A-LEVEL MFL, FRENCH, GERMAN, SPANISH - AQA

Introduction

This new specification is designed to encourage candidates to:

develop the knowledge and skills acquired at GCSE level and therefore use French/German/Spanish in a wide range of contexts
gain a useful insight into another culture and reflect on various aspects of contemporary society
enhance their employment prospects, facilitate foreign travel and experience the enjoyment and motivation of improving their linguistic level

Assessment Framework

The specifications are divided into a total of four units, two AS units and two A2 units. At each level, there will be an oral and a mixed-skill written paper, testing listening, reading and writing.

In Speaking, candidates will present a point of view based on a target-language

stimulus card from one of the topic areas and then take part in a conversation covering three further topics.

In the written paper, candidates will answer a variety of questions based on approximately 5 - 6minutes of heard material and on a selection of written stimulus texts. They will also respond in writing to a question based on one of the set topics.

Description of Teaching and Learning: Topics

The AS course will cover:

media: TV, advertising and communication technology
popular culture: cinema, music and fashion/trends
healthy living/lifestyle: sport/exercise, health and well-being and holidays
family/relationships: relationships within the family, friendships and marriage/ partnerships.

The A2 course will cover:

environment: pollution, energy and protecting the planet
the multi-cultural society: immigration, integration and racism
contemporary social issues: wealth and poverty, law and order and the impact of scientific and technological progress
cultural topic: the study of a target language-speaking region or 20th century history or a novelist/dramatist /poet or a director/architect/musician/painter from a target language-speaking country/community.

Teaching will enable students to improve their grammatical accuracy and their understanding of written and spoken material in the target language. In addition, students will practise transferable skills:

- developing their oral fluency and conversation skills and - expressing an opinion on an issue of importance and to discuss the subject, while justifying and illustrating their point of view.

Links to Future Careers

Because of the importance of transferable skills, the study of a foreign language enhances the portfolio of any serious A level student. Obvious career paths include translating and interpreting, teaching, international banking and export sales. Many aspects of business today are international and a thorough knowledge of another language and culture is an advantage. Because of the importance of communication skills, A levels in MFLs are valued for careers in Journalism, Law and Medicine, in fact almost everything!

Higher Education Successes of Former Students

In recent years, former students have gone on to study MFL at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and other prestigious universities in the Russell Group. Many continue the languages which they have studied at school, but equally, others start new languages ab initio: Italian, Russian, Mandarin Chinese. Each year, a number of the school’s applicants for Medicine also pursue their love of Languages to A2 level, a subject which is welcomed by Medical Schools. Other past students have indeed gone to university to study a wide range of subjects, as outlined above.

Additional Information

Students are encouraged wherever possible to spend an extended period of time in one of the target language-speaking countries. Sometimes, bursaries are available to help with the funding. In addition to timetabled lessons and independent study, students are expected to attend one lesson a week with the Foreign Language Assistant to increase their oral fluency.

Please see: Mrs Hollifield (French), Mrs Page (Head of Modern Languages, German), Miss Castro (Spanish)