Head of Department: - Mrs C Donnellan 
Examining Board: AQA

What Will I Study?

Students wishing to study French or German will select in line with the language they have studied in KS3. 
You will continue to foster your four key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing over two years, as well as developing a broader cultural curiosity.  You will widen your vocabulary and acquire greater skills with grammar work. You will also expand your knowledge of the fascinating cultures, traditions and festivals in the countries where French and German is spoken.

What Skills Will I Develop?

AO1  - Speaking  (including phonics)
AO2 -  Writing
AO3  - Vocabulary and grammar (Reading and Listening)

Alongside developing excellent communication skills you will be able to work effectively as part of a team, develop confidence, presentation and leadership skills. Languages help you to develop important and transferable study skills, including perseverance and resilience, as well as improving your English literacy skills.  

 A GCSE in a Modern Foreign Language (MFL)  is a highly valued EBacc subject and can help with your college, university or job applications and give you a USP (Unique selling point).  Language skills are increasingly important for business, trade and competitiveness in the global marketplace. It can encourage you to travel, meet new people and have the desire and confidence to live and work abroad, exploring new cultures and traditions. Most linguists have developed the curiosity and skills to learn another language quickly and easily.

How Will I Be Assessed?

MFL qualifications are changing from next year. Current year 9 students will be the first cohort to sit the new GCSE modern foreign languages exams (first teaching from 2024 and first assessment from 2026). GCSE MFL has a Foundation Tier (grades 1–5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4–9). Students must take all four skills at the same tier.

You will be assessed in :

Listening 25% of GCSE (Including multiple- choice answers to comprehension questions about the target language countries and communities and dictation)

Speaking 25% of GCSE ( consisting of  a role play,  a reading aloud task and describing a photo and short topic discussion, responding according to your own interests and experiences (7-12 minutes Non- exam assessment  (NEA) - teacher assessed )

Reading 25% of GCSE  (Including multiple- choice answers to comprehension questions about the target language countries and communities and translating into English)

Writing 25% of GCSE (Maximum 90 words at foundation and 150 words responding according to your own interests and experiences, translating from English into the target language.

For more information please see the Modern Foreign Language Learning Journey and Curriculum Overview.