Optional language units are available within the advanced vocational certificate of education. Candidates may take one language unit as one of six units taken, while candidates for advanced VCE (double award) may take either or both language units among the 12 units taken for their award.

The units available are:

• Oral communication: speaking and listening
• Written communication: reading and writing

Units are available in the following modern foreign languages:

• French, German and Spanish (AQA)
• French, German and Spanish (OCR)
• French, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Russian and Spanish (Edexcel)