IGCSE French- 0520 Handbook 

This syllabus is designed for students who are learning French as a foreign language. The aim is to develop an ability to use the language effectively for practical communication. The course is based on the linked language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and these are built on as learners’ progress through their studies. 

The syllabus also aims to offer insights into the culture of countries where French is spoken, thus encouraging positive attitudes towards language learning and towards speakers of other languages. 

The aims describe the purposes of a course based on this syllabus. The aims are to enable students to: 

• develop the language proficiency required to communicate effectively in French at level A2 (CEFR Basic User), with elements of level B1 (CEFR Independent User) 

• offer insights into the culture and society of countries and communities where French is spoken 

• develop awareness of the nature of language and language learning 

• encourage positive attitudes towards speakers of other languages and a sympathetic approach to other cultures 

• provide enjoyment and intellectual stimulation 

• develop transferable skills (e.g. memorizing, drawing of inferences) to complement other areas of the curriculum 

• form a sound base of the skills, language and attitudes required for progression to work or further study, either in French or another subject area. 

The subject content is organised in five broad topic areas (A–E below). These provide contexts for the acquisition of vocabulary and the study of grammar and structures. The study of these topic areas enables students to gain an insight into countries and communities where French is spoken. 

A. Everyday activities 

B. Personal and social life 

C. The world around us 

D. The world of work 

E. The international world 

The syllabus gives students opportunities to develop and apply a wide range of foreign language skills. Candidates will be expected to read and understand a variety of written and spoken texts on familiar topics. Candidates will be required to demonstrate understanding of the main ideas, opinions and attitudes, as well as select and extract relevant details and deduce the meaning of occasional unknown words from context. 

They will also have opportunities to write in French on familiar, everyday topics, and to speak the language by taking part in everyday conversations. 

The skills covered in the syllabus are outlined below.

 Listening 

• Understand short recordings dealing with everyday needs (e.g. simple transactions in shops, simple directions or instructions). 

• Understand factual information and ideas from a range of sources (e.g. announcements, phone messages, news items, interviews, dialogues) on familiar topics. 

• Understand descriptions of events, opinions, emotions, hopes and ambitions in simple texts (e.g. in radio broadcasts, interviews, dialogues). 

• Identify main points, specific information and details on everyday topics (e.g. personal and family information, shopping, local area, employment, school, leisure activities). 

• Identify main points, themes, opinions, ideas, emotions and attitudes in predictable texts (e.g. news reports, conversations, interviews, simple monologues). 

• Deduce the meaning of occasional unknown words and expressions from the context. 

Reading 

• Understand short, simple texts (e.g. signs and notices in public places, such as streets, restaurants and bus/ railway stations and airports). 

• Understand authentic texts on familiar topics and situations (e.g. newspaper/magazine articles, email messages, blogs and letters). 

• Understand descriptions of events, opinions, emotions, hopes and ambitions in simple texts (e.g. in articles, interviews or personal messages).

• Identify main points, specific information and details in predictable texts (e.g. advertisements, brochures, menus, timetables, instructions, messages). 

• Identify main points, themes, opinions, ideas, emotions and attitudes in predictable texts (e.g. newspaper/ magazine articles, simple plots of films or books). 

• Deduce the meaning of occasional unknown words and expressions from the context. 

Speaking 

• Participate in short social exchanges (e.g. greet people, make and respond to invitations, apologies) and communicate on familiar topics to meet simple needs (e.g. order food and drink, simple transactions in shops, use public transport, ask and give directions, request information). 

• Participate in unprepared conversations on familiar topics of personal interest or relevant to everyday life (e.g. family, friends, home environment, hobbies and interests, education, work, travel). 

• Describe past events and experiences, hopes and ambitions and give brief reasons for opinions and plans. 

• Communicate with reasonable accuracy, using a range of structures, tenses and vocabulary relevant to the given situation. 

• Use simple connectors (e.g. and, but, because, then) to link a series of shorter discrete elements into a connected sequence of points. 

• Use appropriate strategies to maintain interaction. 

• Use features of pronunciation and intonation to convey meaning and attitude. Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 syllabus for 2022, 2023 and 2024. Subject content 10 www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse Back to contents page 

Writing 

• Fill in forms providing simple details. 

• Communicate simple factual information in writing using everyday vocabulary and expressions. 

• Write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors, relating to personal life, immediate environment and everyday topics (e.g. writing about a holiday). 

• Write simple connected texts (e.g. email messages, articles) on familiar topics (e.g. plans and arrangements, likes and dislikes, family, home environment, hobbies and interests, education, work and travel). 

• Describe past events and experiences, opinions, hopes and ambitions and give brief reasons for opinions and plans. 

• Communicate with reasonable accuracy, using a range of structures, tenses/time frames and vocabulary relevant to the given situation. 

• Use simple connectors (e.g. and, but, because, then) to link a series of shorter discrete elements into a connected sequence of points.

Candidates will be required to show knowledge and understanding of the broad topic areas listed below. These provide contexts for the acquisition of vocabulary and the study of grammar and structures. Through the study of these broad topic areas, candidates gain insight into the cultures of countries and communities where French is spoken. The sub-topics listed are provided as examples of what teachers may choose to focus on. They are examples only and are not intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive. 

Area Topic Areas

A Everyday activities 

• Time expressions (e.g. telling the time, days, days of the week, months, seasons) 

• Food and drink (e.g. meals, fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and seafood, snacks, drinks, cutlery and utensils) 

• The human body and health (e.g. parts of the body, health and illness) 

• Travel and transport 

B Personal and social life 

• Self, family and friends 

• In the home (e.g. rooms, living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, furniture and furnishings, garden, household appliances) 

• Colours 

• Clothes and accessories 

• Leisure time (e.g. things to do, hobbies, sport) 

C The world around us 

• People and places (e.g. continents, countries and nationalities, compass points) 

• The natural world, the environment, the climate and the weather 

• Communications and technology (e.g. the digital world, documents and texts) 

• The built environment (e.g. buildings and services, urban areas, shopping) 

• Measurements (e.g. size, shape) 

• Materials 

D The world of work 

• Education (e.g. learning institutions, education and training, the classroom, learning tools, subjects, studying) 

• Work (e.g. jobs and careers, the workplace) 

E The international world 

• Countries, nationalities and languages 

• Culture, customs, faiths and celebrations