Welcome to French at qe!

Differences between GCSE and A level

Content

At GCSE you deal with personal and practical matters in French.  A level deals with issues concerning the wider world and society.  You will also look at aspects of history and literature.  You should hopefully find these issues and topics more interesting and they will develop and improve your general knowledge.

Skills 

At A level you will learn how to:

• Look at sides of an argument

• Justify your opinions

• Analyse and evaluate

• Study more independently

• Think about the wider world around you

Approach

A level is a demanding course, which is why it is so highly regarded by universities and employers. However, it is very manageable, provided you get off to a good start and have the right approach. At school you may have not really thought about how you tackled your work. But here are some handy hints:

• Work with those around you in class - working in a team can be very effective.

• Talk to your teacher(s), Assistant and other students if you have questions or worries.

• Listen and take on board advice given – we give you a lot of this and it’s for your benefit!

• Get into a good routine with your work from the start.

• Keep referring to your handbook - we have compiled it to guide you through your time with us.  It should be the first thing you refer to if in doubt about anything. However, let us know if we’ve missed something out!