How difficult are language A Levels?

Is it just learning new vocab and tenses? Because that sounds relatively easy...
I got an A* in GCSE Spanish and it was ridiculously easy, obviously A Level is a step up and I'm prepared to work hard for it as Spanish is my favourite subject, but how much more difficult is it?
Is there much more to it?

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Reply 1

Paralove

I do French and also got an A* in that at GCSE. You have to put a hell of a lot more effort into A-Level an it isn't just learning vocab and tenses, it's about expressing yourself in a more complex way, new sentence structures etc.

It's also a very time consuming subject as you get a lot of homework and essays to do and grammar is of major importance - on AQA at least, you're tested on grammar specifically unlike GCSE.

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Reply 2

Lucas.

I can't answer your question but I have something to ask too and I feel like this would be an appropriate place to post it rather than making a new topic. Sorry.

I did German at GCSE and I came out with a B overall.
In the two exams I got an A and an A*, but my coursework came out at a B and a D..
As I'm carrying it on to AS, will I find the coursework difficult again? The exams are honestly fine and I don't need to try at all, but I put in so much effort towards the coursework, and it just feels like a memory test rather than anything productive and it just frustrates me and I can't do it... Any advice here?

Regarding the OP, if you got an A* in GCSE then you obviously understand the subject well enough, and if it's your favourite subject then the passion is there, so I'm assuming you will kind of enjoy revising Spanish (well, you might not, I don't know, but I enjoyed revising German). I'm sure you'll be fine. You should probably wait until someone who has actually done a language at A Level posts though, I'm not really much help. :smile:

Reply 3

Paralove

Original post by Lucas.

I can only speak for AQA, for which there isn't any coursework. You have a speaking assessment in April/May that's about 10-15 mins tops and covers almost all the topics you study. In the AS exam you have 4 or so questions for listening, about 5 for reading and one grammar question. Then you have an essay.

You'll have to put a ton more effort into a language A-Level. Honestly, GCSE is absolutely nothing compared to A-Level.

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Reply 4

Lucas.

Original post by Paralove

My college does languages with WJEC. I think they actually do a similar thing to AQA.. I might have confused coursework with the oral exam.

Based on how poor my performance was in the coursework, if I put in a large amount of effort, do you think I'd be able to get a decent grade?

Reply 5

dartanoir

I got an A [nearly A*] at GCSE but came out with a C for A-level despite putting in a lot of work. A level is lot about expressing your own opinion and being able to memorise a **** ton of verb endings.

Reply 6

Paralove

Original post by Lucas.

You should do. I put in a lot but perhaps not as much as I could've into mine and got a B with 4 UMS off an A( though I did have issues with my exam as it wasn't conducted correctly :/) and I struggled with my oral but more so because I'm not as good at the speaking. I got a B in the oral and *just* an A in the exam but overall a B. That being said, a guy in my class got an A in the oral and E in the exam....

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Reply 7

Jkizer

Unlike in Gcse, you dont just remember a page of A4 you wrote the week before for your speaking/writing (Which doesn't even test your linguistic skills to an extent). You actually have to improvise a lot from your head.

Reply 8

thegodofgod

I think it depends on you as a person as well as how much effort you put in. Some people put in a **** ton of effort but come out with less than what they were hoping for, whereas some people who don't bother revising etc., but are intuitively good at something can come out with top grades.

I got an A* for German and French GCSEs (AQA) and I did **** all for the speaking aspect, and I got an A (2 UMS off an A*) for German (Edexcel) and again, I didn't revise much (no way near what loads of people tend to do), which I guess is fortunate and unfortunate at the same time. :frown: