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According to the old Czech proverb: learn a new language, acquire a new soul! With so many of our pupils having English as an Additional Language, there must be many divided or tripartite souls amongst our pupil and parental body! At The London Oratory we study French, German and Spanish, all to GCSE. Learning a foreign language opens minds to understanding other people. It leads to encounters with people from many backgrounds and the experience of new cultures. Learning a new language can be fun and useful, be it for travelling, or for making new friends. One of the most important skills in the international market of today is the ability to communicate in more than one language, and ability in a modern foreign language communicates to employers that you have considerable accuracy and skill.
Whether in French, German or Spanish, pupils will study a wide variety of topics (such as travel, school life, family, free time, various cultural aspects of the TL country) using the four skills at KS3, KS4 and KS5. Pupils study the grammar of the target language, and its application, how to express themselves using a range of vocabulary and structures, as we as developing a senses of cultural awareness. They also develop an understanding of the spoken and written forms of F/G/S in a range of contexts, including materials from countries and communities where these languages are spoken
The content of the course covers the following three topics:
identity and culture
Local, national, international and global areas of interest
Current and future study and employment
All pupils will continue with the study of their first foreign language in the fourth and fifth forms and will take the GCSE examination at the end of the course.
Outline of Syllabus
The course is designed to build on and extend the work covered in the first three years. The overall aim is to equip pupils with the ability to communicate effectively in the foreign language in practical, everyday situations. The three topic areas covered are:
In the classroom the emphasis will continue to be on using the foreign language as the normal means of communication. The importance of a sound grasp of the grammatical structure of the language cannot be overemphasised and the study of grammar forms an integral part of the course.
Scheme of Assessment
GCSE German and French have a Foundation Tier (grades 1-5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4-9). Pupils must take all four question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.
Awarding Body: AQA Specification: GCSE French 8658
GCSE German 8668
Spanish is offered in the fourth form as a beginners’ course. The pace of the course is considerably more rapid than in the five year, first foreign language course since pupils sit their public examination in Spanish after five terms of study. The course is highly rewarding and a sound basis for continuing with Spanish in the sixth form.
Outline of Syllabus
The overall aim is to equip pupils with the ability to communicate effectively in the foreign language in practical, everyday situations. The three topic areas covered are:
In the classroom the emphasis will be on using the foreign language as the normal means of communication. The importance of a sound grasp of the grammatical structure of the language cannot be overemphasised and the study of grammar forms an integral part of the course.
Scheme of Assessment
GCSE Spanish has a Foundation Tier (grades 1-5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4-9). Pupils must take all four question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.
