At St Edward’s, our A Level French and German courses will equip you with the skills to speak a foreign language to a high level of fluency, giving you a critical edge in the highly competitive and globalised market for jobs.

Why Study A Level French or German?

In French or German at A Level you will learn about the language and culture of one of our nearest neighbouring countries, deepening your understanding of the political, economic and social ties that bind our countries, whilst developing your ability and fluency in the language.

An A Level in French or German is great preparation for any career that has an international element, but is also a great choice if you are simply interested in the world outside of Poole.

The course content requires you to take an interest in the wider world and to discuss matters of importance to young people living in other European countries. In lessons, you will develop your understanding of these themes through engagement with a variety of media, and use your rapidly-developing spoken and written ability in the language to contribute to discussion of them. Lessons are engaging and interesting, and students particularly enjoy the variety of activities and topics covered in the course.

This course is particularly suitable if you are interested in pursuing any career with an international element, including working for companies with operations or clients abroad. Given that this covers a huge variety of sectors and professions, and that there is a recognised shortage of capable linguists across the UK economy, an A Level in a foreign language can be a key differentiator in a huge variety of future careers.

Course Contact

Mrs Berengere Pawler
MFL Subject Leader

Course Content

Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing – 2.5 hours, 50% of A Level

Aspects of French or German-speaking society
Artistic culture in the French or German-speaking world
Aspects of political life in the French or German-speaking world
Multiculturalism in society

Paper 2: Writing – 2 hours, 20% of A Level

Study of one book and one film from a list of selected titles

Paper 3: Speaking – 23 minutes, 30% of A Level

Discussion of a sub-theme from Paper 1 topics
Presentation and discussion of a research project on a topic of the student’s choice

Exam board: AQA

Where can this take you?

After studying French or German at St Edward’s, you could progress to university where a huge variety of courses now include the ability to study a language alongside a core degree discipline. Alternatively, languages are actively sought and valued by employers looking to recruit into apprenticeship schemes.

Student Destinations

University of Bath – International Management and Modern Languages
University College London – Russian and French
University of Oxford – Law with French Law
University of Southampton – German and Spanish Linguistics
University of Sussex – International Relations
University of Warwick – German and Business

Key information

Download Entry Requirements

Student Testimonials

"Learning a language at A Level is great as the class sizes are much smaller, meaning there is a lot of support."

Chloe, KS5 MFL student

"Learning another language opens so many doors, and the ability to access other cultures is unmatched by any other subject. The smaller A Level classes give a great opportunity for more personalised teaching."

Brandon, KS5 MFL student

"Learning a language at A Level is really interesting, you get to learn about important and relevant topics in another language. The skills from learning a second language are widely applicable today and in the future."

Sam, KS5 MFL student