Modern Languages

At Collingham, Modern Languages are taught using a variety of source materials (texts and audio-visual resources), but above all we rely on lively communication between tutor and students in the classroom. Languages offered:

• Arabic

• Chinese (Mandarin)

• Dutch

• French

• German

• Modern Greek

• Italian

• Japanese

• Portuguese

• Russian

• Spanish

• Turkish

The subjects

Collingham has an exceptional record in Modern Languages at A Level. At least 50% of our candidates get Grade A. Each class is led by a core teacher, though students may be taught by other specialist tutors for certain options. Every course includes classes with a native speaker to develop the oral skills required for the AS and A2 examinations.

Compared with GCSE, there is much more scope for individual students to choose the matter of their course. Art, fashion, sport, music, literature, advertising, technology, business, politics and society are all topics covered by the subject specifications, and many of these can be developed by students in individual options. The new specification cuts down the number of examination units needed to be sat by candidates, with coursework now no longer part of the syllabus. Collingham tends to use Edexcel or OCR as its preferred boards, but we also accept students following the AQA programme, and we are also preparing to integrate the new Cambridge Pre-U syllabus into the department.

Whatever the shape of the examination, the key skills of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening remain integral to all courses in the most popular languages. In certain so-called minority languages there is no oral or listening component.

NB

There is no oral examination for Arabic, Dutch, Japanese, Modern Greek, Portuguese or Turkish AS and A levels. The examination focuses on reading and writing skills. These two unit specifications promote advanced research of the societies and cultures of the relevant target language countries.

Chinese

Radically redesigned in a new three unit format, this specification offers discrete testing of all four language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing at AS level. At Advanced level, advanced research of the societies and culture of Chinese speaking countries or communities is promoted and rewarded

Please see individual outlines for French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish.