back to Trinity Sixth Form Centre
Faculty: Humanities and Communication
Subject: Languages
Subject Leader: Miss Roberts, Head of MFL
Staff: Mr Petit and Mrs Durante
Exam Board: Edexcel
ASSESSMENT FORMAT – There are three papers at A-Level
Paper 1 – Listening, Reading & Writing (40%)
There are a variety of reading and listening comprehension questions and a translation element to this paper. Topics include the changing nature of family, education & work, festivals and music. Further topics include immigration, the positive features of a diverse society, and a period of history.
Paper 2 – Writing (30%)
This is a written exam, including two essays – one about a novel, and the other a film. There is an element of choice and all questions will require a critical response to the aspects studied.
Paper 3 – Speaking (30%)
Candidates will discuss opinions based on a stimulus card from sub-themes they have studied, with some preparation time before. Students will also present their independent research project.
Subject Overview
The A-Level course builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills gained at GCSE. In addition to improving and extending knowledge of the language, students will examine the contemporary culture of the country, as well as its media and literature, and compare it to our own here in the UK.
To access this course, a minimum level of 6 is required, but preferably a level 7 at GCSE.
Potential Career Options
There is an increasing need for qualified linguists in this country to trade and negotiate with our European partners and to use their skills abroad in other countries. Industry and Commerce are increasingly recognising the importance of European languages and rewarding competent linguists with very high salaries and excellent working conditions. Successful completion of the course will lead candidates naturally on to a language related degree course, but also open many other doors!
The benefits of studying a language are wide-ranging; from learning to communicate in fresh ways, to having a window into the culture of another country, from learning to express your views and listen to others, to studying culture through a variety of modern media. By learning to manipulate a language to generate your own ideas and responses, you will broaden your own horizons and appreciate the variety that other languages offer. Delivering presentations and being able to summarise your reading are skills that go way beyond the classroom.
French and Spanish are languages of literature, rich in philosophy and culture. They are spoken widely throughout the world and open up huge possibilities for future careers.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart” – Nelson Mandela