Modern Foreign Languages GCSE - changes for 2022

[naem]

The AQA website in the section on the changes to the GCSEs for 2022 says:
"Exam boards will not have to include vocabulary that’s not on the vocabulary lists for assessments in GCSE MFL.
Exam boards will include an extra optional question in the writing assessment to help students to focus on fewer themes in their writing."

To a clueless parent (who has been through GCSEs before with another DC, but not in a pandemic/post pandemic year) - what does that mean in practice? Any MFL teachers etc out there who has a clue?

Can I place-mark please? Have one DC due to take a MFL in 2022.

Hi, so in practice this means there won't be any unknown vocab that they have to tell students in the exam, as sometimes happens.

That's not very big really.

The writing one, I presume, means that with AQA the second writing question on the H paper will have three choices not two, in case there are topics not fully covered. But it might be fairer if it meant the writing question that is on both papers (the 90 word one) had a choice offered (doesn't normally) so it may be that. Going to contact AQA to ask for clarity on that.

Either way, it will give a student more options if there is a topic they feel weaker in.

Hi I've looked again at the AQA website and in fact there will now be three choices for each essay (90 wds and 150 wds) in the higher paper (normally no choice and two choices).

There will also be three choices for the longer essay at F level (this is the crossover question). There are sample papers on the AQA website. It means that they won't have to answer a writing question on certain topics, there will be (more) choice.

Aargh got that wrong again, normally two choices for 90 wd question (thinking of 40 wd qu) - so there will be one extra option in each case.

@clary thank you so much. Understand the concept now.