Languages

“EXPLORE, LEARN THROUGH MISTAKES, BE EMPOWERED"

Languages Vision

To develop confident and independent language learners, who are working towards becoming fluent and spontaneous speakers.
To encourage a sense of achievement and pride when being able to communicate in the foreign language.
To enable students to express and justify their ideas and thoughts in the foreign language and to understand and respond to others, both in speech and in writing.
To explore the way language is constructed and to develop confidence and autonomy to access new & unfamiliar language.
To empower students by equipping them with the tools to deconstruct and manipulate the language, resulting in greater creativity.
To encourage students to experiment with language and learn from their mistakes without seeing them as a barrier to learning.
To foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world and other cultures, encouraging them to respect diversity and embrace difference
To challenge all pupils and encourage active engagement and enjoyment.

Revision Provisions

Attend weekly GCSE speaking revision sessions after school with your teachers in year 11.
We would strongly recommend buying the CPG GCSE French or Spanish AQA Revision guide revision for 2026 exams (NEW GCSE) via the My Child At School App. As well as revising the core vocabulary and grammar, it is a great way to practise your listening and reading skills. There are many listening tasks (QR codes) and reading tasks to complete.
Revise the core vocabulary grammar in the GCSE French or Spanish handbooks.
Listen to the BBC Bitesize videos with transcripts (links in GCSE French / Spanish Google Classroom revision materials).
Complete the listening and reading tasks from the online Kerboodle course book. All GCSE students will be set up with usernames and passwords.
Doing Duolingo each day is a very good way to improve basic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar as well as practising GCSE level content as you progress through the course. How long can you keep your streak going for?
Also check out your French or Spanish Google Classroom for extra revision resources.

What is GCSE Languages?

The French GCSE is a two year topic based course that tests the four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. This course follows the AQA Board of Examinations and all four skills are tested at the end of the course by examination. The teaching style retains a communicative methodology, emphasising the importance of understanding and communicating in everyday situations. A sound knowledge of French grammar is required for success at GCSE and grammar teaching is an integral part of the course.

You will be taught using modern resources and technologies alongside the Oxford AQA GCSE course. There is an abundance of online resources including reading, writing, grammar and listening exercises. Students will also be able to access the online course from home, allowing for effective revision and practical exam-based homework tasks.

Who might enjoy this course?

Studying French or Spanish at GCSE is a great option for people who ...

have a passion for languages and enjoy exploring how a language is constructed.
have an interest in other Francophone or Hispanic countries and cultures.
are curious about the world and would like to deepen their understanding of other cultures.
enjoy communicating with others and expressing your opinions.
are keen to travel when they are older

Skills developed

Listening skills, communication skills, problem solving, creativity, lateral thinking and tolerance of other people and cultures.

What about exams? What will I study?

Paper 1: Listening component. The purpose of the exam is to understand and respond to different types of spoken language. The Listening component comprises 25% of the final grade.

Paper 2: Speaking component. The purpose of the exam is to communicate and interact effectively in speech for a variety of purposes. The exam will be taken with your classroom teacher and will include a role-play, a text to read aloud and a photo card stimulus, which will be followed by a conversation on some of the topics studied. You will be given preparation time after having seen the roleplay and photocard. The Speaking component comprises 25% of the final grade.

Paper 3: Reading component. The purpose of the exam is to understand and respond to different types of written language. There will also be a translation text from French to English. The Reading component comprises 25% of the final grade.

Paper 4: Writing component. The purpose of the exam is to communicate effectively in writing for a variety of purposes. The writing exam will include a number of tasks, ranging from writing a short message to an opening ended writing task of 150 words. There will also be a translation text from English to French. The Writing component comprises 25% of the final grade.

What could I do next with GCSE Languages?

Learning a language will certainly make you more employable. It is well researched that learning a language helps you to be a better problem solver and communicator, be more creative and flexible as well as helping to improve your memory. A GCSE language can also help you get a university place, especially in English, history, law, politics and international relations.

Taking French at GCSE language could help in the following careers;

business and finance
global development & politics
international relations
secretarial & administration
import and export
translation & interpreting
the media
travel & tourism
hospitality
law
marketing & sales
IT
customer service
education