1. New Edexcel GCSE Specification MFL
First qualifying 2018

2. Links http://qualifications. pearson
Links General -Spanish -French
1.Overview
2.Themes & Topics
3a. Paper 1 Listening & Understanding
3b. Paper 2 Speaking
3c. Paper 3 Reading & Understanding
3d. Paper 4 Written
4.Plenary & Resources

3. OVERVIEW The four papers at a glance Paper 2: Speaking in French
Paper 1: Listening and understanding in French
Foundation tier: 35 minutes including 5 minutes reading time; 50 marks
Higher tier: 45 minutes including 5 minutes reading time; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification
Paper 2: Speaking in French
Internally conducted and externally assessed
Foundation tier: 7–9 minutes plus 12 minutes preparation time; 70 marks Higher tier: 10–12 minutes plus 12 minutes preparation time; 70 marks
25% of the total qualification
Paper 3: Reading and understanding in French Foundation tier: 45 minutes; 50 marks Higher tier: 1 hour; 50 marks
25% of the total qualification
Paper 4: Written examination Foundation tier: 1 hour 10 minutes; 60 marks
Higher tier: 1 hour 20 minutes; 60 marks
25% of the total qualification

4. Themes and Topic Areas The five themes are: ● Identity and culture
● Local area, holiday and travel
● School
● Future aspirations, study and work
● International and global dimension.
All themes and topics must be studied in the context of both the students’ home country and that of countries and communities where TL is spoken.

5. Theme 1: Identity and culture
● Who am I?: relationships; when I was younger; what my friends and family are like; what makes a good friend; interests; socialising with friends and family; role models ● Daily life: customs and everyday life; food and drink; shopping; social media and technology (use of, advantages and disadvantages)
● Cultural life: celebrations and festivals; reading; music; sport; film and television
Theme 2: Local area, holiday and travel
● Holidays: preferences; experiences; and destinations
● Travel and tourist transactions: travel and accommodation; asking for help and dealing with problems; directions; eating out; shopping
● Town, region and country: weather; places to see; things to do
Theme 4: Future aspirations, study and work
● Using languages beyond the classroom: forming relationships; travel; employment
● Ambitions: further study; volunteering; training
● Work: jobs; careers; professions
Theme 5: International and global dimension
● Bringing the world together: sports events; music events; campaigns and good causes
● Environmental issues: being ‘green’; access to natural resources
Theme 3: School
● What school is like: school types; school day; subjects; rules and pressures; celebrating success
● School activities: school trips; events; exchanges

6. Paper 1: Listening & understanding in TL
This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes
No dictionaries
Students are presented with recorded scenarios involving one or more speakers in public and social settings.
Recordings for individual questions within the assessment vary in length
● First assessment: May/June 2018.
The assessment is out of 50 marks
Students allocated five minutes to read through the paper
Each passage is recorded twice
Foundation tier
The assessment is 35 mins, incl 5 minutes’ reading.
Section A = 12 questions set in English.
Question types both multiple-response and short-answer open response questions.
Instructions to students are in English.
Section B = 2 questions in TL. Question types comprise of multipleresponse questions. The instructions to students are in TL.
Higher tier
The assessment is 45 mins, incl 5 mins’ reading.
Section A = 2 questions set in English.
Question are multiple-response only.
Instructions to students are in TL
Section B = 8 questions in English. Question types comprise of both multiple-response and short-answer open response questions. The instructions to students are in TL.
Four of the questions will be common to both tiers.

7. Task 2 - Picture-based task
Paper2: Speaking in TL
Task 1 - Role play
# Interaction requiring student to ask and answer questions, exchange information and to use different registers.
# The role play relates to either formal or informal scenarios, in turn inviting the student to use either formal or informal register relevant to the scenario. # The task is set in the register that the student is required to use, so students should use that register in their responses.
#Students are required to refer to past, present and future events
Some scenarios are transactional in nature
The scenarios are based on any of the topics 1 to 4
(not Topic 5)
Task 2 - Picture-based task
● Describe and narrate events
● Give information
● Express, justify and exchange opinions.
Students are required to refer to past, present and future events
Based on any of the topics
The topic is allocated at the time of assessment together with a sequencing grid and instructions.

8. Task 3 – Conversation Recap
The conversation is based on any two themes
For the first part the student selects one topic
from one theme in advance of the Assessment.
The second part of the conversation must be on a different theme (allocated from a grid)
This part of the conversation may focus on one or more topics from within the selected theme
Students are required to refer to past, present and future events in this assessment, using a range of tenses and timeframes.
Assessments are conducted by centres within a
five-week assessment period in April and May
● First assessment: April/May 2018.
● The entire assessment must be conducted in TL.
Students must be permitted 12 mins prep time
to consider the questions and stimulus
for tasks 1 and 2.
assessed on the quality of responses rather
than length of assessment
Foundation 7 to 9 minutes plus 12 minutes’ preparation time. ● The assessment TOTAL = 70 marks.
Role play to last between 1-1 ½ mins = 10 marks
Picture-based to last 2 ½ - 3 mins = 24 marks
Conversation to last 3 ½ - 4 ½ mins = 36 marks.
Higher mins plus 12 minutes’ preparation time. ● The assessment TOTAL = 70 marks.
Role play to last between 2-2 ½ mins = 10 marks
Picture-based to last 3-3 ½ mins = 24 marks
Conversation to last mins = 36 marks.
Recap
Task 1 – Role play based on one topic allocated by Pearson
Task 2 – A task containing a picture and questions drawn from one topic. This is allocated by Pearson at the time of assessment.
Task 3 – conversation based on two themes. The first based on the topic chosen by the student and the second selected by the teacher from a choice of two themes allocated by Pearson

9. 2 3 1 4 5 6 7 9 8 How much do you remember? Can I use a dictionary?
How many themes/topic areas?
Higher Listening?
A) 35 mins
B) 45 mins 3 4 5
The Role Play Scenario may not be drawn from which theme?
Role Play
Formal/Informal? 6
How many questions common to both tiers in Listening ?
A Conversation based on two themes.? 7 8
The picture based task is chosen in advance
True/False 9
Worth 70 marks?
Task 1, 2 or 3 ?

