Subject list

French

From Voltaire to Vuitton, Flaubert to Foucault

Imagine this: you're not just mastering French conversation; you're immersing yourself in the intricate tapestry of French social issues and trends.

We're delving into the dynamic shifts in family structures, navigating the labyrinth of cyber-society, and pondering the significance of immigration and diversity in a modern context. You'll look at what life is like is for the marginalised, teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment, demonstrations, strike and politics.

Get ready to traverse the landscape of French political and artistic discourse. We'll explore the timeless treasures of French literature, from the classics to contemporary works that reflect the pulse of modern France. And cinema? Get ready to be captivated by the cinematic masterpieces that have shaped French culture and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Like all Modern Foreign Languages at RIC the A level qualification can also be taken by native speakers on accelerated courses.

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

Camus

Exam Specifications

Assessment

100% exams, no coursework.

Paper 1 (listening, reading and writing) - 2 hours 30 minutes (50% of A level);
Paper 2 (writing) - 2 hours (20% of A level); Paper 3 (speaking) - 21–23 minutes including 5 minutes preparation time (30% of A-level).

Paper 1 (listening, reading and writing)

• Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends
• Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues
• Artistic culture in the French-speaking world
• Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world
• Grammar

Listening and responding to spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources covering different registers and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail. Studio recordings will be used and students will have individual control of the recording. All questions are in French, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in French (30 marks)

Reading and responding to a variety of texts written for different purposes, drawn from a range of authentic sources and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail. All questions are in French, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in French (50 marks)

• Translation into English; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks)
• Translation into French; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks).
No access to a dictionary during the assessment.

Paper 2 (writing)

• One text and one film or two texts from the list set in the specification
• Grammar

Either one question in French on a set text from a choice of two questions and one question in French on a set film from a choice of two questions or two questions in French on set texts from a choice of two questions on each text.

All questions will require a critical appreciation of the concepts and issues covered in the work and a critical and analytical response to features such as the form and the technique of presentation, as appropriate to the work studied (eg the effect of narrative voice in a prose text or camera work in a film).

No access to texts or films during the assessment. No access to a dictionary during the assessment. Students are advised to write approximately 300 words per essay.

Paper 3 (speaking)

• Individual research project
• One of four sub-themes ie Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends, Aspects of French- speaking society: current issues, Artistic culture in the French-speaking world, Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world

Discussion of a sub-theme with the discussion based on a stimulus card (5–6 minutes). The student studies the card for 5 minutes at the start of the test (25 marks).
Presentation (2 minutes) and discussion (9–10 minutes) of individual research project (35 marks).
No access to a dictionary during the assessment (including 5 minutes preparation).
Students may take the assessment only once before certification.
Assessments will be conducted by either the centre or a visiting examiner and marked by an AQA examiner.

Assessment

The qualification will be graded on a nine-point scale: 1 to 9 – where 9 is the best grade.
A majority of the marks for French will be based on classroom participation, daily assignments, projects, and topic or unit tests. Student success will be highly dependent on active participation and effective use of classroom resources. There are formal written assessments at the end of each term.

All 4 skills are assessed through the end of Year 11 final exams. Foundation and higher tiers of entry.

Paper 1: listening

Written exam: 35 minutes (Foundation Tier), 45 minutes (Higher Tier)
40 marks (Foundation Tier), 50 marks (Higher Tier)
5% of GCSE

Paper 2: Speaking

Non-exam assessment
7–9 minutes (Foundation Tier) + preparation time
0–12 minutes (Higher Tier) + preparation time
60 marks (for each of Foundation Tier and Higher Tier)
25% of GCSE

Paper 3: Reading

Written exam: 45 minutes (Foundation Tier), 1 hour (Higher Tier)
60 marks (for each of Foundation Tier and Higher Tier)
25% of GCSE

Paper 4: Writing

Written exam: 1 hour (Foundation Tier), 1 hour 15 minutes (Higher Tier)
50 marks at Foundation Tier and 60 marks at Higher Tier
25% of GCSE

Breakdown of units

1: Identity and culture
2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest 3: Current and future study and employment

Curious about French?

Read

'Le Tartuffe', Molière

'Candide', Voltaire

'Boule de Suif et autres contes de la guerre', Guy de Maupassant

'L’étranger,' Albert Camus

'Bonjour tristesse', Françoise Sagan

'Elise ou la vraie vie', Claire Etcherelli

'Un sac de billes', Joseph Joffo

'Un secret,' Philippe Grimbert

'Kiffe kiffe demain', Faïza Guène

'No et moi', Delphine de Vigan

Online

A team of sociologists headed by Gérard Mermet is constantly studying how France and the French people are changing as far as their lifestyles, values, opinions, attitudes, behaviors and consumption habits. The topics discussed range from health, family, work and leisure to income and spending and everything in between:

https://blogs.transparent.com/french/francoscopie-understanding-the-french/

Learning a foreign language is not obsolete:

https://blogs.transparent.com/language-news/2017/06/28/learning-a-foreign-language-is-not-obsolete/?utm_content=130631890&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-380456976

Refresh and improve your grammar:

https://bonjourdefrance.co.uk/

https://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/