Other questions answered:
Are there different tiers in the GCSE?
Yes, there is a foundation tier and a higher tier in Units 1 and 2. The foundation tier covers grades G to C and the higher tier covers grades A* to D. Your teacher will enter you for the tier in which you will have the greatest chance of success. The set that you are in will not determine the tier that you will take in the final examination.
Advice
We encourage all students taking GCSE German and French to watch German/ French films and read short stories, there are lots of books available in the MFL office. Whenever possible we will organise trips to the theatre, cinema and conferences. We also recommend students to visit the following Websites for additional learning:
http://www.languagesonline.org.uk an excellent interactive site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ Bitesize revision for GCSE
www.modlangs.co.uk We have subscribed to this so pupils need to obtain the password from their teacher
www.goethe.de Link to the Goethe Institut
http://www.institut-francais.org.uk/ Link to the French Institute
www.linguascope.com Passwords can be obtained from your teacher
www.klar.co.uk Passwords can be obtained from your teacher
