modern languages
AS/A2 French AS/A2 German AS/A2 Spanish
Why choose to study a modern language at Carmel? When you decide to study French, German or Spanish as one of your A-level subjects, you will simply be developing the skills you acquired during your GCSE course. You will continue to practise listening, reading, writing and speaking in your chosen language(s), but obviously to a higher level. Everything we offer is there to help you to succeed – from the state-of-the-art language laboratory to a wide range of resources, including lessons with friendly native speakers to help you become more confident speaking the language. Best of all you will find all the staff in the department friendly, approachable and helpful. If you don’t believe us, just ask our students! Class sizes vary from year to year and language to language according to the number of students enrolled. Students should make full use of our modern facilities to enhance their language skills, and also take the opportunity to visit the country!
AS/A2 French, AS/A2 German, AS/A2 Spanish EXAM BOARD: WJEC
meet the students BOBBIE GOULDING Fairfield
Studying: Spanish, PE, Biology, Psychology
I enjoy all aspects of learning Spanish particularly developing my speaking and listening skills. You have separate tutorials with the language assistant so you can put what you learn in class into action with a native Spanish speaker. There is a friendly atmosphere around college and the tutors will help you as much as they can. I have enjoyed making so many new friends and have been very impressed with the facilities as there is always room to go and work or be with friends.
HOW ARE THE COURSES EXAMINED? Examinations are at the end of the AS course and the A2 course. There are two units for each course. Coursework is not available in any language at any level and the use of dictionaries is not allowed in any of the examinations. The examination is topic based and the topics are virtually the same for all three languages. Literature is not compulsory in the AS or A2 examinations at Carmel. Students are able to retake AS units to boost their A2 mark.
AS LEVEL Unit 1 – Oral 15 minutes (60 marks) The exam consists of 2 parts. After 15 minutes preparation time you will have to reply to questions based on stimulus cards, which in turn are related to the topics covered in Unit 2. You will be expected to organise facts, present explanations and information and you will also gain marks for accuracy, range of vocabulary, pronunciation and intonation. The second part is a general conversation, where you will have to talk about your personal interests, your studies and plans for the future.
Unit 2 – Listening, Reading and Writing 2 hours (98 marks) All three skills will be tested in this one examination paper. You will have individual control of the listening material, which means you can listen to the recording as often as you like. The items will be of varying length, will reflect everyday situations and will include formal and informal items, such as brief conversations, interviews and reports. The reading part of the examination will be based on items of varying length, taken from newspapers, magazines and advertisements. You will also have to translate from the foreign language into English. The final section of this examination is an essay from a choice of four, based on the topic areas. There are two main topic areas for both Unit 1 and Unit 2:
Leisure and Lifestyles This includes travel and tourism, sport, hobbies, entertainment, customs, traditions, healthy living - health and nutrition, diet and exercise, unhealthy living – drugs, aids, smoking, alcohol etc
The Individual and Society
meet the tutors KAREN BALDWIN Head of German
MARGARET HOUGHTON Head of French
MARY MCIVOR Head of Spanish
CLARE PARK French Tutor
FRANK PARK French and Spanish Tutor
This includes relationships and responsibilities, gender issues, youth culture (values, peer groups, fashions and trends), education, vocational training and future careers.
What is the Modern Languages department like? We are friendly and supportive! Our Modern Language department has a suite of rooms comprising of teaching bases equipped with interactive boards, multi-media projectors and wireless internet connection. We also have a Language Resources room and a new digital Language Laboratory. All our resources are designed to help you to develop your language skills in a varied and exciting way. As an advanced Modern Languages student you will have opportunities throughout the course to use the Internet, software languages programmes, TV and have access to up to date texts, dictionaries, CDs, magazines and journals.
A2 LEVEL Unit 3 – Oral 20 minutes (60 marks) Again there are two parts to the A2 oral examination. After 15 – 20 minutes preparation time you will be asked to discuss the issues raised in a short written stimulus passage. You will then be asked a few questions about the topic and then give your own opinion during the discussion which follows. In the second part you will give a presentation, which you have prepared in advance and then talk in detail about the issues raised in your presentation. Your presentation must be on one of the following: The World of Cinema, the World of Literature, The regions of France/ Germany/Spain. Tutors will decide which option you will take.
from English into the language and write an essay in French / German / Spanish of 400 words on one of the following: The World of Cinema, The World of Literature or The Regions of France / Germany / Spain. The topics in Unit 4 are divided into two groups:
Environmental Issues including technology, pollution, global warming, transport, energy, nuclear energy, renewable energies, conservation, recycling, sustainability.
Social and Political Issues including the role of the media, racism, immigration, social exclusion and integration, terrorism, world of work (employment, commerce, globalization etc).
