We believe that Sixth Form education is more than just achieving fantastic A Levels; it also needs to prepare you for the future, which requires a broad knowledge and a wide range of skills. For this purpose, we have developed our bespoke GIS Diploma, offering an extensive choice of electives that will help prepare you for university and life beyond education.
FOCUS: Language Electives
Recognising that our students are truly global citizens we have included opportunities to pursue French, Spanish and Mandarin as elective subjects in our diploma program. Accommodating for different entry points to the languages, students can take these electives to become conversant on both a social and professional level. Formal qualifications can also be obtained for those students wanting more challenge.
A natural follow on from the French IGCSE, students taking the French elective can choose to enter the DELF – a certified diploma from France that recognizes language proficiency in French.
Year 12 student Alisa Avdic has clearly enjoyed the French elective this year and has commented on the following:
When I saw that this French elective was an option, I immediately seized the opportunity to continue building my skills and enhancing my proficiency in the French language which I have been working on since primary school and all throughout secondary school.
French class was definitely one of the highlights of my week in school. With few students in my class, we could really engage with one another and the teacher could hear each of us out equally and have the time to give us all detailed feedback on how we could sound more authentically French rather than just a foreigner speaking the language. The games we played definitely helped to not only expand our vocabulary, but to also bring a smile to our faces with the many laughs and jokes that we shared.
Living in France is something that I have promised myself to make happen in the future – whether it would be a period of six months or six years, it just feels like something I have to experience so having a solid foundation and level of fluency in the language is my first step to landing myself an opportunity in France. Furthermore, companies in Europe usually favour candidates who can speak an additional European language – namely French, of course – so having this skill up my sleeve will definitely give me an edge when I am job hunting in the future.
I think it goes without saying that learning a language can really only benefit you and even in some ways that you may not have even thought of. The process is a tedious one but is also one that instills valuable virtues such as patience, consistency and determination. It has also helped me improve my memory capacity significantly which is something that particularly comes in handy when studying for my A Level subjects. Above all, being immersed into a whole other culture through the ins and outs of its language is enriching beyond words. I couldn’t recommend this elective enough.
The Spanish elective is also focused on real-life language relevant to social and professional contexts. Students that have taken the IGCSE in Spanish can enjoy maintaining and developing their skills and understanding of the Spanish culture. A formal DELE Spanish diploma can also be taken at the end of the year.
Students with a base level of 3 years learning, can also opt for our Mandarin elective. These classes explore Chinese culture through a variety of media including films, music and texts. Students will improve their Mandarin, developing speaking and writing skills, in a fun and engaging environment. A great option for students interested in applying for scholarships for universities in Asia.
New Opportunities
We are excited to announce that we are extending the opportunity to take electives to our IGCSE students. Year 10 students from August 2021 will be able to choose an elective course to broaden their learning experience!
