A Level Turkish
What is it about at sixth form level?
Learning a modern language for GCSE is a matter of taking your first steps to learn rudimentary grammar and vocabulary that leave real conversations still beyond your reach. It is at the sixth-form level that you will deepen your grammatical competence and broaden your vocabulary so that you can converse about and debate real-world issues, and immerse yourself into the culture, literature and arts of the country.
Even though we live in an age where it seems English is spoken everywhere and where Google Translate will help you where it is not, there is nothing like the experience and satisfaction of being able to step inside a different way of speaking and seeing the world.
Why study it and what skills does it develop?
Knowledge of a foreign language is ever more valuable in an increasingly connected world. Many employers look for knowledge of at least one other language across a wide range of jobs.
Understanding a language is a first step to understanding a people and a culture. Another language enables you to enjoy everything from a casual conversation to a classic novel as it was meant to be read. It also provides a means by which to refect upon your own culture and gain a deeper understanding of
your mother tongue. An A level is typically a prerequisite for studying the language at university.
What prior knowledge and skills are required?
You should ideally have an A or A* at GCSE. If it is your mother tongue or a second language, you will need to be able to speak and write it proficiently. You will also need an interest in other cultures and a willingness to work hard on a language which is totally different to all European languages.
How is the course assessed?
There are three exams. The Paper 1 exam (Translation into English, reading comprehension and writing (research question) in Turkish will test your listening comprehension and translation skills. It is worth 40% of the A level and lasts 2 hours 30 minutes.
The Paper 2 exam (Translation into Turkish and written response to works) will test your understanding of two works you will study in Turkish (either two books or a book and a film). It is worth 30% of the A level and lasts 2 hours 40 minutes.
The Paper 3 exam (Listening, reading and writing in Turkish) will test your ability listen to, interpret and summarise listening to sources. It is worth 30% of the A level and lasts about 2 hours 15 minutes.
Reading
To be specified at the start of term.
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