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? Unit 4 – Listening, Reading and Writing 3 hours (98 marks) As with Unit 1 you will have control of the listening material, which means you can listen to it as often as you like. The recordings will be based on authentic material and may include informal dialogue, news items and interview, talks or discussions. The reading and responding part of the examination will also be based on authentic texts in the form of a narrative, interview, informative or argumentative articles. You will also have to translate a text
Homework is set and marked with a grade each week. There is also a weekly verb test in the first term of AS and a monthly grammar/ vocabulary test. This will give a good indication about your progress.
What support will I receive? All AS/A2 foreign language students attend a weekly conversation class in their chosen language(s) in order to develop their speaking skills and boost oral confidence. These sessions, which are compulsory and conducted in small groups by native speakers, form an integral part of preparation for the AS/A2 oral examinations. Further support in grammar and in improving reading, writing and comprehension skills is given in weekly tutorials some of which require compulsory attendance. A ‘fast track’, more advanced tutorial session is offered every week for more able linguists. As exams approach, we try to organise regular twilight as well as some holiday revision sessions for both AS and A2 students.
meet the students HELENA NEWBOLD Prescot School
Studying: German, English Language, French, Spanish German is a really fun language to learn as well as being useful and interesting. It’s a relaxed, fun class and the weekly conversation lessons with a native speaker are very helpful. I’ve also been on the German exchange with the Ferdinand-Porshe Gymnasium which was a great experience. I enjoyed experiencing German life as well as making lots of friends. There’s a great atmosphere at Carmel, everybody wants to learn and the tutors are very supportive and will always help you whatever the problem. When I leave I hope to study German and Spanish at university.
meet the tutors DOMINIQUE DORCÉ French Assistant
ROSER GARGALLO Spanish Assistant
GERDA GEDDES German Assistant
Frequently Asked Questions
meet the students NICHOLAS YOUNG Wade Deacon
Studying: French, English Language, Biology, Product Design, Critical Thinking Having the ability to speak and fully understand a new language as well as being able to work abroad gives me more options in the future. The highlight of the course has been the French Exchange to La Roche which was a great experience. It gave me the opportunity to develop my knowledge of the language and boosted my confidence for my oral exam too. For my Enrichment option I chose Beginners Russian and I really enjoyed learning a new language. I wish to pursue a career in French, whether that be teaching or working abroad. I am thinking of applying to Cambridge to study French and Russian.
more information Detailed examination specifications are available from the WJEC website:
www.wjec.co.uk Any member of the languages staff will be delighted to answer your questions either at the Open Evening or at another time convenient to you.
WHERE DOES A MODERN LANGUAGES QUALIFICATION LEAD?
WHAT HAPPENS IF I FEEL I AM ‘WEAKER’ IN ONE OF THE SKILL AREAS SUCH AS SPEAKING?
Students in recent years have gone to university, studying languages by themselves or combined with other subjects, such as business, management, law, administration, ICT, engineering, international marketing and journalism. The choice is endless!
This is not a problem as during the first few weeks of the course you have an opportunity to plan with your tutor what you can do to improve all your skill areas.
CAN I STUDY MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE? Yes – several students study two languages but many study just one.
DOES IT MATTER IF I HAVE ONLY STUDIED FRENCH, GERMAN OR SPANISH FOR JUST ONE OR TWO YEARS? Not at all! When you begin the AS course you will find that we review a lot of the work done at GCSE and build on it.
Remember – if you feel that you are experiencing difficulties with any part of the course there is always plenty of help at hand to support you.
DO I NEED TO HAVE STUDIED A LANGUAGE TO GCSE TO START AS LEVEL? In the majority of cases, yes – but it is possible to take up a new language from scratch, provided that you have proven ability in another language.
HOW SUCCESSFUL ARE CARMEL’S MODERN LANGUAGES STUDENTS? This year, many of our A2 students have applied to study languages at university, either as a major or minor subject, and a number have been offered places at the prestigious Durham and Warwick universities. We also congratulate Helena Newbold who has been offered a place at Magdalen College Cambridge to read German and Spanish, a fantastic achievement!
French Exchange visit to the Boulangerie.
What other activities will I get involved in? There is a range of activities available to encourage our students to have a more ‘hands on’ approach to the study of their chosen language. Our French Exchange to the Vendée entered its 18th year in 2010, whilst German and Spanish students were also offered the opportunity to travel. The German Exchange with the Ferdinand Porsche Gymnasium in Stuttgart was extremely popular whilst Spanish students enjoyed a four day cultural visit around Barcelona. These are all invaluable opportunities for students to practise their language skills as well as experience the culture and way of life. In recent years French and Spanish students have been very successful in national competitions, winning trips to France as well as books and dictionaries. Other activities include annual A Level language days at Manchester Metropolitan University and opportunities to learn conversational Spanish, Italian and Russian as part of the Enrichment Programme.