French Teacher in Charge of Subject: Mrs C Davis. Entry Requirements: You will need to have gained a minimum of Grade B GCSE. Course Details: You will continue to study the language through the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. You will however work within wider and more sophisticated areas of experience than at GCSE whilst learning how to become more independent and resourceful. You will also develop your cultural knowledge of French Speaking communities and explore how young people in France live and their preferences and opinions on a wide range of issues. You will also explore the world of French literature, films and regional studies. A variety of topics are covered and there is scope for you to look at specific areas of interest to you. All Sixth Form language students have priority access to the assistant and you will work within small groups. We aim to provide you with a wide range of opportunities, by using tapes, magazines, newspapers, videos, songs, the Internet, our state of the art multi-media language lab, cartoons and other authentic materials. You will also have the opportunity to attend Sixth Form Conferences and work with students in local partner schools, in addition to those organised by commercial providers, specifically linked to the exam syllabus. Exams/Coursework: You will be entered for the WJEC examination which consists of 4 units, 2 at AS and 2 at A2.
AS
60% exam – listening, reading and writing
40% oral exam
A2
60% exam – listening, reading and writing
40% oral exam
Career Options: ‘The world will be your oyster’. Employers are becoming increasingly more aware of the benefits of employing staff with language skills. Potential employers will often want you to combine your language skills with another subject area. The choice of University courses offering such opportunities is incredible: you can combine language study with a vast range of other subject areas including science, maths, business and the Arts. Your language skills can help to give you an advantage in a competitive job market and give you access to a higher salary. Students interested in Primary Education will also reap the benefits of studying a foreign language, as the Primary School French Initiative begins to take effect. Currently there is a dearth of language experts and the demand for teachers of MFL is definitely about to increase.