A2
Topics:
For A2, candidates must study two of the five Cultural Topics listed, together with the remaining three topics, i.e. Environment, the Multicultural Society and Contemporary Social Issues. The bullet points given under the sub-topics for Environment, the Multicultural Society and Contemporary Social Issues are only suggestions as to the general areas which could be covered as part of the teaching programme. They are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and are not to be covered in a specific order, but are intended to clarify the scope of each sub-topic and will be used as a general steer by question setters in the preparation of examination papers and assessment tasks.
As Knowledge of Society is not a discrete assessment objective in the subject criteria for Modern Foreign Languages, there is no requirement to study the above topics in the context of the target language-speaking country/community. However, assessment material will include authentic sources. The requirement in the subject criteria to study aspects of the target language-speaking country/community is met in the Cultural Topics.
The bullet points for the Cultural Topics are not prescriptive, but are intended to provide some guidance for teachers and students choosing to study these topics.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollution
• Types, causes and effects of pollution
• Measures to reduce pollution
• Individual action/responsibility versus collective action/responsibility
• Transport issues
Energy
• Coal, oil and gas
• Nuclear
• Alternative energy sources
• Changing attitudes to energy consumption
Protecting the planet
• Ways of minimising environmental damage
• The role of pressure groups
• Initiatives to improve awareness and change behaviour
• Responsibilities towards other nations, especially developing countries
THE MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
Immigration
• Reasons for immigration
• Benefits and problems of immigration for immigrants and for country of destination
• Migration within the enlarged EU
• Curbs on immigration
Integration
• Factors making integration difficult
• Factors facilitating integration
• To which culture should immigrants show loyalty?
• Experiences of individual immigrants
Racism
• Victims of racism
• Reasons for racism
• Measures to eliminate racism and their effectiveness
• Experiences of individuals, including those of 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants
CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL ISSUES
Wealth and poverty
• Causes of poverty in Europe and developing countries
• Work of charitable organisations and governments
• Attitudes to wealth and poverty
• Link between wealth and health
Law and order
• Examples of crime, especially committed by or affecting young people
• Reasons for criminal and anti-social behaviour
• Measures to reduce crime and their effectiveness
• Alternatives to imprisonment, their appropriateness and effectiveness
Impact of scientific and technological progress
• Technology in the home and workplace, including IT
• Space and satellite technology
• Medical research
• Ethical issues linked to scientific and technological progress
Cultural topics:
A target language-speaking region/community
• Its geography and how its geography has influenced/influences/will influence the region
• Its history and how its history has influenced/influences/will influence the region
• Its industries and how these have changed in the last 20 years. What about the future?
• Its population and how it has changed in the last 20 years. What about the future?
• Its economy and how important this is/was
• A personal perspective: Would I like to live/work in this region?
A period of 20th century history from a target language-speaking country/community
• Main events of the period
• Causes of these events
• The importance/influence/effects of these events
• The ideas and influences of at least two individuals who made a significant impact during the period
• Specific actions of these individuals plus an appraisal of the importance of these actions
• A personal perspective: Would I have liked to live in that period?
The work of an author from a target language speaking country/community
• The context of the author’s work
• The themes/ideas/messages of the author
• How these themes/ideas/messages are expressed
• What/who influences/inspires the author? Why does he/she feel as he/she does?
• A detailed study of at least one novel or collection of short stories, plus personal appraisal
• A personal evaluation of the author’s work: Why do I enjoy reading the work of this author?
The work of a dramatist or poet from a target language-speaking country/community
• The context of the dramatist’s/poet’s work
• The themes/ideas/messages of the dramatist/poet
• How these themes/ideas/messages are expressed
• What/who influences/inspires the dramatist/poet? Why does he/she feel as he/she does?
• A detailed study of at least one play or collection of poems, plus personal appraisal
• A personal evaluation of the dramatist’s/poet’s work: Why do I enjoy the work of this dramatist/ poet?
The work of a director, architect, musician or painter from a target language-speaking country/community
• The context of the artist’s work
• The influences on the artist – events and people
• The ideas/techniques of the artist, plus personal appraisal
• The importance/influences of the artist both in his/her own lifetime and later
• A detailed study of at least one work of the artist, plus a personal appraisal
• A personal evaluation: Why do I find this artist so interesting?
In 2010, we studied:
a) In French:
- A period of 20th century history from France: Mai 68
- The work of a director: La Haine
b) In Spanish:
- A period of 20th century history from France: La Transición
- The work of a director: Pedro Almodóvar y Volver
Exams:
Unit 3: SPAN3 Listening, Reading and Writing (2½ hours - 110 marks)
Listening Section: 30 minutes on this section. Candidates listen to approximately 6 minutes of material which is within their individual control. They answer all questions. This section comprises 3-5 items requiring short target-language or non-verbal responses.
Reading and Writing Section: approximately 1 hour on this section. Candidates answer all questions. This section comprises 2-4 items requiring short target-language or non-verbal responses, together with a task involving transfer of meaning from the target language into English and a task involving transfer of meaning from English into the target language.
Writing Section: approximately 1 hour. Candidates respond with one piece of writing to one question from a choice of two, based on each of the five A2 Cultural Topic areas, i.e. ten questions are set. Candidates must write a minimum of 250 words.
Unit 4 Speaking Test (externally marked) - Total: 50 marks - 35 minutes (including 20 minutes preparation time)
Part 1 Discussion of a stimulus card (5 minutes)
Candidates have 20 minutes supervised preparation time during which they should prepare one of two cards given to them by the examiner. The two cards will cover two separate topics. The cards will be selected at random from a set of six provided by AQA. These will be based on three of the topics prescribed for A2, i.e. Environment, the Multicultural Society and Contemporary Social Issues. Two cards will be set from each topic area, covering different sub-topics, e.g. a card on Pollution and a card on Energy from the topic Environment. Candidates are expected to choose one of the two points of view expressed on their chosen card, present this point of view for no more than one minute and then defend or justify it.
Candidates may make notes during their preparation time and may refer to these notes during this part of the test.
Part 2 Conversation (10 minutes)
The Conversation will cover both Cultural Topics studied by the candidate. Approximately 5 minutes should be spent discussing each Cultural Topic.
The test will be conducted and recorded either by the teacher or by an AQA examiner. All tests will be marked by an AQA examiner.