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Lower School
French
French is a core subject, studied by all pupils up to GCSE and classes are streamed from the Fourth Form according to ability and experience. As language and communication skills become increasingly significant in the world of work, so due emphasis is placed on the acquisition of these skills in the French course, but the importance of a sound grammatical base is also stressed. Pupils are encouraged to broaden their experience of the language as much as possible through the use of different resources and materials, including the department’s digital language laboratory, the use of ICT and trips abroad. The department organises a language study trip to the South of France in the Upper Fifth and this provides an excellent opportunity to practise the language in a real context.
From September 2009, all pupils are working towards the Edexcel IGCSE exam at the end of the Upper Fifth year. There is no coursework element and all pupils sit the terminal exam which gives equal weighting to the listening, reading and writing skills. There is also an oral exam which is separately endorsed.
German
With Germany playing an ever more important role in Europe, there is even more reason for pupils to think seriously of learning this very rewarding subject. Indeed, German is becoming increasingly the lingua franca for business people dealing with former Eastern Bloc countries. It is taught here ab initio. The extensive use of the “Lernpunkt Deutsch” text books in conjunction with material from other sources such as “Echo”, Mary Glasgow magazines and online educational sites puts an early emphasis on comprehension and speaking which allows pupils the enjoyment of developing their linguistic skills in practical everyday situations. Later in the course pupils will be given the chance to develop written skills and the deeper knowledge required to embark on A and AS Level courses. This is an enjoyable course accessible to both beginners and those with some background in the subject.
Spanish
Spanish is taught ab initio in the Fourth Form, using the textbook “So you really want to learn Spanish,” a resource that gives equal importance to understanding the basic grammatical structures of the language and encouraging practical communication skills. With over 300 million speakers, Spanish is now regarded as one of a small group of major world languages. The growing political and economic importance of Spain within Europe and the increasing role of the Hispanic community in the USA are two developments that make Spanish far more than simply a language for holidays. In the Fifth Form, the IGCSE course focuses on more advanced grammar and vocabulary; some translation skills will be required, and we aim to give an introduction to the enormous range and vitality of Hispanic culture, in the hope that many of our pupils will opt to continue into the Sixth Form, where our aim is a good level of fluency and success at A Level.
Sixth Form
French, German and Spanish are the languages offered at AS and A2 Level, and Italian is now offered as a two-year AS course from scratch (see below for more details). You can study one or two of these languages, and we hope that the broad Sixth Form curriculum will encourage you to continue with a language at least to AS Level in the Lower Sixth. It is clear that competence in foreign languages is a valuable and even vital skill as the world of work becomes more globalised, whether Britain joins the single European currency or not. Many adults regret not having kept up their languages.
Languages are often studied alongside arts subjects, but other combinations are becoming more popular: with Economics, Business Studies, Politics, Maths or Geography, for example. It is possible for pure scientists to keep a language going as the fourth Sixth Form subject without compromising their university or career aspirations. Cranleighans regularly go on to study languages at university, although, more recently, more have opted for business combinations rather than purely cultural courses. Several have gone on to start new languages at university, such as Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. In general, language graduates are in high demand as management trainees, where their communication skills, ability to think independently and their experience of working and studying in a foreign country are greatly valued.
At Cranleigh, the AS and A2 courses assess the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening), but also assume a degree of awareness of the broader cultural aspects of life in the countries concerned. The content of the courses is based on a number of contemporary themes and the study of literature is included within these themes. It should be noted that an ability to study and master quite complex grammar is vital for success in the Sixth Form. The principal aim, however, is to develop confidence and competence in practical communication skills for study, work and leisure. Your skills in reading, speaking, writing and listening will develop and you will acquire an increased knowledge and understanding of language structures.
You will also have lessons in small groups of two or three with native speakers to develop your spoken fluency and there are opportunities to travel to the relevant countries on study trips or language courses.
