Modern Languages:
French, German or Spanish GCSE

Foundation Tier: Grades C to G. Higher Tier: A* to D.

See also: Advanced French | Spanish NVQ

Course description:

AQA Syllabus. There are four modules to study. Each module has a general theme, as follows:

Module 1: My World September to December Year 10 Topics covered: • Self, family and friends • Interests and hobbies • Home and local environment • Daily routine • School and Future Plans	Module 2: Holiday Time and Travel January to May Year 10 Topics covered: Travel, transport and finding the way Tourism Accommodation Holiday Activities Services
Module 3: Work and Lifestyle June to December Year 11 Topics covered: • Home life • Part-time Jobs & Work Experience • Healthy Living • Leisure: Going Out & Entertainment • Shopping	Module 4: The Young Person in Society January to May Year 11 Topics covered: • Character & Personal Relationships • Environment • Careers & Future Plans • Social Issues, Choices & Responsibilities

Modules 1 and 2 will be studied in Year 10 and Modules 3 & 4 in Year 11.

Course structure:

Years 10 and 11 each have 5 lessons per fortnight.

Homework:

Homework will be set weekly. A variety of tasks are set for homework & examples include:

• Preparing answers for the oral exam. Students will build up a portfolio of work for the speaking exam
• Learning vocabulary and grammar
• Reading texts in the target language and answering questions on the text
• Coursework assignments

Assessment, weighting and timings of assessments:

The GCSE course in French, German and Spanish is modular. This means that you will take assessments for each module. The marks for each assessment will contribute to your final grade.

Module 1 Speaking 12.5 % December Year 10

You will record a short tape in French/German/Spanish on the 6 Module 1 topics.

Module 2 Listening 12.5 % & Reading 12.5 % May Year 10

You will take two examinations, one in listening and the other in reading, which will assess the Module 1 and 2 topics.

Module 3 Writing 12.5 % Autumn Term Year 11

You will complete two pieces of written coursework during the term.

Module 4 Listening 12.5 % Speaking 12.5 % Reading 12.5 % Writing 12.5 %

You will take four examinations, which will assess the topics from Modules 1, 2, 3 & 4.

Books, equipment, materials and resources recommended / needed:

All students will need a bilingual dictionary.

Opportunities for study beyond Key Stage 4:

Students can continue study of French/German/Spanish to AS and A2 level at Blatch 6. In addition some colleges offer Applied Language units, which can be taken as part of AVCE courses in Business and Travel & Tourism.

Career opportunities supported by this subject:

There are many benefits to learning a foreign language. It will:

• Give you a useful skill when you go on holiday abroad
• Improve your listening, communication and memory skills
• Enable you to learn another foreign language when you are older
• Enable you to work abroad or travel abroad with your job
• Give you an invaluable skill for many careers (see below)

The ability to speak and understand one or more foreign languages is very useful in many careers, such as:

• Sales and Marketing
• Tourism (Pilot, Air Steward, Courier)
• International Banking
• Secretarial Work
• Administration
• Accountancy
• Management Consultancy
• Armed Forces
• Diplomatic Service Law

Visit these Language websites:

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