A Level French

Introduction - why choose this course?

Only 6% of the world is native in English, and 75% of the world’s population don’t speak any English at all! Speaking more than one language, especially to A-Level, can open doors for both study and work opportunities, and it’s seen as a valuable asset to many companies. Spanish is also the second most widely spoken language in the world, with over 274 million speakers. In our increasingly globalised world, the ability to speak another language is seen as a huge asset to many, if not most, companies. Whether you decide to continue studying a language after your A-Levels or not, they will provide you with opportunities to travel and even live abroad; for example, many university courses offer a ‘year in industry/abroad’ option, which would allow you to live and study or work in one of the 40 countries where French is spoken.

As degrees are now more commonplace, any added skills that you can bring to the table will see you become a stronger contender for a job. Through French study, you will learn to use language spontaneously to initiate communication; ask and answer questions; express thoughts and feelings; present viewpoints; develop arguments; persuade; analyse and evaluate in speech and writing, including interaction with speakers of French. You will learn the language and grammar in the context of French-speaking countries and the issues and influences which have shaped them. All of these are useful transferable skills that can relate to any course or field of employment, as well as develop intercultural competence - an attractive attribute which many employers, including international companies, look for!

French A Level is split into 3 areas – topics (covering a wide range of trends and issues in the French-speaking world), works (a literary text and a film), and an Independent Research Project (on a topic of the students’ choice). Through these areas of study, you will study highlights of French-speaking artistic culture, including francophone music, cinema, technology, history and its influence, politics, social issues, politics and power in the French-speaking world. These topics and areas of study relate to many different areas of study and therefore Spanish is a subject which coheres well with many other A Level qualification, from science to arts to humanities.

Course overview

Theme 1: Social Issues and Trends

• Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends
  • The changing nature of family
  • The ‘cyber-society’
  • The place of voluntary work
• Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues
  • Positive features of a diverse society
  • Life for the marginalised
  • How criminals are treated

Theme 2: Political and Artistic culture

• Artistic culture in the French-speaking world
  • A culture proud of its heritage
  • Contemporary francophone music
  • Cinema: the 7th art form
• Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world
  • Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment
  • Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?
  • Politics and immigration

Currently students study the following works:

Film: La Haine Mathieu Kassivotz (1996)

Literary text: Un Sac de Billes by Joseph Joffo

Students choose the topic and focus of their Independent Research Projects

How is the course examined?

French A Level has 3 exams which take place at the end of the course.

Paper 1: (50%)

• Listening and reading with non-verbal/French responses
• Translation both ways (minimum 100 words)

Paper 2: (20%)

• Writing, 2 essays of approx. 300 words each, 1 text, 1 film.

Paper 3: (30%)

• Speaking, 21-23 mins total inc. 5 mins prep time
• Discussion of 1 sub-theme, based on stimulus card (5-6 mins)
• Independent research project presentation (2mins)
• Independent research project discussion (9-10mins)

Equipment

• We provide: Kerboodle textbook – students will have an online login for this, a copy of the literary work studied and revision guide for the film and literary work studied
• Lever arch file

Homework

For every 1 hour of contact time with the teacher or the FLA, students are expected to complete 1 hour of independent work. This can include homework, but students are also expected to seek out their own resources, which they make a log of in their folders.

Learning outside the classroom

Our A-level students have extra opportunities to take their language learning further, for example:

• Students can take part in a Linguastars residential trip at the University during the summer
• They have been to see an authentic play performed by the University students
• They go into local primary schools to support the languages curriculum
• We have a mentoring scheme enabling our A Level students to mentor a younger student or support with a group of younger students.