10. Assessment criteria for the Foundation tier - Task 1 Role play
Foundation tier (10 marks) For this task, students’ work is marked by Pearson using the following assessment criteria. The mark grid is applied once to each individual response to the prompts.
– There is a maximum of 2 marks for each of the five prompts on the role play cards.

11. Assessment criteria for the Foundation tier - Task 2 Picture-based task
Foundation tier (24 marks) There are two mark grids to be applied to this task which are:
● communication and content
● linguistic knowledge and accuracy

12. Task 3 Conversation –Foundation tier (36 marks)
There are three mark grids to be applied to this task which are:
● communication and content
● interaction and spontaneity
● linguistic knowledge and accuracy

13. Assessment criteria for the Higher tier - Task 1 Role play –
Higher tier (10 marks) For this task,
students’ work is marked by Pearson
using the following assessment criteria.
The mark grid is applied once to each
individual response to the prompts.
There is a maximum of 2 marks for
each of the five prompts on the role
play cards.

14. Picture-based Task 2– Higher tier (24 marks)
There are two mark grids to be applied to this task which are:
● communication and content
● linguistic knowledge and accuracy.

15. Task 3-Conversation - Higher tier (36 marks)
There are three mark grids to be applied to this task, they are:
● communication and content
● interaction and spontaneity
● linguistic knowledge and accuracy

16. Paper 3: Reading and understanding in TL
No dictionaries
● First assessment: May/June ● The assessment time is: Foundation tier - 45 minutes in length Higher tier - 1 hour in length. ● The assessment is out of 50 marks. ● The assessment consists of 10 questions. ● Students must answer all questions from each of the three sections. ● Students are required to respond to questions based on passages of text from a range of sources. Each question is set in a context drawn from the themes.

17. Section A = 6 Q’s in English
Section A = 6 Q’s in English. (Both multiple-response and short- answer open response questions.)
● Section B = 3 Q’s
For the Foundation tier there are three multiple-response questions.
For the Higher tier, there are two multiple-response questions and one short-answer open response question.
● Section C = translation passage from TL into English.
Four of the questions are common to both tiers.

18. Paper 4: Writing in TL No dictionaries
● First assessment: May/June 2018
● The assessment is out of 60 marks.
● Each question is set in a context drawn from the themes and topics.
● The length of each response required and complexity of language increases across the paper.
No dictionaries
● One question is a translation of a short passage from English into TL.
Students will not be penalised for writing more or fewer words than recommended in the word count or for going beyond the mandatory bullets.

19. Paper 4. Foundation tier Higher tier Time is 1 hour and 10 mins
3 open response qs and 1 translation from English to TL.
Students must answer all questions.
Q 1 assesses ability to write to describe and to express opinions.
Q 2 assesses ability to note key points and convey information. Students must use the formal register.
Q 3 = 2 options from which students have to select one and assesses ability to convey information, narrate, express opinions, interest, and convince the reader about a certain point. Students must use the informal register. (Common to the Higher tier)
Q 4 = translation. Translate 5 sentences from English to TL. The sentences are ordered by increasing level of difficulty
Higher tier
Time is 1 hour and 20 mins
2 open response qs and 1 translation from English to TL.
Students must answer all questions.
Q 1 2 options from which students must choose 1. This question is common to the Foundation tier.
Q 2 Question 2 has two options from which students have to select one.
Q 3 = Translation. Students are required to translate a short paragraph from English into TL.
A sample question paper and accompanying marking guidance and assessment criteria can be found in the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in Spanish Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) document.

20. Contre la montre

21. 1
How many papers?
Me Four

22. 2
How many grades?
Nine (9 – 1)
(Foundation 1–5 : Higher 4–9)

23. 3
Who marks the Role Play?
Pearson(Edexcel)

24. 4 When are exams? Speaking assessment must be completed in April/May
All other assessments in May/June in any single year.

25. 5
Can tiers be mixed?
No. Students must be entered for a single tier across all papers.

26. 6
Can students use dictionaries during the preparation for Paper 2 (Speaking/Role Play etc) ? No

27. 7
Who assesses the Speaking?
Pearson

28. 8
What percentage of the final mark is each Paper?
25%

29. 9
Celebrations and festivals; reading; music; sport; film and television appear under which topic area?
Identity & Culture

30. 10 International/Global dimension
Sports events; music events; campaigns and good causes appear under what topic area?
International/Global dimension

31. Sample papers and mark schemes for these papers can be found in the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in French/Spanish/German Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) document.

32. Unit Codes French Spanish German Paper 1: Listening and understanding
1FR0/1F and 1H
1SP0/1F and 1H
1GN0/1F and 1H
Paper 2: Speaking
1FR0/2F and 2H
1SP0/2F and 2H
1GN0/2F and 2H
Paper 3: Reading and understanding
1FR0/3F and 3H
1SP0/3F and 3H
1GN0/3F and 3H
Paper 4: Writing
1FR0/4F and 4H
1SP0/4F and 4H
1GN0/4F and 4H