A Level, French, Spanish & German

AIMS OF THE COURSE

This course has been designed to give you a profound understanding of your chosen language. Not only will you know more about the mechanics of the language - like grammer and vocabulary - but also about how people live and use language

COURSE CONTENT AND SKILLS REQUIRED

You will:

  • Develop and build on skills learned at GCSE
  • Achieve a sound basis for further study
  • Gain an insight into another culture and society

In the first year you will study two main themes which are “Social issues and trends” and “Artistic culture”. Within these main themes you will look at several subthemes, including “Youth culture”, “The digital world” and “Festivals and traditions”. These topics will build on what you have studied at GCSE and will cover a wide range of interesting and engaging issues. The common thread amongst these is discovering how people speak at a personal level and what their individual views are. You will also study one text or one film from a prescribed list. In the second year, you will continue to study the theme of “Social issues and trends”, focussing this time on areas such as immigration and racism. You will also study the theme of “Political and artistic culture”, concentrating specifically on aspects of political life in the country of the language that you are studying. In addition, you will study either one text and one film or two texts, again from a prescribed list. 

Finally, there is an Individual Research Project which you undertake under the guidance of your teacher. As well as having time in lessons with your subject teachers, time is spent with a language assistant to develop your speaking skills further.

ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

We follow the AQA A-Level specifications in all 3 languages
The assessment for A level is in three parts. Firstly, there is a 2.5 hour listening, reading and writing examination, making up 40% of the marks. There is a writing examination, which is two hours in length and accounts for 30% of the marks. The third part of the examination is a speaking test which lasts 16-18 minutes and is also worth 30% of the total marks.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

In our ever expanding global economy, language skills are increasingly sought after by prospective employers in a range of spheres, from Medicine to Banking, from Politics to Information Technology. The ability to communicate effectively in a language other than your mother tongue will undoubtedly broaden your chosen career path and boost your earning potential.

COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The minimum entry requirements for level 3 academic study apply. We also ask that you have studied the language you want to study at GCSE and have gained at least a grade ‘6’.