This French GCSE is a one-year course for students who wish to develop a deeper understanding of French society, language and culture. It also aims to develop overall competence, communication skills and grammatical knowledge in French, and to act as preparation for anyone wanting to continue their studies at A-Level. However, above all, the course is for anyone who loves France and the French language.
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