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Introduction
GCSE ITALIAN (EDEXCEL)
This is an accelerated GCSE course, 6 periods per week for one year. In year 2, students have the opportunity to
progress to AS, and even A2 in the case of outstanding linguists.
Entry Criteria
This ‘ab-initio’
(without a previous background in the subject) is suitable for students with a proven aptitude and
interest in learning languages. It is particularly appropriate for students who have already gained a B or above at
GCSE level in a foreign language, or who have a strong background in foreign language-learning. Often students
will also be studying an AS in a language. However, it may be that there are some students who have not
previously had the opportunity to study a GCSE foreign language and who wish to pursue this course – and this
is possible, although it must be emphasised that a good level of aptitude and commitment to learning the
language will be needed. All students choosing the course need to have a good memory, be well organised and
hardworking, and will be willing to learn grammar and vocabulary on a daily basis. A very high degree of
commitment is therefore required.
Course
Content
The GCSE
Edexcel examination is based on life in Italy. Emphasis is placed on the practical use of the language
related to real-life situations.
The four skills are studied: Listening:
Students listen to recordings made by native speakers. The recordings cover a wide range of
situations, such as announcements, instructions, requests, weather forecasts, interviews and
conversations.
Reading:
Students are expected to understand signs, menus, timetables, brochures, advertisements etc. In
addition, students will study extracts from magazines and newspapers normally read by native speakers
of their own age.
Speaking:
Students need to be prepared to speak on a range of topic areas which include travelling, arranging
accommodation, shopping, using services including doctor, post office, bank, job interviews, getting to
know people etc.
Writing:
Students learn to write on a range of clearly defined topic areas reflecting areas of everyday life such as
home and family, local area, leisure, school and work, environment, holidays, entertainment etc.
2016
GCSE Italian
The Sixth Form College Colchester
GCSE Italian
The Sixth Form College Colchester
Assessment
Students
are examined in each of the four skill areas at either Foundation or Higher level.
Listening (20%):
Students listen and respond to tape recordings of native speakers. No dictionaries are allowed.
Reading
(20%):
Students are expected to read and respond to signs, menus, timetables, adverts and short articles.
No dictionaries are allowed.
Speaking
(30%):
Students are expected to talk and respond to questions about a range of topics. No dictionaries are
allowed. This skill will be tested via two Controlled Assessment tasks from different contexts.
Writing
(30%)
Students are expected to write about a range of topics. This skill will be tested via two Controlled
Assessment tasks completed with access to dictionaries and notes in supervised classroom conditions.
Further
Information
Bearing
in mind the one year nature of this course, a good aptitude for languages is essential. A high level of
commitment will also be required. Textbooks and other resources will be provided, but students will be asked to buy
a vocabulary
book which costs £1.
Please
note that vocabulary learning is essential for your success and students will therefore need to learn
approximately 100 new words per week. Students must be prepared to work on learning verbs and other grammar
by heart
as well. There is an expectation that students will complete around 3 hours of independent work per week
outside class, including learning and reading/writing/listening tasks.
Trips:
Students
normally have the chance to take part in a College visit to Italy, the details and costs of which are
advertised in advance. We also often meet students from Italy who are visiting Colchester for language courses.
Other opportunities:
Students
are timetabled for weekly small-group conversation classes in the last few months of the course. There is
also an extensive Italian film library from which students can borrow DVDs on payment of a refundable deposit. We
use the College’s ‘Moodle’ online learning environment to offer online interactive resources to students.
Progression
To progress
successfully to AS students will need to achieve a grade A in the GCSE examination, and those
wishing to attempt the A2 in their second year will normally have achieved an A* grade in the GCSE.
The main aim of the AS Italian course is to develop students’ ability to speak, read, write and understand the
language.
The course will be based on a range of topics linked to life in present day Italy. The A2 develops AS
themes to a global level and encourages debate and discussion of controversial topics. At A2 we also study a work
of literature
and/or cinema. Italian is an important language in tourism, business and international relations, as Italy
is a G8 nation and one of the world’s largest economies. Many universities offer courses in Italian either alone or
combined
with other languages or with subjects such as History of Art, Business, Philosophy etc.
The Modern Languages department also offers AS and A2 courses in French, German and Spanish. There is, in
2016 a one-year GCSE course in Spanish.
addition,