French / Spanish

Examination Board: AQA

Year 12 and 13 NEW A LEVEL SPECIFICATION:

At Sacred Heart French and Spanish are offered as FULL A-LEVEL qualifications studied over two years. The new course AS level is NOT offered.

Throughout the two years Students study topics specific to the language and culture that they are studying:

French:

3.1.1 Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends

• The changing nature of family (La famille en voie de changement)

• The 'cyber-society' (La « cyber-société »)

• The place of voluntary work (Le rôle du bénévolat)

3.1.2 Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues

• Positive features of a diverse society (Les aspects positifs d'une société diverse)

• Life for the marginalised (Quelle vie pour les marginalisés ? )

• How criminals are treated (Comment on traite les criminels)

3.2.1 Artistic culture in the French-speaking world

• A culture proud of its heritage (Une culture fière de son patrimoine)

• Contemporary francophone music (La musique francophone contemporaine)

• Cinema: the 7th art form (Cinéma : le septième art)

3.2.2 Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world

• Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment (Les ados, le droit de vote et l'engagement politique)

• Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power? (Manifestations, grèves – à qui le pouvoir ? )

• Politics and immigration (La politique et l'immigration)

Spanish:

3.1.1 Aspects of Hispanic society

• Modern and traditional values (Los valores tradicionales y modernos)

• Cyberspace (El ciberespacio)

• Equal rights (La igualdad de los sexos)

3.1.2 Multiculturalism in Hispanic society

• Immigration (La Inmigración)

• Racism (El Racismo)

• Integration (La Convivencia)

3.2.1 Artistic culture in the Hispanic world

• Modern day idols (La influencia de los ídolos)

• Spanish regional identity (La identidad regional en España)

• Cultural heritage or cultural landscape (El patrimonio cultural)

3.2.2 Aspects of political life in the Hispanic world

• Today's youth, tomorrow's citizens (Jóvenes de hoy, ciudadanos de mañana)

• Monarchies, republics and dictatorships (Monarquías, repúblicas y dictaduras)

• Popular movements (Movimientos populares)

At A-level students will also study One book and one film OR 2 books from a prescribed list specific to the language.

The assessment format is as follows:

A-Level Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing

What's assessed:

• Aspects of TL-speaking society: current trends/ current issues/Artistic culture in the TL-speaking world

• Aspects of political life in the TL-speaking world

• Grammar

How it's assessed:

• Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes

• 160 marks in total

• 40% of A-level

Questions:

• Listening and responding to spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources covering different registers and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail. Studio recordings will be used and students will have individual control of the recording

• All questions are in TL, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in TL (60 marks)

• Reading and responding to a variety of texts written for different purposes, drawn from a range of authentic sources and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail

• All questions are in TL, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in TL (60 marks)

• Translation into English; a passage of minimum 100 words (20 marks)

• Translation into TL; a passage of minimum 100 words (20 marks). No access to a dictionary during the assessment

A-Level Paper 2: Writing

What's assessed:

• One text and one film or two texts from the list set in the specification      (more likely film in year 12 and book in year 13)

• Grammar

How it's assessed:

• Written exam: 2 hours

• 90 marks in total

• 30% of A-level (awaiting assessment criteria for writing)

Questions:

• Either one question in TL on a set text from a choice of two questions and one question in TL on a set film from a choice of two questions or two questions in TL on set texts from a choice of two questions on each text

• All questions will require a critical appreciation of the concepts and issues covered in the work and a critical and analytical response to features such as the form and the technique of presentation, as appropriate to the work studied (eg the effect of narrative voice in a prose text or camera work in a film)

• No access to texts or films during the assessment

• No access to a dictionary during the assessment

• Students are advised to write approximately 300 words per essay

A-Level Paper 3: Speaking

What's assessed:

• Individual research project

• One of four sub-themes ie Aspects of TL-speaking society: current trends, aspects of TL-speaking society: current issues, artistic culture in the TL-speaking world, aspects of political life in the TL-speaking world

How it's assessed:

• Oral exam: 21–23 minutes (including 5 minutes preparation time)

• 60 marks in total

• 30% of A-level

Questions:

• Discussion of a sub-theme with the discussion based on a stimulus card (5–6 minutes). The student studies the card for 5 minutes at the start of the test (25 marks)

• Presentation (2 minutes) and discussion (9–10 minutes) of individual research project (35 marks)

• No access to a dictionary during the assessment (including 5 minutes preparation)

• Students may take the assessment only once before certification.

• Assessments will be conducted by either the centre or a visiting examiner and marked by an AQA examiner