French, German and Spanish (Edexcel: 1226, 1231, 1246)
Boys who study foreign languages at Charterhouse will be taught to express themselves confidently and accurately. Considerable emphasis is placed upon the regular acquisition and practical use of new vocabulary. A broad range of topical listening and reading material is covered in hash in conjunction with thorough grammatical explanations and exercises. To study any of these languages as a Remove the language must have been studied in the Fourth Form. Pupils who fail to achieve at least a grade A at GCSE would find a foreign language Pre-U principal subject course extremely challenging.
B P Thurston
The Cambridge Pre-U Modern Languages syllabus strives to move away from the emphasis on classroom language towards an immersion in authentic language and culture. Candidates are encouraged to learn in context through a personal engagement with the culture by means of authentic media (press, radio, television, and Internet).
Pupils should have taken a GCSE in the language before starting on the Specialist course. All pupils studying modern languages at Specialist level are expected to spend time in the foreign country concerned during their holidays. Homestay visits with native families are particularly recommended.
Paper 1: Speaking
Candidates discuss a newspaper article and matters arising from it. In the second part of this exam candidates discuss a prepared topic related to the history, current affairs, or culture of the areas of the world where the target language is spoken.
Paper 2: Reading and Listening
Candidates answer comprehension questions in both the target language and in English in response to audio and written material. They are also required to translate a passage from English into the target language. Candidates have control of their own listening equipment.
Paper 3: Writing and Usage
In this paper, candidates write one discursive essay in the target language from a choice of five titles. Examples of topics included in the syllabus are: human relationships, patterns of daily life, food and drink, equality of opportunity, war and peace, medical advances, environment, cultural life/heritage, and religion and belief. In the second part of this paper candidates are tested on their grammatical usage of the target language.
Paper 4: Topics and Texts
Part I: Cultural topics: Candidates prepare two texts/films for an essay to be written in the target language.
Part II: Literary texts: This part of the examination requires candidates to write a detailed textual analysis in English of a classic work of foreign literature.
Languages can be combined with any subject as they are useful for a wide range of university degree courses and later careers.
Apart from Language degrees, there is a wide range of degree courses available, which combine a foreign language with another degree subject; for example, Law with a language, Economics or Business Studies with a language, or Biochemistry with a language. These courses place special emphasis on developing an expertise in the foreign language in the subject area of the other course component. They almost always involve spending a year at a university in a country where the particular language is spoken. Graduates with such qualifications clearly have a considerable advantage over those who read the same course without a foreign language component.
Degree courses in modern languages will generally require students to have taken the relevant full Pre-U course. Some languages (i.e., Mandarin, Italian) can be learnt from scratch at university as long as an aptitude for language learning is evident.
Paper 1: Prepared topic discussion
Candidates discuss a prepared topic related to the history, current affairs or culture (including art, cinema, literature and traditions) of the areas of the world where the target language is spoken.
Paper 2: Reading, Listening and Writing
This paper includes a variety of comprehension exercises and a guided piece of writing of 220–250 words in the target language, dealing with a contemporary topic of a general discursive nature. Marks are awarded for grammatical accuracy and linguistic range.
B.P. Thurston