French (GCE A Level)

Why study French?

Studying French at A Level will enable you to develop the skills acquired at GCSE level.

You will gain a lasting appreciation of the language and will learn how to communicate in French to a number of different audiences. The A Level course gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into French speaking cultures, from modern everyday life to important aspects of French history.

The A Level course focuses on developing oral fluency, listening, reading and writing skills, plus translation tasks; all of which are vital tools for further study. You will develop and enhance your communication skills and your ability to be an independent learner.

Year 12 & 13

There are three exams at A Level French, Paper 1, Paper 2 & Paper 3.

Paper 1: Listening, Reading and Writing

50% of A Level.

Written exam : 2 hours 30 minutes

100 marks

Listening Section

Candidates listen & respond to spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources. Questions will target main points, gist and detail. Students will have individual control of the recording.(30 marks)

Reading Section

This section comprises reading and responding to a variety of texts written for different purposes, drawn from a range of authentic sources.(50 marks)

Writing Section

Translation into English; a passage of 100 words minimum. (10 marks)

Translation into French; a passage of 100 words minimum. (10 marks)

No access to a dictionary during the assessment.

Paper 2: Writing

20% of A Level

Written exam: 2 hours

80 marks

Candidates are assessed on:

• One literary text and one film or 2 literary texts from the set lists
• Grammar

This paper consists of :

• Either one essay in French on a set text from a choice of two questions and one essay in French on the film, or 2 essays in French on set literary texts from a choice of two questions.
• All essay questions will require a critical response to aspects such as plot, characterisation, imagery and other stylistic features, as appropriate to the work studied.

No access to texts, films or a dictionary during the assessment.

Students are advised to write approximately 300 words for each essay.

Paper 3: Speaking

30% of A Level

Oral exam: 21-23 minutes (including 5 minutes preparation time)

60 marks

Candidates will be assessed on an individual research project and one of the sub-themes from the specification.

In the speaking exam students will take part in a discussion of a sub-theme, with the discussion based on a stimulus card (5-6 minutes). This will be followed by a presentation & discussion of the individual research project.

(Approximately 12 minutes)