The language A-level

I think I understand, although I did have to read your post several times :p:

Basically you're asking if a GCSE in your native language is comparable to an A-level in a foreign language? If so, I'd say the tasks you have to complete are reasonably similiar in some ways, for example, comprehension exercises, essays and speaking, but foreign languages have a lot more grammar and more specific topics. We did virtually no grammar at all for GCSE English because you don't have to think about it in your native language, it just comes naturally. I bet at least half of my class (top set) wouldn't have been able to define nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs, let alone all the different types of pronouns and articles! Also, because you couldn't possibly learn every word in the French language at A-level, you focus on learning as many as you can relating to specific areas, such as the environment or politics. When you do GCSE English, you've been speaking, writing, reading and listening to the language constantly for at least 11 or so years (not sure when most people learn to speak and write). When you do A-level French, you've been speaking, writing, reading and listening to the language for a few hours a week for 7 years. Obviously there's a huge difference!

Reply 2

Banana Blossom

i understand what you're saying but i don't think it works that way at all. I live in scotland though and did standard grades rather than GCSEs but to me the standard higher french students were at was nowhere near the same as the equivalent sg english student! I would even say SG students are more fluent in english than advanced higher french/german students are at their foreign language. But like i said this is all for scottish levels, i honestly don't know how they compare with the english courses. :redface:

Reply 3

crankycaz

I understand what you're saying OP but I wouldn't say a language A level is even slightly equivalent to our English GCSE. I have just done AS German, and started A2 work. One of the novels I have to read for A2 is classed as a junior book - i.e. German students would read it in their equivalent of Year 8. However you do tend to specialise on certain topics such as Media and environment, and you learn some pretty topic-specific vocabulary which would maybe be beyond GCSE level English. It varies basically.

Reply 4

kizer

Well it's different in that AS french asseses how well you know the language, but GCSE english assesses how well you can apply the language. If you see what I mean.

Reply 5

calcium878

I hope I won't have to analyse French texts' metaphors, I hated that enough in English!

Reply 6

kellywood_5

calcium878

I hope I won't have to analyse French texts' metaphors, I hated that enough in English!

You definitely won't have to do any literature at AS and whether you do at A2 depends on exam board and the option your school chooses. I took Edexcel and I did coursework instead.

Reply 7

Happy1

calcium878

I hope I won't have to analyse French texts' metaphors, I hated that enough in English!

I didnt do ANY literature in French... and i did 2 different exam boards. (WJEC for A2 and AQA for AS) - neither had lit.

Reply 8

713

I can't compare gcse to alevel as i haven't done gcse's,but i did alevel german which is my native language and i have to say that it was actually quite hard.they asked about authors and several passages in books and to explain for example how the relationship of two people changed while the book.
we did some stuff like that in germany in year 9 but not with authors like 'herman hesse'.
maybe it's just me who found it hard because i didn't prepare for it all.

Reply 9

calcium878

Hmm I think we do AQA - no Lit it seems :biggrin:

Reply 10

unfinished sympathy

natives actually took their own native tongue at a level in my school ie germans took german A level etc

This makes the course extremely easy for them. A language A level for example german is not the equivalent to a GCSE in english, the depth of knowledge is inferior to that of the GCES because there is no indepth comprehension. Just for example read the test.. a guy is friends with a turkish women and an english women, he lives in germany. The question is how do you know he likes differnt cultures- because he has friends from different countries. sounds stupid but that was a question in the edexcel paper. plus there are translations and listenings naturally. The oral is a debate etc. the format is compltely different to that of GCSE english

Reply 11

brimstone

jokeroid

English: I have a cat called joker
French: Je <something> un chat qui s'appelle joker).

J'ai

Reply 12

calcium878

brimstone

J'ai

Merci for saving me from my usual pedantry. :p:

Reply 13

mariska99

Has to be said - French a-level and English gcse are completely different.
Having done both, I will say this: learning the language and learning about poetry and other such nonsense (sorry if you like English but it's just my opinion) are two different things. If, say, you were comparing learning English as a language, just like French, then yes you could compare them, but as you're not, you can't.

Reply 14

lovers in japan

I think that they are fairly equal, although surely English GCSE will always involve more obscure language than a language A level, because of the weird texts and poetry that is studied. You analyse in English, not learn new words (well, normally that is what happens) IMO.