Modern Languages GCSEs

Courses

French GCSE - Pearson Edexcel 1FR1, 9-1
German GCSE - AQA 8662, 9-1
Spanish GCSE - AQA 8692, 9-1
Mandarin Chinese GCSE - AQA 8673, 9-1
Mandarin Chinese as a Second Language IGCSE - CIE 0523, A*-G

Through the study of modern languages, you will understand and appreciate other cultures and peoples. You will enjoy exploring similarities and differences and relating these to your own experience. You will have the chance to think on your feet, using imagination and creativity. Your skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking will be developed. Studying languages is as important as ever in the modern world and the Stephen Perse Foundation has a long tradition of success in language learning. If you wish to study languages at university, to use them at work, to travel, having two languages at GCSE is a definite advantage.

The Modern Languages Department offers the opportunity to take two languages to GCSE. In Years 10 and 11 you will consolidate the basic structures of language that you have learned and develop your communication skills, discussing topics such as health, travel, media & technology, the environment around you and hobbies. The teachers place importance on the teaching of grammar and accuracy both in speaking and in written work, and on the customs and culture of the countries, comparing them with our own.

Exchanges, study visits and activities such as Les Joutes Oratoires are arranged during the course. This experience strengthens your knowledge of the language, increases your confidence in speaking and raises your awareness of the culture. We consider these visits to be a most beneficial and worthwhile experience.

Assessment for GCSE French, German and Spanish

The new reformed GCSE language courses for French, German and Spanish will be first examined in June 2026.

The four key skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are assessed at the end of Year 11 and each paper carries 25% of the final mark.

The listening paper lasts 45 minutes. There are 2 sections. Listening comprehension with questions in English. A dictation where students transcribe short sentences, including a small number of words from outside the prescribed vocabulary list.
The speaking test is conducted by a member of staff and lasts 10-12 minutes. Students complete one role play. They read a short paragraph aloud and there is a short unprepared conversation.There is a photo card discussion followed by an unprepared conversation of around 5 minutes.
The reading paper lasts 1 hour. Students read a number of texts and answer in English. There will be a translation from French/German/Spanish into English.
The writing paper lasts 1 hour 15 minutes. Students complete translate several sentences into French/German/Spanish. There are then two written tasks, of varying length.

(I)GCSE Mandarin Chinese

We currently offer two Mandarin Chinese courses and advise students which course might be more suitable for them.

AQA GCSE Mandarin is appropriate for students who have been learning Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language for several years or for students who have had some exposure to the language, however are not confident in the written and spoken language.
CIE IGCSE Mandarin as a second language is a course aimed at students who have been learning Mandarin Chinese for more than 4 years before joining Year 10. They might have strong writing and speaking skills in Mandarin.

Assessment for GCSE Mandarin Chinese

The four key skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are assessed and all papers are equally weighted at 25%.

The listening paper lasts 45 minutes and students listen to a number of recordings and answer multiple-choice and short written answer questions in English.
The reading paper lasts 1 hour. Students read a number of texts and answer
questions in English. There is also a short translation from Chinese to English.
The speaking test is conducted by a member of staff and lasts 12 minutes.
Students complete one role play, a photocard description and general conversation. It is recorded and externally marked.
The writing paper lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and consists of 1 structured writing task (75 characters), an open ended task (125 characters) and a translation from English to Chinese.

Assessment for IGCSE Mandarin Chinese as a second language

The four key skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are assessed. The listening and speaking skills are 20% each. The reading and writing skills are 60% in total.

Paper 1 - Reading and Writing. This exam consists of five exercises testing reading and writing skills.
Paper 2 - Listening. There are four exercises that test listening skills.
Component 3 Speaking. This is conducted by a member of staff. Students give a 2-3 minutes presentation, followed by a short discussion about the presentation. Then there is a short conversation with the examiner about general topics