Four languages are taught in St Patricks. These are French, German, Irish and Spanish.
The languages are studied as follows:

KEYSTAGE 3

Year 8: French and Spanish
Year 9: TWO from French, German, Irish and Spanish.
Year 10: Continue with two languages studied in Year 9.

KEYSTAGE 4

At least ONE language to GCSE.

A-LEVEL

All four languages are studied at A-Level.

GCSE Specification

French, German and Spanish are entered for AQA examination.

Irish is entered for the CCEA examination.

The Examination

The examination is taken at two levels, Foundation and Higher. There are four skills at each level. These are the continuation of what the pupils have been already learning since their study of the language commenced.

1) Listening
Pupils will listen to tapes recorded by native speakers and respond in written form accordingly.

2) Speaking
Pupils will respond orally to questions in the language and role play situations.
Pupils will also do a short presentation in the Target Language. The oral examination is recorded and sent for external moderation.

3) Reading
Pupils will read authentic material in the language and demonstrate an understanding of the details involved.

4) Writing
Students studying Irish do this paper. Pupils will write short and extended pieces in the language in response to a written stimulus in the language. It is possible, due to changes in the specifications to GCSE Modern Languages that students of Irish might be offered the chance to do 3 pieces of coursework instead of the written examination.

Coursework
Students studying French, German and Spanish for the AQA examinations do three written pieces of coursework which are marked by the teacher and then externally moderated.

Career Implications/Further & Higher Educational Possibilities

All Modern Languages can be taken to A-level, Degree Standard and further as desired. They can also be combined with an increasingly wide variety of vocational choices e.g. Law, Business Studies, Marketing, Engineering, Education, Politics, Science, Secretarial Skills etc., thereby increasing the possibilities of employment and opening up other areas of opportunities. Particularly in today's climate of free movement within the European community, many employers require knowledge of one or more European languages other than English.

A language can be continued at any level for pleasure, business or professional use.

A-Level Specifications

MODERN LANGUAGES EDEXCEL/CCEA

The Modern Languages Department will be preparing students for the Edexcel Examinations in French and German. Students of Irish and Irish will sit the CCEA Board Examinations. We would prefer at least a GCSE Grade B in the relevant language before taking this course.

What will I learn on this A-Level course?
This course will help you to develop your general skills, but most of all you will learn to communicate at a higher level in the language or languages that you have chosen to study. You will also learn much more about a wide range of aspects of the society or societies in which the language is spoken.
Reading
You will be able to read, understand and extract information from written passages in the target language that are taken from authentic sources, such as magazines and newspapers, reports or books.
Listening
You will be able to listen to, and understand contemporary spoken language and answer questions on what you have heard. The passages that you will learn to listen to will be taken from a range of sources such as news reports on the radio or TV, weather forecasts, announcements, interviews and discussions.
Speaking and Writing
You will learn how to write essays or longer pieces and to hold conversations and discussions in the target language. You will learn appropriate grammar, words and phrases that will help you to;

• Present information in the target language
• Provide opinions
• Organise your arguments
• Analyse your ideas.

What kind of student is this course suitable for?
If you are interested in languages and communication, and you enjoy learning about other cultures and ways of life, then the AS and the A2 courses could be suitable for you.
Developing your language/languages skills at either level can also increase your opportunities in a number of careers, such as;
Law, Accountancy, Banking, Computing, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Journalism, the Media, Tourism, the Service Industry, Publicity, PR, Teaching and many more.

It is possible to study a language to degree level with most university courses. Similarly, if you are interested in travel then you are likely to find these courses appropriate. There are opportunities in the courses which enable you to choose topics or questions to suit your interest. Whether you want to use your language for work, for further study, training, or for leisure, AS and/or A2 will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Studying Languages in Sixth Form

• Students are given the opportunity to further practice their Oral skills in their chosen languages in small groups with language assistants.
• Students will have access to their own language magazine in all four studied languages. These are written with the pupils’ linguistic level and thematic requirements in mind.
• Students are offered many opportunities to develop their linguistic and cultural interests in their chosen language/s.
• Students are given opportunities to go to the Gaeltacht and attend special A-Level courses abroad.
• Students are given opportunities to work in Gaeltacht Summer Schools and to do work experience in Irish medium primary schools.
• Students take part in competitions and attend cultural events.

The Examinations for AS French/German/Spanish/Irish
AS - As is short for Advanced Subsidiary. This is the first half of the A-Level Course. It is a stepping stone to the full A-Level qualification. You can take just the AS on its own, or at the end of the course continue with the language/s to A2 level. The AS consists of the three units described below;

The Examinations for AS Irish and Spanish; CCEA

Module 1 - Obtaining and Exchanging Information
15 mins plus 20 mins preparation time (35% AS 17.5% A2)
This unit is in three parts.

• Part 1 Two role-play exercise
  You will be asked to select one of the three cards offered to you. Each role-play lasts 2 mins.
• Part 2 Prepared Presentation
  You will be asked during the course to choose and prepare a topic from the list in the syllabus. You will have to present the topic for approximately 4minutes.
• Part 3 Conversation
  You will be expected to take part in a general conversation, talking about yourself, your home life, hobbies, interests, leisure activities, future hopes, plans and ambitions. This conversation will last approximately 8 minutes.

Module 2 - Information Handling

1 hour 30 mins (35% AS 17.5% A2)
This unit is in three parts.

• Part 1 Listening
  You will have to listen to two recorded items. You will have individual control of the recording and may stop, rewind and replay the recording as you wish. You will have to answer objective type questions (true or false, Information not given) and to answer questions in English.
• Part 2 Reading Comprehension
  You will be expected to read a passage and complete comprehension tasks such as gap filling.
• Part 3 Translation
  You will be given a short passage for translation from Irish/Spanish into English.

Module 3 - Introduction to Literature/Society
1 hour 20 mins (30% AS 15% A2)
In preparation for this unit you will study either prose or poetry or a society theme. You will be expected to write a piece in the target language on your chosen area.

A2 IRISH

A-Level. The full A-Level qualification is made up of the AS units plus three more units which are detailed below.

Module 4 - Exchanging Ideas and Opinions
15 mins plus 20 mins preparation time (17.5%). This unit is in three parts.

• Part 1 Discussion
  You will be given a choice of three pieces of stimulus material to prepare and talk about (3 mins)
• Part 2 Prepared Presentation
  You will have chosen and prepared a topic to give a presentation on. (4 mins).
• Part 3 General Conversation
  You will be expected to talk about yourself and to develop a conversation on the topics listed in the syllabus (8 mins).

Module 5 - Extended Information Handling
2 hours and 30 mins (17.5%). This unit has three parts:

• Part 1 Listening
  You will have an individual audio cassette tape and you will have questions to answer in Irish/Spanish based on it. You will also have to complete a summary in Irish/Spanish.
• Part 2 Reading Comprehension
  You will be expected to read a passage and answer questions in Irish/Spanish based on it.
• Part 3 Translation
  You will be given a short passage for translation from English into Irish/Spanish

Module 6 - Literature/Society
In preparation for this unit you will study either prose or poetry or a society theme. You will be expected to write two pieces in Irish/Spanish on your chosen areas.