French A-Level
“French is the language that turns the merely vulgar into the sublime.”
Examination: The course is examined in January and May of Y12 and January and May of Y13
Course details
Units 1 and 2
Youth matters (family relationships and friendships, pear pressure and role models, music and fashion, technology and communication).
Lifestyle, health and fitness (food and diet, sports and exercise, health issues, urban and rural life).
Environment and travel (tourism, travel and transport, natural disasters and weather, climate change and its impact, energy, pollution and recycling).
Education and employment (education systems and types of schooling, pupil/student life, volunteering and internships, jobs and unemployment).
Unit 3 and 4 : Same topics as in units 1 and 2 and:
Technology in the French-speaking world (scientific advances, technological innovations, impact on life and environment).
Society in the French-speaking world (migration, equality, politics, customs).
Ethics in the French-speaking world. (beliefs, law and order, moral issues)
Assessment overview, duration and weighting
Paper 1: Spoken expression and response (8-10 minutes and 15 minutes of preparation, worth 30% of IAS or 15% of IAL – 40 marks)
Paper 2: Understanding and written response (2h and 30 mins, worth 70% of IAS or 35% of IAL – 90 marks)
Paper 3: Understanding and spoken response (11-13 mins; 5 mins preparation included, worth 30% of IAS or 15% of IAL – 40 marks)
Paper 4: Research, understanding and written response (2 hours and 40 minutes, worth 70% of IAS or 35% of IAL – 90 marks)
| Exam Papers | % of IAL | Assessment overview |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (January Y12) | 30% of IAS or 15% of IAL – 40 marks | SECTION A: Spoken response of one of the topics. SECTION B: Discussion on a different subtopic. |
| Paper 2 (May Y12) | 70% of IAS or 35% of IAL – 90 marks | SECTION A: Listening (20 marks). SECTION B: Reading and Grammar (30 marks). SECTION C: Writing an email or article of 240-280 words (40 marks). |
| Paper 3 (January Y13) | 30% of IAS or 15% of IAL 15% - 40 marks | SECTION A: Presentation and debate . SECTION B: Discussion. |
| Paper 4 (May Y13) | 70% of IAS or 35% of IAL - 90 marks | SECTION A: Listening (20 marks). SECTION B: Reading and Grammar (30 marks). SECTION C: Writing an essay of 300-400 words of a film. (40 marks). |
Wider reading
En attendant Bojangles, Olivier Bourdeaut.
Chanson douce, Leïla Slimani.
Femmes en résistance, Emmanuelle Polack, Francis Laboutique, Régis Hautière, – Comme un roman, Daniel Pennac.
Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz, Coline Dupuy, Jean François Vivier, Stéphan Agosto. – Le Grand Cahier, Agota Kristof.
Would you like to know more?
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