Head of Department: Miss S Cowie

Year 9
In Year 9 students study either French or Spanish. Some students will study both languages.

As the vast majority of our students have already studied French, the course lends itself well to the study of various tenses throughout year 9 which enable students to prepare well for GCSE. The topics covered range from talking about personal interests and hobbies, to discussing future events, such as possible careers. Important subjects such as how to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle are also covered, along with useful skills such as arranging accommodation, making travel arrangements, organising excursions and visits. Towards the end of Y9 students are encouraged to think about wider issues such as hunger in the world, the role of religion in France and human rights. 

Students who arrive at Shelley and study Spanish are taught from beginners. As such, the aim is to ensure students have a basic understanding of present tense verbs, and basic topics such as describing family, friends and their local environment, talking about pets, hobbies, and school. Towards the end of Y9 students start to work with the future tense to enable them to make good progress in years 10 and 11. 

GCSE
We use the AQA Exam board for all languages. There are four skills that have to be tested, two of which occur during the two year course (speaking and writing) and two are tested at the end of Y11 (reading and listening). 

Course Content
The topics studied at GCSE are organised into four categories. These are laid out below:
Lifestyle Issues
Health, relationships, future plans, social issues and equality.
Leisure
Free time, media, shopping, money, fashion, trends, new technology and holidays.
Home and Environment
Special occasions celebrated in the home, local area and neighbourhood, environmental problems and being environmentally friendly.
Work and Education
What school is like, pressures and problems, future plans, looking for and getting a job, advantages and disadvantages of different jobs.

Our aim is to promote a lively, communicative approach to learning languages.  Students will have the opportunity to speak and write the language for a wide range of purposes and to understand the spoken and written language in a wide range of contexts. They will also develop their cultural awareness. It is important that students also take the opportunity to work both with others in groups as well as independently, using appropriate reference materials and computers.

AS
We use the AQA exam board for all languages. Students find that MFL is a natural fit for many subjects, enabling them to use their skills and qualifications to access career opportunities at home and abroad. But on a wider level, anybody who wants to travel for work or pleasure should consider taking this course.

The Teaching and Learning Programme
The course covers a list of prescribed topic areas. They are studied in the context of the MFL, but students are expected to use their own knowledge and experience to develop their understanding and opinions of these topics. The topics at AS Level are Media and Television

ASSESSMENT
AS - Unit 1 Listening, Reading and Writing (2 HOURS)
Listening and understanding
Reading and understanding
Writing task
Unit 2 Speaking Test in the MFL (35 MINUTES)
Discussion of a stimulus card (5 mins)
Conversation (10 mins)

What are the benefits?
Develop and build on skills learned at GCSE
Achieve a sound basis for further study
Gain an insight into another culture and society
Widen employment prospects
Become effective communicators
Speak and write the language in a range of different situations and for different purposes
Use the language to express facts and ideas
Use the language to present explanations, opinions and information.

This course is suitable for students if they:
Enjoy language learning
Enjoy learning about other cultures
Want to communicate with speakers of a foreign language
Want to use a language for further study (e.g. university)
Want to work abroad
Want to work for companies with international links
Want to broaden an otherwise narrow choice of AS subjects
Want to develop opinions about current issues
Have a good memory and a logical mind.

A2
The A2 course builds on well from the four skills students have developed in Y12. At A2 students study three topics as well as a minimum of two Cultural Topics. These can include a study of a region, the works of a film director or a period of history. At A2 level, students are expected to develop their critical thinking and their ability to research subjects studied in the classroom independently. It is also vitally important for students to become aware of current affairs, to engage in topical discussions and broaden their general knowledge.

ASSESSMENT
A2 - Unit 3 Listening, Reading and Writing (2.5 HOURS)
Listening and understanding
Reading and understanding
Writing task
Unit 4 Speaking Test in the MFL (35 MINUTES)
Discussion of a stimulus card (5 mins)
Conversation (10 mins)