Course type: A level & Applied • Awarding/exam body: Edexcel
A level Portuguese has been developed to inspire students who have an appreciation of the language, literature, film and culture of the Portuguese-speaking world.
YEAR 1
Unit 1: Changes in contemporary society
• Changes in family structure
• The world of work
• Research Topic: The Importance of Education after Secondary Education in Portugal
Unit 2: Political and artistic culture in Portuguese-speaking countries
• The Media
• Music
• Research Topic: ‘Lusofonia’ in the world today
YEAR 2
Unit 03: Migratory movements
• Immigration and the Portuguese multicultural society
• Emigration of Portugal in the 21st century
Unit 04: How History shaped politics
• The Dictatorship of Salazar
• From dictatorship to democracy
• Research Topic: The Discoveries: Vasco Da Gama’s trip to India
You will have three exam papers:
Paper 1: Translation into English, reading comprehension and writing (research question) in Portuguese (40%)
Paper 2: Translation into Portuguese and written response to works (one book and one film) (30%)
Paper 3: Listening, reading and writing in Portuguese (30%)
With a Portuguese A Level qualification you can study the language at University as a subject in itself or joined to another subject of your choice. You can also follow different career paths, such as a Translator, Interpreter, Teacher, Journalist and Bilingual Secretary. You can also work in a variety of sectors like Business, Finance, Tourism, Media, Retail and many others.
To qualify to study 3 A level/ Applied subjects, you will need to achieve 6 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, preferably including English Language or Maths at grade 4 or above.
In addition/ within those 6 GCSEs, for this subject you will need to achieve Grade 6 in Portuguese. Native speakers to be interviewed by Head of Department if they do not have a GCSE qualification in Portuguese.