"Learning a language has really helped me to appreciate the world we live in. Being able to communicate with someone in their language is an incredible gift. Furthermore, language skills are seen as something very highly when it comes to getting a job. The demand for bilingual professionals is rapidly rising and therefore taking a language is something which will help me in my later life. Lastly of all, it’s just really fun! I love being tested but moreover it improves my problem-solving and critical-thinking skills as well as my listening skills!"
The French GCSE is a two year topic based course that tests the four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. Students will be expected to understand and extract details from texts, advertisements, messages, announcements, recordings and conversations by native speakers. They will be required to talk about a range of topics and exchange information. In addition, students will increase their understanding of the culture of French-speaking countries.
Students will sit all their examinations at the end of the course. All examinations are externally assessed.
Paper 1: Listening unit. The purpose of the exam is to understand and respond to different types of spoken language. The Listening unit comprises 25% of the final grade.
Paper 2: Speaking unit. The purpose of the exam is to communicate and interact effectively in speech for a variety of purposes. Students will sit in a Role-play exam and will be asked questions based on a photo. The Speaking unit comprises 25% of the final grade.
Paper 3: Reading unit. The purpose of the exam is to understand and respond to different types of written language. There will also be a translation text from French to English. The Reading unit comprises 25% of the final grade.
Paper 4: Writing unit. The purpose of the exam is to communicate effectively in writing for a variety of purposes. There will also be a translation text from English to French. The Writing unit comprises 25% of the final grade.
Candidates must take all four question papers at the same tier. They may be entered for the Foundation or Higher papers depending on their strengths.
Qualification: GCSE in French
Director of Learning: Mrs M Di Paola
marika.dipaola@riddlesdown.org
“I do not regret choosing French. Not only is it about furthering your ability to speak French but also furthers your understanding of the French and francophone culture.
The course has a wide content as you expand your knowledge on the language and country as well as cultural origins and history behind France and French speaking countries. It touches on other topics too such as politics and the government as we do wider reading and research.
Studying a book and a film also makes the course so interesting – it’s also nice to be able to enjoy a form of entertainment resulting in you having fun as well as learning at the same time.
Overall it's a great subject to be studying!”
“My experience with French has honestly been one of my favourite aspects of Riddlesdown.
The classes have been comprehensive and the teachers do a superb job at catering to the needs of the individual students whilst pushing you to surpass your limits.
Learning a language is NOT a walk in the park, but with the right support, as we have here, it's just as fun as the park on any day of the week”.