Languages

(French, German

and Spanish)

Overview

The ability to speak and understand a language is a life skill which will benefit you way beyond your academic qualifications and your school days. Learning languages allows for ways of communication which open doors in travel, working abroad in any role, understanding businesses better, and being more open to international business. Your demonstration of skills of learning and application show that you embrace and welcome these opportunities. Most importantly though, learning a language is fun!

Here at Costello, we follow the AQA syllabus and within that there is a real focus on history and culture behind the language you will study. Learning about another country helps to widen your thinking, expectations, and future experiences of the world. We are proud of our Language provision at Costello, and we are lucky to have a range of specialist, skilled teachers who drive that enjoyment of languages forward. All languages share the same skills around listening, speaking, reading, and writing. French, German and Spanish involve skills of understanding and using European and worldwide languages. Languages are passports to your future worlds, and we look forward to helping you choose which language/s to study for your GCSE.

Topics covered

There are 3 main themes on which all assessments are based:

Identity and culture, (me, my family and friends, technology in everyday life, free time activities)
Local, national and international areas of interest (home, neighbourhood and region, social issues, global issues, travel and tourism)
Current and future study and employment (life at school/college, education post 16, jobs career choices and ambitions)

Assessments

Assessment at GCSE is divided into four skills, with equal weighting given to all 4 skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. There are 2 tiers, a Foundation Tier (grades 1-5) and a Higher tier (4-9) and students must take all four question papers from the same tier:

Listening 25%. Section A has questions and answers in English; Section B questions and answers in the Foreign Language
Speaking 25%. The speaking exam includes a role-play, photo card and general conversation.
Reading 25%. Section A has questions and answers in English; Section B questions and answers in the Foreign Language, and also a translation from the Foreign Language into English.
Writing 25%. The writing paper includes a variety of writing tasks including translation from English into the Foreign Language.

FAQs

Are there any differences in the structure of the GCSEs across the different languages?

All of the languages have the same exam structure and content. Students sit one exam for each skill – reading, writing, listening and speaking. Each paper is worth 25% of their overall grade. All languages cover the same content:
- Theme 1: Identity and Culture
- Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest
- Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

Will my child have the same teacher they have had previously?

It is possible that your student will have a teacher that they have had previously, but we have many different teachers so it is not expected that your student will carry on with their teacher from year 8. In years 10 and 11, we try to keep the same teacher as much as possible, as the teacher-student relationship tends to help students feel more comfortable in the speaking exam.

Can my child take two languages?

Your child can choose to take two languages at GCSE. Students have the option to pick a second language. We have had keen linguists who have studied two languages very successfully in the past, with excellent results at GCSE.

Which language will my child study??

Usually students continue with the language they have studied in Key Stage 3. There may be the opportunity to swap to a different language but this will be decided on a case by case basis as it is a very challenging undertaking to cover the content in just 3 years.

Will there be an opportunity to visit the country to practice the language?

Residential trips to France, Spain and Germany will be offered during the Key Stage 4 course.

Is there anything I can do at home to support my child’s learning of the language?

Absolutely! There are a range of online learning sites that students can use to practise their vocabulary. Memrise and Quizlet are excellent and we encourage students to use these for revision. You can encourage your child to practise their language by watching TV/films in the target language (Netflix has the option to change the audio/subtitles for many programmes and films), listening to music or following the news in the target language.

If they choose a language and then change their mind are they able to switch?

We don’t recommend changing a language once the course has started, as students will miss out on the content. However we do look at cases on an individual basis

My child doesn’t want to take a language, is it compulsory?

At Costello, studying a language is compulsory. Colleges, universities and future employers look favourably upon students who have studied a language at GCSE. Further, studying a language helps develop strong cognitive skills, such as mental flexibility, multitasking, listening skills and problem-solving, in addition to improving social interaction. Only in exceptional circumstances and in discussion with the SENDCo and AHT, can a student not opt for a language.

How many pupils are in each class at GCSE level?

This depends on the number of students who choose each language and the timetabling options available.