Gifted and Talented Cultural Podcasts

for GCSE French, Spanish and German

9 topics | 18 podcasts | 36 worksheets

Original podcasts provide authentic and engaging cultural insight!

Designed to inspire gifted and talented GCSE students and spark advanced learning, podcasts and activities showcase challenging language in a natural and informal way.

A fantastic resource for G&T students and particularly impressive as it covers all main skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking and translation)

A Falconer, Head of German & Peer Reviewer

A male and a female native speaker provide varied cultural perspectives from different target-language countries on topical and challenging issues – based on the GCSE specs – to boost knowledge and generate debate.

Your top learners will:

  • hone their listening comprehension skills and develop better pronunciation
  • learn new vocabulary and grammar to reuse – including idioms, colloquialisms and key expressions
  • apply their knowledge to a variety of stimulating activities

Structured learning:

Each podcast is accompanied by a transcript of about 250–300 words and two worksheets.

Worksheet 1 uses the recording with activities on:

  • vocabulary and transcribing
  • non-verbal comprehension (including choosing the correct summary, picking the correct statements, true or false, multiple-choice, etc.)
  • verbal comprehension (including comprehension questions, writing a summary, explaining the meaning of expressions, etc.)

Worksheet 2 uses the transcript with activities on:

  • grammar
  • translation – from and into the target language
  • speaking OR writing (creative or exam-focused)

Plus!

A3 speaker profiles provide a fun mind map of the key issues covered across the podcasts for students to fill in.

What do teachers say about this resource? (9971)

An amazing resource. The potential uses are very versatile: independently, in a small group with FLA or TA, as a class. The coverage of the different topics prescribed by the specifications is fabulous. The range of activities is fabulous and these activities match the requirements of the GCSE Listening comprehension questions as well as stretch the more able students by using some A Level-style questions (summary questions). The cultural input is also very much welcomed. I would buy this resource. It would reduce prepping time because everything is available (sound files, questions, follow-up tasks, scripts, answers) and it is very versatile.

I Rodriguez, HoD & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (9972)

I am very impressed by the range and challenge of this resource. Its professionalism is also very reassuring. It follows/reflects the topics of the new GCSE in German specification, allowing a contemporary take on each and every one of them. All the themes of the new specification are mirrored in this resource. Pupils are helped to understand a variety of different types of spoken language, identify overall messages, key points, recognise the relationship between past, present and future events. They can take part in short conversations, exchange opinions, convey and narrate events confidently and speak spontaneously in response to unexpected questions. They can also make independent and creative use of written language and translate into and out of the target language.You can really learn stuff by using this resource, both linguistically and culturally. And this is of course, the express intention of the new specification, to move beyond the prescriptive nature of the “traditional” topics into the reality of the lives of young people in the German-speaking world.

J Turner, Languages Consultant & Peer Reviewer

The podcasts were brilliant. The texts were authentic and contained a lot of expressions that young German speakers use. I also like the different tasks set out in the resource such as listening, matching up, writing, translation and speaking tasks. The resource is aimed at the more able students. These students would clearly benefit from this resource. The presentation is excellent. I also like that the two students who are “presenting” the podcasts are being introduced with photos. That makes it appealing for young students. The podcast texts are well suited for teenagers. The topics are appealing because young people experience problems such as falling out with friends, are interested in sport competitions and like to go to festivals.

M Schumacher-Woodburn, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

I think this is a fantastic resource for G&T students and particularly impressive as it covers all main skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking and translation). It is a very well rounded and thought through resource with engaging podcasts [that] students at that age group can relate to and I am sure will enjoy listening to.

A Falconer, Head of German & Peer Reviewer

These podcasts are a brilliant way to extend gifted and talented students' vocabulary range and to expose them to unusual vocabulary. Students can use the pack independently and it enlarges their vocabulary.


A Steer, Head of MFL and customer

What do teachers say about this resource? (9970)

This is a fantastic resource to challenge gifted and talented Spanish students, preparing them not only for the demands of the more challenging higher GCSE exam-style questions, but also providing activities which should prepare them for the AS Spanish course. The most useful things about this resource are the exposure to idiomatic phrases and the chance to listen to more authentic Spanish texts. The language is more in keeping with the language students would need to understand if they travel to Spanish speaking countries and want to communicate with people their own age. Though the language is challenging, I think the activities help to break the content down to aid students in understanding what is going on. The multiple choice translation and résumé activities are excellent to ensure students focus on specific details of tenses or the little words which can change the meaning of a sentence. These exercises force students to read for detail, rather than simply for gist.

D Rafferty, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

Excellent listening materials which are very engaging and modern. Instructions are in Spanish and are at a high level. Excellent activities which require manipulation of grammar. Grammar is such a key requirement at GCSE now. The layout is clear and interesting and the page is not too crowded which is off putting for some students.

J Parker, Asst. Director of Languages & Peer Reviewer