Modern Foreign Languages A-Level (AQA)
French or Spanish A-Level
Course Overview
Choosing an A Level Language is a really good move if you want a fascinating subject that offers you a range of career possibilities at the end and is a lot of fun along the way. A Level language courses include interesting and varied subjects to study and give you a broad range of knowledge and skills. Our MFL teachers have outstanding subject knowledge and their understanding of the examination board requirements is excellent. Our small classes allow for individual feedback and tailored teaching and learning. We can currently offer French and Spanish at A level, depending on enrolment numbers.
Core Content
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Social issues and trends
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Political and artistic culture
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Grammar
Options
Works: Literary texts and films
Assessments
Paper 1: Listening, Reading and Writing
What’s assessed:
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Aspects of French/Spanish –speaking society: current trends
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Aspects of French/Spanish –speaking society: current issues
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Artistic culture in the French/Spanish -speaking world
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Aspects of political life in the French/Spanish -speaking world
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Grammar
How it’s assessed:
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Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes; 100 marks, 50% of A level. All questions to be answered with non-verbal responses in French/Spanish. Listening and responding to spoken passages (30 marks); Reading and responding (50 marks); Translation into English (10 marks) and Translation into French/Spanish (10 marks): each passage will have a minimum of 100 words. No access to a dictionary during the assessment.
Paper 2: Writing
What’s assessed:
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One text and one film or two texts from a set list
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Grammar
How it’s assessed:
Written exam: 2 hours; 80 marks, 20% of A level. Either one question in French/Spanish on a set text and one question in French/Spanish on a set film or two questions in French/Spanish on set texts. Students are advised to write approximately 300 words per essay. No access to a dictionary during the assessment.
Paper 3: Speaking
What’s assessed:
Individual research project on one of four themes (current trends, issues, artistic culture, aspects of political life)
How its assessed:
Oral exam: 21-23 minutes (including 5 minutes preparation time); 60 marks in total, 30% of A level. Discussion of a sub-theme with the discussion based on a stimulus card (5-6 minutes). The student studies the card for 5 minutes at the start of the test (35 marks). Presentation (2 minutes) and discussion (9-10 minutes) of individual research project (35 marks). No access to a dictionary during the assessment.
A knowledge of one or more foreign languages can be useful in a wide range of careers. For some jobs, such as translating, interpreting and language teaching, language skills are one of the main requirements and are useful in media or travel and tourism. For other jobs a combination of languages and other qualifications, knowledge or skills may be needed, for example people with languages plus IT, law, finance or sales skills are much sought after.
You should be on track to achieve a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades 4 - 9, including at least a grade 5 in your chosen language.
