French

Subject: French

Syllabus Number: AQA French (8658)

Teacher who leads the subject: Mrs K Christie

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Why study French?

Around 75% of the world's population doesn’t speak a word of English. Learning a language at GCSE will help you to develop your language learning skills, even though you might not know which language you will need in the future.

According to research carried out by the BBC, on average, people who use languages in their jobs earn around 8% more per year.

French is the most sought-after language for graduates, with 54 per cent of employers saying that the language is useful to their business. Most of the job vacancies with a language requirement request a French speaker, according to the British Council’s 2017 Languages for the Future Report.

Learning French at GCSE will help you to:

 

  • develop your confidence

  • improve your communication skills

  • have an awareness and understanding of other cultures and communities where French is spoken.

  • demonstrate that you have learnt important skills

  • develop transferable language learning skills

  • be able to communicate effectively and present yourself in front of others

  • stand out from the crowd (particularly for university or job applications)

  • improve your understanding of your first language

 

You will be able to use the skills you have learnt in a variety of future careers.
You never know where learning a language might take you; currently with over 6000 different languages in the world and more than 300 spoken in the UK, there has never been a more important time to learn a foreign language.

 

Outline of syllabus content

Topics covered are within three themes, as follows:

Theme 1: People and lifestyle • Identity and relationships with others • Healthy living and lifestyle • Education and work

Theme 2: Popular culture • Free time activities • Customs, festivals and celebrations • Celebrity culture

Theme 3: Communication and the world around us • Travel and tourism, including places of interest • Media and technology • The environment and where people live

 

Assessment

Students are assessed on four skills at the end of Year 11 which carry equal weighting; listening, reading, speaking and writing (assessment objectives have different weightings). French has a Foundation Tier and a Higher Tier but students must take all four question papers at the same tier.  

  • Listening paper: 25% of the final grade.
  • Reading paper: 25% of the final grade.
  • Writing paper plus translation: 25% of the final grade.

Assessment objectives: • AO1: understand and respond to spoken language in speaking and in writing – 35% • AO2: understand and respond to written language in speaking and in writing – 45% • AO3: demonstrate understanding and accurate application of the grammar and vocabulary prescribed in the specification – 20%

  • Speaking assessment (recorded in the school and marked by AQA examiners): 25% of the final grade.


Additional information is available on the Curriculum Overview section of the website - click here