French or Spanish

The specifications include the study of the following themes:

Theme 1: Identity and culture

• Topic 1: Me, my family and friends
• Topic 2: Technology in everyday life
• Topic 3: Free-time activities
• Topic 4: Customs and festivals in French-speaking or Spanish-speaking countries/communities

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

• Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region
• Topic 2: Social issues
• Topic 3: Global issues
• Topic 4: Travel and tourism

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment covers the following four topics:

• Topic 1: My studies
• Topic 2: Life at school/college
• Topic 3: Education post-16
• Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Assessment

GCSE French and Spanish have 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 paper is worth 25% of GCSE.

Paper 1: Listening
Listening is by examination and includes questions that must be answered in English, in the target language or non-verbally.

Paper 2: Speaking
Speaking is conducted by the teacher and includes a role-play, a discussion on a photo card and a general conversation.

Paper 3: Reading
Reading is by examination and includes questions that must be answered in English, in the target language or non-verbally, as well as a translation from the target language to English.

Paper 4: Writing
Writing is by examination and includes writing a short passage, a structured writing task and a translation from English to the target language.

Progression

Success in languages at GCSE allows students to progress on to Sixth Form A level courses. Language A levels combine very well with many other subjects (e.g. business studies, geography, English, history…) and is highly regarded by universities and employers.

Start Date

July 2019

Exam Board

AQA

Location

Northallerton School & Sixth Form College

Course Level

GCSE