June 2024 Languages Update
Dear colleagues,
I hope the summer term is going well for you and your students. The exam period is nearly over and of course you are planning ahead for the next academic year. This update includes various resources that you may need such as the speaking windows for next year, live and recorded training for the 2024 GCSEs in French, German and Spanish and some research you may be interested in.
As ever, you can contact me via the details at the bottom of this page and I’ll be happy to support with your questions related to our qualifications.
Best wishes,
Rebecca
Subject Advisor for Languages
| Qualification | Speaking window |
|---|---|
| GCSE (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Gujarati, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu) |
9th April - 14th May 2025 |
| A level (Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish) |
9th April - 14th May 2025 |
| International A/AS levels (French, German and Spanish) This qualification is only available in international centres. |
9th April - 14th May |
| International GCSE (Chinese, French, German, Spanish, English as a Second Language 4ES2 (New specification)) |
24th March - 2nd June |
International GCSE The speaking test is optional for these qualifications. |
24th March - 16th May 2025 |
We are still running free, full day, face-to-face training to support you with the new specifications. If you don't see an event in your region, please contact us using my details below and we'll endeavour to support you in the best way possible. As well as these events we have recorded versions of this training. The team behind our resources are also running some training to help you prepare for first teaching in September. We’ve brought this all together on one page so that you know where to turn to find our training easily.
We recently published the findings of our research into the scheduling of the 2026 reading and listening exams for the 2024 GCSEs in French, German and Spanish.
We can confirm that these exams will be scheduled in separate sessions.
We are now pleased to be able to share our final paper guide, the speaking paper.
In our vision for these new GCSE (2024) French, German and Spanish
qualifications we committed to ‘transparency’ and providing ‘clear, concise and
straightforward’ assessments.
These paper guides are intended to complement the information provided in the
Specifications for GCSE French, German and Spanish, by giving teachers access
to the detailed instructions our paper writers receive when they are commissioned
to create the live assessments.
We know how much considered and consistent paper design matters to you and
your students, so we want you to see the thought and care we have taken with the
construction of our papers and the features you will be able to rely upon every
exam series.
We have now uploaded the speaking exam walk through video from our Getting Ready to Teach sessions. As usual, much more training and advice will come prior to first assessment. Please note this video only applies to GCSE French, German and Spanish exams from 2026. Speaking exams in other languages remain the same.
Help your students to revise independently and feel confident about the new MFL exams ahead from day one. Available as a Revision Guide, Revision Workbook or through a Pearson Revise Online subscription our new student-centred resources provide comprehensive coverage of the new specifications, using relatable and engaging content. They are fully aligned to the new 2024 specifications with online audio, video and revision tools to help practise vocabulary, speaking and listening.
Sign up now to be the first to hear about our new samples and pre-order your copies which are coming this June!
Home, Heritage and Community Languages (HHCL)
Do you offer students the opportunity to sit a GCSE in a HHCL? You may have attended a recent webinar by the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE) about these languages and their significance. At Pearson Edexcel we offer a range of qualifications, allowing students to gain accreditation in a language that is important to them.
We are committed to supporting these languages and would like to hear from you about the support you require with this. Please get in touch via teachinglanguages@pearson.com if you’re interested in sharing your views. We’d like to hear from centres who currently offer these languages and those who would like to in future. Please send this feedback by 5th July.
Alternatively, you can book a feedback meeting with me between 1st and 5th July. Share your feedback via teams.
Subject advisor
Rebecca Waker
Languages
