Urdu

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Urdu is the official language of Pakistan, and it is spoken widely in western India. The closest relation of Urdu is Hindi. Spoken Urdu and Hindi are almost identical at the functional level, apart from certain words.

After learning Urdu, you’ll find it much easier to speak and understand Hindi but written Hindi will remain a mystery as it’s written in a different script. Other languages written in the same script as Urdu include Pashto, Kashmiri and Panjabi, although Panjabi is also written in a script called Gurumukhi. The Urdu script is over 90% similar to the Persian and Urdu vocabulary borrows about 40% from Arabic and Persian.

Qualification: GCSE
Examination Board: AQA
Specification Code: 8648

Topics Covered

You will develop 4 skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading & Writing.

Themes:

Identity & culture
Local, national & international areas of interest
Current & future study and employment

Assessment

100 % - Exam at the end of Year 11

25% Listening - Higher or Foundation tier
25% Reading - Higher or Foundation tier
25% Speaking - 7-12 minutes test. Higher or Foundation tier
25% Writing - Written paper - Higher or Foundation tier

Course Progression

All universities see languages as a useful subject for any degree course and many universities are now starting to make first year students take a language module as part of their studies. Speaking a second language makes you stand out - don’t ever lose it!

Career Opportunities

With the renewed focus on the English Baccalaureate subjects, people are realising the importance of having a foreign
language at GCSE level.