Examination Board: AQA
AS Code:
French – 2650 (2 units: FREN1 & FREN2)
German – 1661
Spanish – 1696

A2 Code:
French – 2650 (2 units: FREN3 & FREN4)
German – 2661
Spanish - 2696

What will I gain from doing this course

Aims/Objectives

What will I do

Among the many benefits, an AS or A2 in a Modern Foreign Language is designed to encourage candidates to:

• Develop the knowledge and skills acquired at GCSE level and therefore use French/German/Spanish in a wide range of contexts
• Gain a useful insight into another culture and reflect on various aspects of contemporary society
• Enhance their employment prospects, facilitate foreign travel and experience the enjoyment and motivation of improving their linguistic level.

Course Content

Style of Teaching and Learning

First Year – Advanced Subsidiary (AS)

During the course of Year 12 candidates will study texts, videos and listening resources based on AS topics. These are designed to build on the work covered at GCSE:

• Media: TV, advertising and communication technology
• Popular culture: cinema, music and fashion/trends
• Healthy living/lifestyle: sport/exercise, health and well-being and holidays
• Family/relationships: relationships within the family, friendships and marriage/partnerships.

There are two exams at AS:

Unit 1: Listening, Reading and Writing 2 hours (70% of AS, 15% of A2)
Candidates will answer a range of questions based on approximately 5 minutes of a listening passage and on a selection of written stimulus texts. They will also respond in writing to a question based on one of the AS topics.

Answers will be required in the following forms:

• Answers in English
• Non-verbal response (matching pairs, true or false, classification exercises or multiple choice)
• Answers in the target language (French, German or Spanish)
• Completion of summaries in the target language
• Grammar exercises in the target language
• A short essay in the target language

Candidates have control of their own listening material for this paper, through their own CD player.


Unit 2: Speaking Test 35 minutes (including 20 minutes preparation time)
30% of total AS/ 15% of total A-level marks
Candidates will discuss a target-language stimulus card based on one of the AS topics and take part in a conversation covering three further AS topics. Marks are awarded according to the following criteria:

• The extent to which the candidate takes the initiative and develops the conversation
• Oral fluency
• Pronunciation
• Knowledge of grammar

Second Year – Advanced Level (A2)


The A2 course will cover:

• Environment: pollution, energy and protecting the planet
• The multi-cultural society: immigration, integration and racism
• Contemporary social issues: wealth and poverty, law and order and the impact of scientific and technological progress

In addition, candidates will study two cultural topics from the following:

• The study of a target language speaking region/community
• The study of a period of 20th century history from a target language-speaking country/community
• The study of a novelist/dramatist/poet from a target language-speaking country/community
• The study of a director/architect/musician/painter from a target language-speaking country/ community.

There are two exams at A2 level:

Unit 3: Listening, Reading and Writing 2 hours 30 minutes
35% of total A-level marks
Candidates will answer a range of questions based on approximately 6 minutes of listening material and on a selection of written texts. Candidates have control of their own listening material for this paper, through their own CD player. Finally, candidates will also respond in writing to a question based on their choice of one of the four A2 cultural topics.

Unit 4: Speaking Test 35 minutes (including 20 minutes preparation time)
15% of total A-level marks
Candidates will present a point of view based on a target-language stimulus card from one of the A2 topic areas and take part in a conversation covering both of the A2 cultural topic areas.

What support will I receive

Where can I get further information

As a specialist language college, we benefit from outstanding facilities for MFL teaching. Lessons will be in the SLC or SLC2 (IT3) to take advantage of our digital language laboratories. You will have a weekly session with the assistant for the language you study. Course materials will be available in electronic format to enable effective study at home, and we are moving to offering resources on the web. Further information is available on the AQA website.

An A level in a Modern Foreign Language is an asset which is very highly prized by higher education institutions and by employers. According to the CiLT – the National Centre for Languages:

• 60% of UK trade is with non-English speaking countries
• Customers addressed in their mother tongue are three times more likely to buy

It is no surprise therefore that students with A levels in a Modern Foreign Language, have improved employability by comparison with their peers who have not studied a language.