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studying French at A Level

I want to get up to A Level standard in French - I don't have a GCSE and I can't find anywhere where I can study it at GCSE only as an iGSCE which I'm not sure if it's an equivalent or not as I haven't come across them before.

I have other language A Levels (Spanish and Italian) would it be possible to study A Level without the GCSE as long as I get myself up to GCSE standard? or will I need to try and see if I can get a GCSE somehow?

Many thanks (very confused)

Reply 1

2659059

You will most likely need a GCSE to be doing the language further at A-Level. I did French GCSE and was hoping to continue at A-Level and my college was minimum of a B to be able to do these course, I was 2 marks off a B and they still didn't let me. I have a few friends doing French and other languages at A-Level, I'll try not to discourage you but they are reaaalllyy struggling and they got A's and A*'s for GCSE! I'm not sure what to suggest to you about how to do the GCSE, I'm sure there will be a way either suggest it to the school or look more into iGCSE, please don't be discouraged if you really want to do French then good luck to you!! But I'm just glad I didn't get those 2 extra marks hehe, goodluck gal x

Reply 2

2384911

A Level Languages are ruined by people that already fluently speak the language taking them and rising the grade boundaries through the roof.

Reply 3

Anna Schoon

Original post by annabecca

The IGCSE is, in fact, of the same standard as the GCSE. The main difference with GCSE is that it is that there is no coursework at all and that the assessment is more focused on grammar, which is an excellent thing if you're going on to do A level.

The I in IGCSE stands for "International". This is the exam that British people overseas take; just as they have to take International A levels. The syllabuses are slightly different to cover for the practicalities of taking exams abroad, but are otherwise of the same level. Because there is no internally assessed component, it has also become the obvious exam for people taking exams out of school.

I doubt very much that a school would allow you to take an A level without a previous qualification.

Reply 4

YounesB

Original post by AshEntropy

A Level Languages are ruined by people that already fluently speak the language taking them and rising the grade boundaries through the roof.

Yes.

Reply 5

Reality Check

Original post by annabecca

I took A Level French without having a GCSE in it and never having studied it before. It's very difficult, but if you have two A level languages already, it should be significantly easier for you, given those languages are closely related to French. It'll be up to the college you apply to as to whether or not they'll let you do it.

Reply 6

2384911

Original post by YounesB

Yes.

Like, literally, I went to my Sixth Form College's open day and I went to the A Level French session and it was full of people that were natively from French-Speaking African countries.