Modern Foreign Languages
At High Storrs School
I’m glad I chose A-Level French. I
was worried at first because I hadn’t
done it for 2 years, but it came back
quickly. When I went to France this
summer I really loved talking to
people about a wide range of topics.
Katherine
French is good fun and it broadens
your horizons. Thomas
An A-level language can be used in
conjunction with any other subjects,
offering a great range of possibilities
beyond KS5. It also broadens your
repertoire of skills and background
understanding of the world. Alistair
I was very worried about the
speaking test, but it wasn’t so bad
in the end and I got an A! Lydia
It’s the only one of my A-levels
where I’m learning skills that I can
imagine still using in the future. It’s
such a brilliant thing to be able to
do. Jacob
I find it really rewarding. When I
went to Paris last week, I was able
to say so much more than I could
last year and I felt I could
communicate properly. Sarah
 We
are part of the European
Union, in which we can live,
work or study in any one of 27
countries.
A language can be studied:

by itself, e.g. single honours French.

with a new language too e.g. French with
Japanese.

alongside another subject, e.g.
International Business with German.
Languages Work
In the world of work, language skills
are important in organisations and
businesses who want to remain
competitive on an international
level.
Not just a teacher, translator or interpreter
It can mean working in one of many industries, in
which your languages, combined with expertise in
another field, can really help you to get on.
Culturally ...
Languages help us build
friendships with people across
the globe, and understand and
experience different cultures
in a way that enriches our own
lives, too.

Build on language learnt at GCSE.

Enhance university and employment
prospects.

Gain an insight into other cultures.

Facilitate foreign travel.

Languages
open
up
travel
opportunities, the chance to study or
live abroad and, ultimately, allow us to
experience things that speaking
English alone we simply wouldn’t be
capable of.
 Grade
B or above at GCSE.
In Y12
Unit 1
Unit 2
AS
Listening, Reading and Writing Exam
Speaking Test
In Y13
Unit 3
Unit 4
A2
Listening, Reading and Writing Exam
Speaking Test
No Coursework / Controlled Assessments
 Media:
 Popular
culture:
 Healthy
living/lifestyle:
 Family/relationships:
Listening, Reading and Writing Exam
2 hours (70% of AS)
- You control the listening CD!
- Question types are similar to Higher level
GCSE
- There is a choice of essay titles.





30% of AS
20 minutes preparation time
15 minutes speaking test
More “grown up” discussion about themes
you’ve studied.
Similar to a “real” discussion! – not just prelearnt material.

Environment:

The multi-cultural society:

Contemporary social issues:

and 2 Cultural topics: e.g. Study of
film, book or play; research into a
period of history or geographical
region.
Listening, Reading and Writing Exam
2 h 30 Exam (35% of total A Level marks)
Listening questions.
Text analysis.
Translations
Essay about 1 cultural topic.

15% of A Level marks

Presentation of argument and debate.

Discussion of both cultural topics studied.
AS level Urdu:
Unit 1: Spoken expression and response
8-10 mins.in two sections; Externally assessed: 30% of the
total AS marks, 15% of the GCE marks.
Test student’s ability to converse in Urdu on a general topic
from the following;
· Youth culture and concerns
· Lifestyle
· Health and Fitness
· The world around us
· Education and Employment
Section A: Requires students to respond to Edexcel set
questions
Section B: Teacher to engage student in discussion
Unit 2: Understanding and written responses
2 hours 30 mins paper in 3 sections: 70% of the total AS,
35% of the GCE marks
Section A: Requires students to listen to a range of
authentic recorded Urdu material and to retrieve and
convey information given in the recording.
Section B: Requires students to read Urdu printed material
and to retrieve and convey information by responding to a
range of mainly Urdu language test types.
Section C: To write 200-220 words in the form of a letter,
report or article in Urdu ……
A2 Level Urdu:
Unit 3: Understanding and spoken response.
11-13 mins: controversial topic. Taking a stance,
defending and justifying it for 4 minutes followed by
additional 2 topics
Unit 4: Understanding and written response.
65% of the total A2 marks: 35% of the total GCE marks
2 hour 30 minute paper in 3 sections
General topic areas for this unit:
· Youth culture and concerns
· Life Style: Health and Fitness
· The world around us: Travel, Tourism, environmental issues and the Urdu
speaking world
· Education and Employment
· Customs, traditions, belief and religions
· National and International events (Past, Present and Future)
· Literature and the arts
Section A: A short translation from English to Urdu
Section B: An Urdu language essay (discursive or creative writing)
Section C: A research based essay in Urdu.
For further details, contact the Urdu teacher at High Storrs school