Modern Foreign Languages

French or Spanish

The study of a foreign language forms a key part of your curriculum from Year 7 through to Year 11, with half of you continuing to study French through to GCSE level whilst the other half study Spanish. The benefits of studying French or Spanish go far beyond the practical ability to communicate in another language. You will have the opportunity to learn new ways of thinking, be exposed to great literature in the original language and be able to explore different cultures and societies. This, in time, allows you to better understand yourselves and to question your own culture and values with greater tolerance, empathy and acceptance of others. There are also cognitive benefits to studying a language as it will help you to improve your memory, problem solving and critical thinking, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask and develop better listening skills. All of this also helps explain why languages are valued by employers and may give you a competitive advantage when seeking future study or employment.

What will I learn?

This qualification is linear which means that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course. Students study all of the following themes on which the assessments are based:

Theme 1: Identity and culture:

Me, my family and friends
Technology in everyday life
Free-time activities

Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest:

Home town, neighbourhood and region
Social issues
Global issues
Travel and tourism

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment:

My studies
Life at school
Education Post-16
Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Where could it lead?

It is clear from recent research that British businesses want linguists and prize cultural awareness. More than a third of British businesses say they suffer from a shortage of language skills, a figure which will increase with the UK's exit from the European Union as we compete in an increasingly globalised economy. Having a GCSE or a higher qualification in a modern foreign language can set you up for a job in advertising, sales, management, finance and investment. Language graduates also pop up in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and elsewhere in the civil service, in international charities, and journalism.

Assessment

GCSE French and Spanish has a Foundation Tier (grades 1-5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4-9). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier. Each assessment paper is equally weighted and worth 25% of the full GCSE

The assessments are divided up as follows:

Paper 1: Listening
Paper 2: Speaking (non-exam assessed, to be conducted in April or May of Year 11)
Paper 3: Reading
Paper 4: Writing

Exam Board