Garth Hill College - KS4 Options Handbook 2024 - Flipbook - Page 27
MFL French GCSE / German GCSE / Spanish GCSE
Head of MFL: Mrs F Tigano
Board: AQA 8658 (French), AQA 8668 (German) and AQA 8698 (Spanish)
Course Outline
Students on the Blue pathway will study a modern language (continuing the modern language studied at key
stage 3). However, pupils on the White pathway who have also made good progress at key stage 3 are
strongly advised to opt for a modern language and continue their studies in years 10 and 11.
The College supports the widely held view that pupils who aspire to progress to higher education will need a
modern language GCSE qualification as part of their portfolio.
Students study the following themes on which assessments are based:
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Theme 1: Identity and culture
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Theme 2: Local, National, International and Global areas of interest
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Theme 3: Current and future study and employment
As well as learning key vocabulary for each of these topics, pupils will also focus on discovering and applying
language structures. Pupils will be encouraged to speak as much French, German and Spanish in lessons as
possible. Lessons are interactive and a range of activities support the development of listening, reading,
speaking and writing skills, for example learning songs to remember key grammar.
It is important to remember that although all pupils will be working towards producing a high standard of
grammatically accurate work, effective communication is the key to success. The department is growing
links with organisations in France, Germany and Spain to support this work.
Assessment
Candidates will be tested in the four skill areas: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. In all four areas,
there are two tiers of examination: Foundation or Higher. The range of grades available is 9-1 with
Foundation Tier covering grades 1-5 and Higher Tier 4-9. Students must sit all four exams at the same tier.
Examination Format
Paper 1 Listening:
•
Written exam: 35 minutes (Foundation tier), 45 minutes (Higher tier)
o
40 marks (Foundation tier), 50 marks (Higher tier): 25% of GCSE
Paper 2 Speaking: Non-exam assessment (NEA):
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7–9 minutes (Foundation tier) + 15 minutes' supervised preparation time
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10–12 minutes (Higher tier) + 15 minutes' supervised preparation time
o
50 marks (for each of Foundation tier and Higher tier): 25% of GCSE
Paper 3 Reading:
•
Written exam: 45 minutes (Foundation tier), 1 hour (Higher tier)
o
50 marks (for each of Foundation tier and Higher tier), 25% of GCSE
Paper 4 Writing:
•
Written exam: 1 hour 10 minutes (Foundation tier), 1 hour 15 minutes (Higher tier)
o
50 marks (for each of Foundation tier and Higher tier), 25% of GCSE
KEY STAGE 4 OPTIONS
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