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French A Level

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French A Level Course Outline

Advanced Level 3
Awarding Body: AQA

Study French

Around the world, there is a total of 7,102 known languages. French is the 2nd most widely learned foreign language after English, with 75.9 million native speakers spread across 51 countries. An ability to communicate in French and English puts you in the lead on the international job market. A knowledge of French opens the doors of French companies in France and other French-speaking countries. French is the language of culture (literature, fashion, architecture, visual arts and France is the world’s number-one tourist destination with 70 million+ visitors a year & it is just across the Channel. Learning French can help tremendously with your career prospects, your college education and experiences, travel, and personal enjoyment of the arts and culture. Come and join us! Bienvenus! 

Entry Requirements

The General entry requirements for A Level courses are six GCSEs grades 9-4 and above, including English Language.

Grade 4 English - 6 in Subject

Content

Awarding body: AQA    Linear  2 year A-level course 

  1. Social issues & Trends 

  1. Aspects of French –speaking society: current issues 

  1. Political/Intellectual/Artistic areas of interest 

  • 1 book (No et moi- Delphine de Vigan) 
  • 1 film (La Haine-Mathieu Kassovitz) 

  1. Grammar 

  • No entries for exams in year 1 at St Charles 
  • Year 2 exams 
  • Paper 1 (Listening, reading & translation-2:30 hours) 
  • 100 marks, 50% of A-level 
  • Paper 2 Written (2 essays-300 words each) 
  • 80 marks, 20% of A-level 
  • Paper 3 Speaking (21-23 mins, incl. 5 mins prep time & Independent Research Project) 
  • 60 marks, 30% of A-level 

Assessment

  • At both levels, learners are assessed regularly using past question papers with a range of exercises.  

  • Progress is recorded in the college markbook system and is accessible by all students, on the portal (minimum of 6 assessments per term). 

  • Mock exams take place regularly.  

  • Home work is provided every day and AQA standardisation is used for marking. There is no coursework for French. 

  • We work using authentic material, extracts from magazines, reports and books. Essay questions are based on the book & the film (2 essays of min.300 words).  All questions will require a critical appreciation of the concepts & issues covered in the work as well as the technique of presentation (e.g. the effect of narrative voice in the book or camera work in the film) 

Progression

The benefits of being multilingual in an international career are obvious: Hiring trends are changing and multilingual professionals are preferred. Institutions like the United Nations require English language fluency plus proficiency in at least one additional language. Linguists have a competitive edge for positions in Travel & Tourism, business, finance, accountancy, journalism, marketing, international trade, law, and education as well as fields including the diplomatic service and the security service. 

If you choose to study French at university, your studies will usually involve some time abroad.  The first year focuses on building language skills.  The 2nd gives you a range of options to focus on aspects of the francophone world (literature -embracing medieval and modern), film and visual culture, history, politics, business and science, to name a few.  The 3rd year can be spent abroad in a French-speaking country, at university, working as a teaching assistant in a school or on work placement (See Erasmus+, the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport - between three and twelve months) 

Student Testimonials

"Studying French has given me an opportunity to communicate with other French speakers and improve my language techniques. My teacher has been of great support at helping me identify my weaknesses and work on them, as well improve my manipulation of the language in both speaking and writing. Also, thanks to the interesting topics in the syllabus, I am able to broaden my knowledge on artistic cultures and social/political issues in French speaking countries." 

"I enjoy learning French so I can communicate with my family and use it for future jobs in French speaking countries. My teacher is very helpful because she is always there for me if I don’t understand something and pushes me to do my best and achieve my highest potential. This subject has helped me improve my communication skills so I can help my friends if they need help in French and to have a mini conversation with my cousins."  

"I found the French course interesting and I would recommend it to people who aspire to improve their French skills. However, I would say it is not as easy as some would claim. Mostly, I enjoyed the heated French debates that were constantly going on in our lessons. This course is helping me in my application to study Law with French at university." 

Extra Curricular

A school trip to France or European French-speaking countries covering all areas of the National Curriculum (French art, history, technology, science and geography) usually takes place before the end of the year. Visits to the French Institute’s library and workshops, as well as art galleries that display pieces of work from the French heritage are organised throughout the year. 

We participate in the placements of students in the 4 days Languages & Law summer school run by the Capital L – (Routes into Languages consortium) 

A few schemes of voluntary work abroad for 10-12 weeks are offered.  These are opportunities which give young people the chance to work with local volunteers, to make an impact, practising the language(s) they study at college. 

www.progressio.org.uk  www.britishcouncil.org 

Website & magazines with news & social issues in French aimed at teenagers: 

http://1jour1actu.com, www.phosphore.com, www.maryglasgowplus.com 

Department Staff

Ms Brierley - nbr@stcharles.ac.uk 

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