GCSE French or Spanish
In studying GCSE French or Spanish you will learn to use the language
effectively for practical oral and written communication and to understand
the spoken and written language up to a reasonable level. This will give
you a sound basis for further study, for work, or for leisure activities,
and will certainly give you a greater insight into the culture and the
way of life of the countries studied.
You will be involved in many different language activities, working sometimes
in pairs or small groups, and sometimes on more teacher-centred activities.
The language studied is presented through situations, topics and themes,
and you will be exposed to a wide variety of authentic materials including
tapes, videos and the Internet.
As great emphasis is placed on oral communication, you will be expected
to participate fully in class and be willing to speak the language being
studied as regularly as possible. You will have coursework in written
French and Spanish, you will be tested regularly and you will be expected
to work consistently throughout the two years and keep assignments up
to date. Your success in tests, examinations and assignments will determine
the combination of papers for which you will be entered.
The advantages of being able to communicate in a foreign language in today's
world are becoming increasingly obvious, and an ability to function in
a language other than English will give you a distinct advantage when
you reach the stage of choosing a career and finding an interesting job.
Whether you want to become a language specialist involved in translating,
interpreting, or teaching, or whether you choose a career in finance,
accounting, travel and tourism, hotel management, the media, law, publishing,
or a variety of other areas, a knowledge of, and a qualification in, at
least one foreign language will stand you in very good stead in your chosen
field.
You do not have to be a brilliant linguist to succeed in GCSE Modern Languages.
What you do need to be is enthusiastic, well-organized, and consistent
when it comes to work and assignments. If you choose to study Spanish
you will need to work especially hard in order to reach GCSE standard
in three years, so a great deal of commitment will be required if you
hope to be successful in studying Spanish.
The majority
of students opting to study GCSE Spanish will have completed the Year
9 beginner's course in Spanish, which is a very valuable introduction
to the GCSE course.
Assessment
In GCSE Modern Languages the experience of assessment is a positive one
and all students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge,
abilities, and achievements, and to show what they know, what they understand,
and what they can do.
For the GCSE examination students can be entered for different combinations
of papers. In February of Year 11 you will, in discussion with your teachers,
decide whether to enter for foundation or higher tier papers. Assignments
and tests set throughout the course will help to determine the combinations
of papers which you will take. At both tiers these aspects of the language
are examined:
1) understanding of the spoken language
2) understanding of the written language
3) oral expression
There will be a coursework unit for the writing paper. Students will be
required to undertake a variety of types of language tasks to show a range
of language skills. At least one third of these will be done under controlled
conditions, under supervision. Dictionaries may be used in written coursework
and in reading and oral exams.
