French
AQA
Pupils at the college are advised to opt for at least one modern foreign language in the Fourth Form, with some pupils opting to study two. With GCSE entries in MFL subjects in decline nationally, and the growing competitive nature of certain university subjects, it can be a distinct advantage for students to be able to demonstrate their ability in at least one foreign language up to GCSE level.
French is a key global language. Did you know that, besides English, French is the only language spoken on all continents? In fact, a recent study by the investment bank, Natixis, states that French is set to become the most commonly spoken language by 2050. Moreover, the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) recently named French as the most desired language for UK business.
In addition, and more importantly perhaps, learning about and understanding French culture is source of great fun!
French follows the AQA GCSE course, which aims to develop a desire and ability to communicate with and understand speakers of the language, as well as developing a cultural awareness of the many countries and communities where the French is spoken.
There are three themes in the newly reformed GCSE course:
People and lifestyle
Popular culture
Communication and the world around us
GCSE French has a Foundation tier (where students can gain up to a grade 5) and a Higher tier (where grades 4 to 9 can be achieved). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier.
The GCSE qualification is linear, meaning that all students will sit their exams at the end of the course.
The assessed skills in the course are:
Listening (25%)
Speaking (25%)
Reading (25%)
Writing (25%)
Opportunities to apply French skills are offered through a range of extracurricular schemes, including a popular trip to Nice in the Fifth Form.
Assessment
Paper 1: Listening (25% of the course) is examined by a series of tasks based on pre-recorded material
Section A – listening comprehension questions in English, to be answered in English or non-verbally Section B – Dictation where students transcribe short sentences.
Paper 2: Speaking (25%) is assessed by a role play, a reading aloud tasks and photo card discussion.
Paper 3: Reading (25%) is examined based on a number of questions in English Section A – reading comprehension questions in English, to be answered in English or non- verbally Section B – translation from French into English.
Paper 4: Writing (25%) requires candidates to complete a series of tasks including describing a picture, translating from English into French and producing two paragraphs of various lengths including a longer structured task at higher level.
For more details, please contact: Mr M. Grégoire, Head of French.