Project Description

Browse our GCSE COURSES
English
English Language
English Literature
Mathematics
Mathematics
Numeracy
Level 2 Additional Mathematics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Humanties
Geography
History
Welsh Baccalaureate
Business & Technology
Business
Computer Science
ICT
Languages
Chinese
French
German
Spanish
Welsh
Art & Design
Photography
Graphic Communication

GCSE Welsh Course

Exam board: WJEC
Exam code: 3020QS

Studying GCSE Welsh as a language will increase your sense of awareness of culture and what is around you. Studying Welsh can help you become attuned to other languages as well. This might mean it is easier for you to learn another language if you want to. Studies have shown that people with bi-lingual skills are more mentally agile and better at organising information and problem-solving.

This means that learning Welsh will help with other study subject areas too, not just languages. Research has also shown that people with bi-lingual skills earn an average of 8-10% more than people without language skills.

What is covered in Welsh GCSE?

  • Reading in Welsh
  • Writing in Welsh
  • Understanding of the Welsh language
  • Welsh history and culture

Why study GCSE Welsh as a language?

  • Welsh is now the oldest surviving living language in Europe
  • Welsh was one of the original languages of the Britons
  • All signs in Wales are now written in both Welsh and English
  • Welsh has legal status with English within Wales
  • Welsh has enjoyed a significant revival following the Welsh Language Act of 1993

Further study

After completing your GCSE Welsh language course it would be possible to continue your studies in areas such as:

  • A level Welsh
  • Diploma of Higher Education in Welsh
  • Welsh Honours degree (Bangor university offers a taught BA in Welsh)
  • You could also consider wider studying options such as Modern European language courses that include Welsh in their programme

Future career

Having studied GCSE Welsh as a second language opens a significant number of career paths for you:

  • Teaching – All children in Welsh schools either speak or learn Welsh. It is going to be a language of the future and good teachers are going to be needed to carry the language forward. There will be strong demand for Welsh teachers but there is also a need for teachers of other subjects in Welsh schools too and they will be looking for Welsh-speaking professionals.
  • Tourism and Hospitality – Being able to offer a potential employer two languages and a sense of Welsh culture will put you in a strong position to work in these industries. Not just in Wales but all over Europe as well.
  • Public Sector Jobs – All public sector organisations in Wales are legally bound to provide services in both English and Welsh. This is a vast area and consists of jobs in the emergency services, hospitals, social services and local government and many other places too.
  • Private Sector – Although not legally bound to offer Welsh services, many Welsh companies believe that employing staff who can speak and understand Welsh is good for their public image so having GCSE Welsh as a second language on your CV will open a lot of doors for you in private industry.

Candidates need to be fluent Welsh speakers to access this course.

Curriculum

This GCSE specification in Welsh language will enable learners to:

  • demonstrate oracy (speaking and listening), reading and writing skills that are instrumental in communicating with others confidently, effectively, precisely and appropriately
  • demonstrate their proficiency in accessing and retrieving information from a wide range of written and dynamic/digital texts, forming a broad general
    understanding of the text, summarising and synthesising content, inferring intended meaning and evaluating its purpose
  • understand the patterns, structures and conventions of oral and written
    language
  • understand the impact of variations in language, selecting and adapting
    speech and writing to different situations, purposes and audiences
  • develop their skills in order to meet their own personal needs as well as the
    needs of employers and further education so that they can fully participate in
    society and the world of work
  • develop their verbal reasoning and their ability to think constructively and
    critically in response to written and digital/dynamic texts
  • develop their proofreading and editing skills
  • acquire the necessary skills needed for further study, including the study of
    Welsh at Level 3 of the National Qualifications Framework

Assessment

This is a linear specification: all assessments must be taken at the end of the course.

Exam Access Arrangements

Exam access arrangements allow candidates/learners with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access the assessment without changing the demands of the assessment. For example, readers, scribes and Braille question papers. In this way, Awarding Bodies will comply with the duty of the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’.

We can arrange access arrangements and assess you with our special assessor.  The deadline for application to the exam board is the February of the year the learner sits exams.

To find out more about exam access arrangements  click here

FAQs

We offer a range of study options, we are flexible, offer tutor support, and interest-free payment plans make it easy to shape learning around your life.

We are registered with Estyn, our aims to give each student a complete education in which they achieve their academic potential and grow as an individual. As well as studying with us, you can sit your exams with us too.


The regular GCSE courses commence in September and an intake in January, these courses are designed to be taught in a classroom environment / online and follow a structured curriculum with a fixed schedule of classes, assessments and exams.

Distance Learning online courses can be started at any time throughout the year, and students can work at their own pace and in their own time.


You’ll sit the same GCSE exams at the same time as all the other students in the UK, and you’ll receive the same results, transcript and qualification. Your GCSE course will be accepted by colleges, universities and employers worldwide.

You can study GCSE courses through a range of study options; our blended learning which consists of online live classes and in person teaching in class, Online live classes only or Distant learning course.

IGCSE qualifications are ideal for those wanting to study for national qualifications by distance learning. Without all the administrative problems that encumber GCSE course work.

We offer a range of IGCSE Courses; see our Distance learning course page.


Choosing a tier isn’t always easy, particularly for languages, we can help you make a decision. Nobody is a better judge of a student’s ability than their teacher. Regular assessments and mock exams are a key part of our decision making.

If you are studying a distance learning course, we can assess you through the year through a range of assessments.


  • We offer subject support tutorials every month
  • 1:1 support from your subject tutor, online or by email
  • 24/7 access to the your online learning platform
  • Interactive online learning broken down into easy-to-follow units
  • Practice tests and mock exams marked by your tutor
  • Friendly student services team, so you’re never more than a message or phone call away from a helping hand

Of course, you can study this course part time, making sure you have said in your enrolment.

GCSE’s are usually a two year course, studying this in one year – would be an intensive course.
You may be able to complete this in one year as an intensive course, you need to show a strong understanding of the subject.

We offer GCSEs – part time in the evenings to adult learners.


We offer interest-free payment plans, you can pay monthly, termly or annually.

Choose the subject you would like to study, add to courses, complete our application form and you can choose to pay online.

If you’d like to set up an interest-free payment plan, get in touch with our Student Advisors on 01792 535 000.

If you have any disabilities which you think might affect your studies or assessments, please let us know before you enrol so we can advise you on whether reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate your needs.

GCSE Welsh Language Specification
Download Specification
All GCSE COURSES
Exam Fees Included
Course specification
MAKE AN ENQUIRY
ADMISSIONS PROCESS
ADMISSIONS FORM

SWANSEA COLLEGE GCSE COURSES

Have a question? Ask our virtual assistant on live chat below
or call us on 01792 535000 and speak to our experienced Student Adviser.

Share This Course, Choose Your Platform...