French and Spanish GCSEs

Aims

The GCSE courses in French and Spanish aim to:

•  Develop the ability to use a foreign language for practical communication;
•  Form a sound base for further study, work and leisure;
•  Offer insights into the culture and civilisation of other countries;
•  Develop an awareness of the nature of language;
•  Provide enjoyment and intellectual stimulation

Content

• The introduction of a wide range of literary texts,
• The requirement to translate short texts from and into the target language
• A focus on the culture and identity of countries where the languages are spoken
• Knowledge and application of grammar

The focus will be on teaching:

• Knowledge of the cultural content that motivates and brings languages to life,
• Strong communication based on a good understanding of how language works (activating grammatical knowledge and understanding),
• Application of  languages in personal, academic and employment-related contexts,
• Spontaneous talk and use of repair strategies as a skill,
• Wide range of sources for listening and reading, including literary texts to inform, inspire and act as a stimulus for a personal response,
  Independence and interaction in all skills.

Examination

• Edexcel French and Spanish
• The weighting for the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) will be 25% each
• Tiered exam – students will have to decide to do either foundation OR higher
• External assessment for all skills (oral exams will be internally conducted but externally   assessed),
• At least 10% of the marks available must be allocated to knowledge and application of grammar,

_{Updated 10/03/2022}