You can choose to begin the language from scratch in the first year as one of your advanced level choices.
This fast-paced course leads to a GCSE qualification at the end of Year 1 and A Level in Year 2. It is designed to develop your skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Topics to be studied will include relationships, leisure time and media, holidays, the environment, work and education as well as social issues at a national and international level. We have a Languages IT suite and each week you will practise speaking with our Language Assistant. The trip to Italy offers students the opportunity to experience Italian culture and society.
The department employs a great variety of teaching methods. Italian is used as the main medium of instruction in the classroom and many different tasks are used in order to achieve each student’s maximum potential.
Students will be working singly, in pairs or in small groups on a variety of activities including reading, listening, speaking and grammar. They will take part in many oral activities such as role-plays; discussions etc. and have the opportunity to speak with the Italian assistant in small groups. The language centre will be used to help improve students’ grammar and listening skills. The Ab Initio course is a fast, intensive course which requires students’ commitment to a lot of vocabulary learning throughout the year.
Four skills are assessed in May:
Students will be set frequent and regular tasks to reinforce the newly learnt grammar points and vocabulary and to familiarise themselves with the exam formats.
Success in this course relies heavily on the students’ motivation. Independent work is essential, as is regular attendance and regular completion of all homework.
To progress into the second year, we expect students to have gained a high grade in the GCSE exam.
Italian, and indeed languages in general, can be studied with nearly any subject at university level. Many modern languages and Italian graduates have pursued careers in law, accountancy, banking & finance, journalism, marketing and public relations, the Civil Service, translation and interpreting as well as teaching. Those with language skills are a relative rarity in the UK; therefore employment prospects are extremely high.
Students will have access to textbooks and online resources but will need to purchase a novel at the end of the first year. Students will also have the opportunity to take part on a study trip to Italy.
The College has a Student Support Fund for those students who have difficulty meeting these costs.
5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including Mathematics and English, plus a GCSE grade 7 or above in a foreign language.
Below is a summary of the most recent set of results for this subject:
| Grade: | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | U | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total: | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Percentage | 50.0 | 16.7 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |