The Thomas Adams School
Modern Languages
Department
Bridging The Gap,
GCSE to AS Level
Some reassurance and advice
bienveune! Welcome! Willkommen!
You are probably really apprehensive about beginning your AS
language course in September. You may not be sure what to
expect, or be panicking about how difficult it is going to be. Don’t
worry! This is a guide to help you prepare yourself and provides
some advice and reassurance to get you through the first few
weeks. Hopefully it will make the transition from GCSE to AS a
little easier!
First Week Blues…
In the first few weeks you can expect to have very mixed
feelings about the course. You may worry that you have
forgotten everything from your GCSE course, or feel
inadequate compared to the others in the group. The
atmosphere of working in a smaller class may also make you
feel uneasy. Just compare this transition to leaving a small
primary school and arriving at a large secondary school, it will
take time to establish yourself. Remember, don’t panic if it
seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, show
strength of character and do not give up too easily – it will be
worth your while to persevere.
Am I the worst?
This is a real worry. However, be reassured, most of the people in your
group will be feeling exactly the same!
Have I forgotten everything?
There will have been a long gap since your GCSE exams in May/June, so
you may initially feel less confident about what you know. After a few
lessons however, it will start to come back to you!
How should I react?
Firstly, listen to advice given to you by your teachers, take personal
responsibility for your progress and get organised! Establish a structured
work routine as soon as possible. You really need to make sure you are
continually learning new vocabulary and grammar structures fully, so that
you give yourself the best possible chance. Do not lose sight of the
importance of Year 12 because with visits, interviews, your mock exams
and actual AS exams, time is precious.
Think about what you can already do.
You can …
 understand a good deal of the language in day-to-day
situations;
 understand lots of written and spoken language including
announcements, instructions, notices, adverts and magazine
articles;
 use the target language practically to find out information
and handle daily situations;
 use the target language to write messages, postcards, short
letters and brief essays;
 explain some thoughts, feelings and opinions about life and
experiences.
So what’s next? New Start - New Ideas
For your GCSE the main focus was on personal topics and information. For
AS and A2 these topics are revisited in much more detail and wider issues
are covered, concerning society and the world. Some may fascinate you
and you will feel very strongly about them. Others may be uninteresting,
but you still need to be able to discuss them with confidence and
conviction.
So what are some of the new topics?
The new topics you will cover include: politics, the environment, world
events, drug abuse, marriage, relationships and young people’s attitudes.
You will find a copy of the actual syllabus further on in this booklet.
How will the work be different?
You will need to form opinions on issues and be able look at and
express both sides of the argument. To help you do this with
increasing confidence, try to read a quality daily newspaper and
make a scrapbook of events that are happening in the world.
Watch TV and satellite. If you have any contacts abroad, get them
to send you articles, etc.
What can I do now?
Start by looking at the suggestions above. You also need to begin
making lists. Write down words and phrases that you come across
which may be useful. Add to these lists regularly and learn them!
You could start over the holidays by writing out phrases in English
and finding the equivalent in your chosen language; e.g. I agree …/
In my opinion… etc. Use your newly found phrases in class to try
them out and to develop your confidence.
If you follow the suggestions mentioned here, it will be
good preparation for
‘Bridging the Gap, GCSE to AS Level’
Get organised – get started!
Some of this may seem obvious, but it is important to start as you mean to
go on.
Get organised …
You will be provided with two A4 red exercise books. Your teachers will
tell you what each book is for. Don’t forget to always date and title your
work as you did for GCSE. If you use paper to make rough notes, copy
these up immediately as it will help to keep everything in its place and in
order. You may also wish to use a ring binder with dividers to file
additional work that you will do.
You will also be provided with an AS textbook and accompanying
grammar exercise book.
It would be sensible to purchase a good bilingual dictionary, the small ones
used for GCSE are too basic and insufficient for your AS needs.
Get started …
Over the summer holiday it would be in your best interests to refresh your
knowledge of GCSE grammar by working through the grammar links on
the websites provided.
www.zut.languageskills.co.uk
www.gut.languageskills.co.uk
Most of all, start making lists of useful vocabulary NOW!
Syllabus
Reading and listening materials used in the AS units are drawn from the following
broad topic areas




Media (newspapers, magazines, TV and radio; the role and influence of the media)
Advertising (the role and influence of advertising)
The arts (aspects of cultural life, e.g. film, theatre; the arts as part of leisure time)
Daily life (patterns of daily life; daily routine; school; the individual’s way of life;
living conditions; shopping; housing)
 Food and drink (traditional aspects of the national cuisine; healthy eating; fast
food)
 Sports and pastimes (individual and team sports; amateur and professional sport;
national sporting concerns and traditions; leisure activities)
 Travel, transport and holidays (tourism as a modern phenomenon; friction
between tourists and local inhabitants; holidays and foreign travel; tourism and the
environment)
 World of Work (situations will be of a general nature and no specialised
knowledge is required)
AS Examination Details
French German Level
AQA OCR
Name
Mode of
Assessment
1651
H076
AS
FRE2T/V / F711
Speaking
Externally
Marked
1651
H076
AS
F REN1/ F712
Written Exam
Listening Reading and
Writing 1
Time
AS
A2
15
minutes
30% 15%
2hrs
15mins
70% 35%
These are interactive websites to help with transition from
GCSE to ‘A’ level in Languages.
French:
www.zut.languageskills.co.uk
www.wildfrench.co.uk
www.francais-extra.co.uk
www.fabfrench.co.uk
German:
www.gut.languageskills.co.uk
www.yjc.org.uk
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/rgshiwyc/school/curric/Ge
rman/XWordRevision/Index.htm
All MFL:
www.suttonhighmfl.110mb.com
www.goethe-verlag.com/tests
www.hellomylo.com
www.languagesonline.org.uk
www.aiglonlanguages.ch
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize
http://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland
http://funwithlanguages.vacau.com.gcsenew.htm#Success
http://www.alcester.dial.pipex.com/xwords/grind.shtml
(updated June 2014 - JW)