- Do not be influenced by your friends’ choices – they may enjoy a particular language, but if you do not, you will soon lose interest.
- Do not choose or discard a language based on your assumptions about which teacher will be taking your group. Timetabling is complex and things may not work out in the way you assume.
- Do take into account which language you feel stronger at or most ‘at ease’ with. The length of time you have studied a language is a good measure of your level of experience. Your second foreign language may feel easier at the moment, but it is only because you have not reached the same level of complexity as you may have in your first language. The IGCSE/GCSE courses require a similar level of competence in all languages, so the present pace of learning may change as the course progresses.
- External motivation may be a significant factor when choosing a language (such as having a holiday home in Spain or a family business in Switzerland), but if not supported by internal motivation – i.e. your own desire to learn that language – it will not be enough to keep you on track in the longer term.
- Do not let yourself be influenced by your friends’ choice – they may enjoy studying a particular language, but if you do not, you will soon lose interest.
- Do not choose/discard a language because of your assumption as to which teacher will be taking your group. Timetabling is a very complex procedure and things may not work out in the way you assume.
- Do take into account which language you feel stronger at or most ‘at ease’ with. The length of time you have studied a language is a good measure of your level of experience. Your second foreign language may feel easier at the moment, but it is only because you have not reached the same level of complexity as you may have in your first language,. The IGCSE courses require a similar level of competence in all languages, so the present pace of learning may change as the course progresses.
- Motivation is, ultimately, the best way of predicting success.
- Able linguists do not have the restrictions of those who find language learning challenging and should definitely consider doing more than one language.
The IGCSE language courses in French, German and Spanish at St Edmund’s College develop effective understanding and communication of each language within its cultural context.
In addition to developing language skills, these IGCSE courses encourage a breadth of highly valuable skills, including:
- Analysis
- Memorising
- Drawing of inferences
- Empathy
- Ability to work collaboratively
- Self-evaluation
The IGCSE syllabus aims to:
- Develop the ability to communicate effectively using the target language
- Offer insights into the culture and society of countries where the language is spoken
- Develop awareness of the nature of language and language learning
- Encourage positive attitudes towards speakers of other languages and a sympathetic approach to other cultures and civilisations
- Provide enjoyment and intellectual stimulation
- Complement other areas of the curriculum
- Form a sound base of the skills, language and attitudes required for progression to work or further study, either in the target language or another subject area.
| Head of Department | Mrs E Gambino |
| Syllabus | Edexcel IGCSE (9-1) ( French 4FR1, German 4GN1, Spanish 4SP1) |
Which language(s) to study?
The most important factor should be your level of enjoyment – choose the language you have enjoyed most in Bounds (Years 7 – 9).
Things to consider...
Course structure
In French, German, and Spanish, the St Edmund’s Languages Department follow the Edexcel IGCSE course specification, which covers the following topics:
- Home and abroad
- Education and employment
- Personal life and relationships
- The world around us
- Social activities, fitness and health
Listening
Students are required to convey their understanding of spoken language through a series of listening tasks.
They must be able to:
- Identify and note main points
- Deduce the meaning of words from context
- Extract specific details
- Identify points of view
- Show some understanding of unfamiliar language
- Recognise attitudes, emotions and opinions
Task types include multiple-choice, multiple-matching, note-taking, table completion and gap-fill questions.
Reading
Students are required to convey their understanding of the written language(s) through a series of reading tasks.
They must be able to:
- Identify and note main points
- Deduce the meaning of words from context
- Extract specific details
- Identify points of view
- Show some understanding of unfamiliar language
- Recognise attitudes, emotions and opinions
Task types include multiple-choice, multiple-matching, note-taking, table completion, gap-fill questions and short-answer questions.
Speaking
Students are required to convey their understanding of spoken language through three speaking tasks.
They will:
- Describe the contents of a picture
- Describe possible past or future events related to people in the picture
- Respond to questions about the picture and its related topic
- Take part in a spontaneous conversation on two further topics
In each conversation pupils must develop their responses, show initiative, express and justify points of view and refer to past, present and future events.
Writing and grammar
This section consists of two writing tasks and a third grammar-based task.
- The first writing task is short and the student will be asked to write 60-75 words on a prescribed them.
- The second task is longer. Students choose from three questions and write between 130 and 150 words addressing four bullet points.
- In the third grammar-based task students will be asked to change the words in brackets so that they correctly fit the sentences. Students will manipulate verbs and adjectives for example, into their correct word form. Grammatical accuracy, punctuation and spelling will be assessed in this section of the paper.
Assessment
- Listening 25%
- Reading and writing 50%
- Speaking 25%
Assessment is by examination, and everything is marked by the examination board.
There are no Foundation or Higher Tier papers. All students take the same papers which gradually increase in level of challenge
For Listening and Reading, correct spelling and grammatical accuracy are not a requirement as long as the response is comprehensible.
Think beyond College. Universities and employers value languages and the skills developed by people who have studied languages.