If you have abilities in other languages, you can be entered for examinations, although no instruction is provided. In recent years, Sixth Formers have taken GCSE and A Levels in about ten different languages, including Japanese, Chinese and Russian.
During the course you will read and listen to authentic foreign language materials and will study aspects of the contemporary society, cultural background and heritage of a country where the language is spoken. You will have opportunities to develop your understanding and awareness of spiritual, moral, ethical and European issues.
You will extend and develop your knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of the foreign language and will use this to speak, write, read and listen to the language.
In addition, you will learn how to:
- be an effective communicator
- speak and write the language in a range of different situations and for different purposes
- use the language to express facts and ideas
- use the language to present explanations, opinions and information
- develop an argument and to analyse and evaluate.
Over the course of the two years, several broad "contemporary" topic areas are studied:
- Youth culture and concerns, including music and fashion, communication technology, cinema, media, and relationships (family, friendships, etc)
- Lifestyle: health and fitness, including sport and exercise, food and diet, leisure
- Travel, tourism, environmental issues and the target-language speaking world
- Education and employment, including the multicultural society and the world of work
- Politics
- Law and order
Cultural topics are also covered, including history of the country, a region/geographical area, literature, art, and music.
Is this the right subject for me?
This course is suitable for you if you:
- enjoy language learning
- enjoy learning about other cultures
- want to communicate with speakers of a foreign
language
- want to use a language for further study (e.g. at
university)
- want to work abroad
- want to work for companies with international links
- want to broaden an otherwise narrow choice of AS
subjects
- want to develop opinions about current issues
- have a good memory and a logical mind.
What exams are there?
The final examinations test you in the four skills of speaking, listening, writing and reading. There are two units at the end of each year. The two AS units are taken at the end of the Lower Sixth, the A2 units at the end of the Upper Sixth. For Italian, the two AS units are taken at the end of the Upper Sixth.
AS- (a) An Oral exam; (b) Listening, Reading and Writing exam
A2- (a) Oral exam; (b) Final written exam
AS Oral Exam
Before the exam itself you will be given a stimulus (a picture and short text in the language). You will then answer questions on the stimulus and move on to a conversation on broader issues. The test will last between 10 and 15 minutes and will be conducted by your teacher.
AS Listening, Reading and Writing exam
This paper has three sections. The first section is a listening test. You will listen to authentic recorded material and have to answer questions. The next section is a reading test where you will have to read several authentic texts and answer a range of questions.
The final part of this paper is a writing test. Here you will have to write a letter, essay, report or article in the target language.
A2 Speaking exam
This is another speaking exam and will last about 15 minutes. During the exam you will have to present a definite point of view and then defend it. During the test there will also be a conversation on at least two other topics. You will not be expected to have specialised knowledge of these, but you should be able to speak sensibly about them.
A2 Writing exam
In this exam, you will have to translate from English into the target language, interpret texts and write an essay in the target language on the cultural topic you have chosen and prepared in advance. This could be on:
- Geographical area (e.g. region or city)
- Historical study
- Aspects of modern society
- Literature and the Arts
Italian (AS Level - a two-year course)
Italian is available in the Sixth Form as a beginners' course, leading to an AS qualification after two years. It is expected that this course will appeal to you if you have an aptitude for languages, have enjoyed studying another language at GCSE and have reached at least an A grade, or if you have an Italian background. The course will involve four lessons a week and follows the Edexcel specification. There are two exams, taken at the end of the two years.
The first exam is an oral exam in which you will have to choose a general topic area from those listed below. You will be given a stimulus to discuss first of all and then the discussion develops into wider issues. The exam lasts about 10 minutes and you will be examined by your teacher, but the exam is marked by the board.
In the second paper you are tested on your listening, reading and writing skills. You have to answer questions on audio material (over which you have individual control) and on reading passages. You will then be asked to write an essay of about 220 words in Italian. This exam lasts two and a half hours. Both exams are based on the following topic areas:
– Youth Culture and concerns
– Lifestyle: health and fitness
– The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the Italian-speaking world
– Education and Employment
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