GCSE French
To give our pupils the knowledge and skills to be able to communicate in another language
To give our pupils a practical and engaging experience of how the culture in other countries is
To give our pupils the opportunity to enrich and extend their skills with broader job prospects
To give our pupils the opportunity to develop enthusiasm and curiosity for other ways of life
To give our pupils the opportunity to learn skills beyond the classroom to became a well rounded global citizen
OVERVIEW OF COURSE
This is a course which enables students of all abilities to develop their French language skills, equipping them with the knowledge to communicate in a variety of contexts. Students develop their language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing and they expand their cultural knowledge of the French speaking countries.
Learning a language at GCSE is highly regarded by universities and employers.
To obtain the English Baccalaureate qualification, a grade 4 (C) or above in a GCSE Modern Foreign Language is required.
PROGRAMME OF STUDY
ASSESSMENT
The AQA GCSE (9–1) in French consists of three externally examined listening, reading, and writing papers and one speaking exam conducted internally in school by class teachers but marked externally.
All exams are tiered at a Foundation level (maximum grade achievable is a 4=C) or Higher level (maximum grade achievable is a 9= A*). This is a 2-year course where all exams take place at the end of Year 11.
Each exam is worth 25% of the overall GCSE mark:
A01 Listening Test (25%): multiple-response and short answer open response questions to be answered in English with 2 questions set in the target language.
A02 Speaking Test (25%): This consists of 3 tasks: a roleplay, questions based on a picture stimulus and a conversation
A03 Reading Test (25%): question types will comprise both multiple response and short open response questions, and one translation question. There will be 4 questions set in the target language.
A04 Writing Test (25%): open response tasks and one translation task plus one extended writing task for Higher papers
HOW PARENTS / CARERS CAN HELP
Ensuring 20-minutes of vocabulary and grammar revision on Quizlet using the QR codes provided per topic.
Parents can support language learning by testing students’ vocabulary from English to the target language.
Parents can also encourage watching European films at home with subtitles, listening to French music or even visiting a French market, monument, restaurant, or city.
Any cultural activity that encourages knowledge and curiosity for the countries where the language is spoken will add value and help to raise students’ language skills and learning progress.
Parents can get CGP GCSE MFL revision guides for students or encourage students to actively go on MFL websites such as Quizlet and use the QR codes provided to revise vocabulary and grammar regularly.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
The MFL department runs regular lunchtime and after school GCSE Booster clubs.
The aim of these clubs is to help students gain more confidence and achieve their best possible grade but there are also extension clubs for students who would like to push themselves further and achieve more cultural knowledge and higher grades in their GCSE exams.
The MFL Department has organised various successful trips to Europe in the past and will continue to offer language residentials to students.
Every year the MFL Department celebrates European Languages Day and the French Bastille Day, with cultural whole school quizzes and guest speakers and runs regular quizzes, awards, and competitions.
The MFL department has also organised interactive and engaging MFL Theatre plays for students and provides students the opportunity of taking part in competitions run by the British Language Champions Association and attend language conferences.
RECOMMENDED READING / OTHER RESOURCES
https://quizlet.com/gb/topic/languages/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/french
CGP Books for KS4 French
Quizlet QR codes on every topic included in the Curriculum Map on main grammar and vocabulary topics.