French - GCSE

Although the course is suitable for beginners, some knowledge of French is recommended.

The course comprises the following topic areas:

Personal and social life
Self, family, friends, home life, shopping, meals, healthy living, illness and accidents, free time, fashion, relationships, future plans.

Local community
Home town, school, education, local environment, pollution, recycling, local facilities, comparisons with other towns and regions, weather and seasons.

The world of work
Work experience, part-time jobs, future careers, technology (sending messages, accessing information).

The wider world
Travel and holidays, media, social issues (e.g. life of young people today, homelessness, crime, drugs, healthy living, religion, politics), life in the countries and communities where the language is spoken.

The syllabus consists of four papers divided into two levels - Foundation (equal to grades C-G) and Higher (A*-D).  

Four elements will be tested - Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing and will be respectively assessed at: 20%, 30%, 20% and 30%.

The Speaking and Writing components are assessed between January and April during class time. Two controlled assessed tasks have to be completed for Writing and these are both 1 hour in length. The Speaking also consists of two controlled assessments: Structured conversation, 4–5 minutes and Presentation and discussion, 5–7 minutes. Listening and Reading are both examined in May.

Listening and Responding: 35 minutes for Foundation Tier, 45 minutes for Higher Tier.
Reading and Responding: 35 minutes for Foundation Tier, 45 minutes for Higher Tier.

Students can use the IT facilities in college located in the Learning Centre and in the Open Access Suite where support is available.

Course books:

Breakthrough French 1, Euro edition by Stephanie Rybak

GCSE French grammar workbook by Marian Jones and Gill Maynard

Course Fee: £380.00

Exam Fee: £35.00

Part-time enrolment fee: £35.00

There are no formal entry requirements for adult learners. Full-time students should have a minimum of 4 GCSEs at Grade D.

17:45 - 20:45 Wednesday

• Exams continuous assessment and coursework

• The College welcomes contact with parents/guardians of students who are under 18.
• Additional support is available for students with learning difficulties and disabilities.
• Cardiff and Vale College is committed to inclusion and values diversity. We are determined to promote equality of opportunity and to treat everyone fairly and with respect.
• Cardiff and Vale College reserves the right to make changes to this course without prior notice.
• Course fees are subject to change. Your fee will be confirmed prior to enrolment.
• All courses are accurate at the time of upload or print.
• Courses can only run if there are sufficient numbers.
• Please note, if you choose three or more course choices, then you may be referred for a careers appointment first. This does not apply to A Level or GCSE choices.