Key Stage: 4 Subject: French Aims of the subject: Our aim is to inspire a love of languages and an appreciation for different cultures. We want to broaden pupils horizons and educate them about the advantages of being globally aware and culturally sensitive. We aim to teach pupils the importance of being literate, of having excellent communication skills, and of speaking more than one language in our increasingly global community. Lessons are highly interactive and pupils will practise the skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing throughout the GCSE course. We will build an awareness of French grammar to enable pupils to manipulate language and express themselves with increasing confidence. We will practise a range of examination style questions and skills to ensure pupils are well prepared for the GCSE examinations at the end of Year 11. GCSE Examination Board: Edexcel Assessment Overview: - Listening: 20% examination at the end of Year 11 - Reading: 20% examination at the end of Year 11 - Speaking: 30% controlled assessment throughout Years 10 and 11 - Writing: 30% controlled assessment throughout Years 10 and 11 Year What will I learn? Assessment Year 9 Term 1: Media (T es branché?, Module 1 Studio 2) Talking about TV programmes Talking about cinema Talking about reading and different genres Talking about the Internet Talking about what you did yesterday evening Talking about a cultural visit to Paris (Paris, je t adore, Module 2 Studio 2) Saying what and when you did things Giving opinions in the past Saying how you travelled Conducting an interview, using the Perfect Tense
Term 2: Talking about me (Mon identité, Module 3 Studio 2) Talking about personality Talking about relationships Talking about music Talking about clothes Where I live (Chez moi, chez toi, Module 4 Studio 2) Describing where you live Describing your home Talking about meals Talking about an event Discussing what talents people have (Quel talent?!, Module 5 Studio 2) Talking about talent and ambition Encouraging or persuading someone Rehearsing for a contest Saying who is the best, the most, the least Showing how much you can do with the French language Using a variety of structures and tenses
Year 10 Term 1: Family and friends (Moi, Module 1 of Active Teach) - talking about yourself and other people - talking about your parents and what they do - talking about your friends Leisure (Mon temps libre, Module 2 of Active Teach) - saying what you like and what you don t like doing - saying what leisure activities you ve done recently - describing famous sportspeople - talking about your main hobby - arranging to go out - explaining why you can t do something - describing what you did - describing what you saw or read - describing a sporting event - talking about new technology Term 2: Education, future plans and employment (Le collège, Module 5 Active Teach) - talking about schools - describing your school day - comparing schools in England and France - school rules and pressures - talking about your plans - talking about part-time jobs - discussing different jobs - discussing possible problems at work - talking about work experience Town and environment (Là où j habite, Module 3 of Active Teach) - finding the way - describing the location of a place - talking about the advantages and disadvantages of where you live - comparing where you used to live and where you live now - talking about a town Early November: Listening and Reading exam In December: Written Controlled assessment on free time In March: - Speaking Controlled Assessment: Presentation and follow-up questions In May/June: - Mock exam in Listening and Reading In June: - Speaking Controlled Assessment: Open interaction
Year 11 Term 1: Holidays (Tourisme, Module 7 of Active Teach) - talking about holiday venues - talking about the weather - discussing hotels and travelling - making holiday plans - talking about a holiday - describing a destination - eating out - describing holiday activities - talking about past holidays Term 2: Healthy Lifestyles (Mode de Vie, Module 8 of Active Teach) - talking about food and drink - talking about parts of the body and where it hurts - describing what is wrong with you - talking about a healthy lifestyle - discussing addictions and other problems End of September/ early October: mini-mock in Listening and reading In November/December: - Speaking controlled assessment: picture based discussion Mock exam in Listening and Reading In March: - Additional Speaking Controlled Assessment if required - Additional Written Controlled Assessment if required Mock exam in Listening and Reading Revision all topics from Year 10 and Year 11 Focus on Listening and Reading skills in preparation for end of year exams GCSE Listening and Reading exams in May/June Extra-curricular opportunities Exchange visit to Paris in year 11 How you can support your child s progress
Pupils will be issued with a textbook and a workbook, linked to their course programme. You can regularly check that your child is doing the revision or homework activities in there. You can also support your child by helping him/her learn the vocabulary specific to the topics studied. Each module has a vocabulary page in the textbook and workbook. You can test your child s understanding of the words and phrases that they will be learning, as well as test the accuracy of their spelling. When your child is working on a written homework, check that he/she has done a draft before writing a neat version in his/her exercise book. We want to encourage pupils to refer to previously corrected work, to check their use of vocabulary by referring to glossaries. With your support, we want to ensure that your child puts in the effort and care required into all their work, in class as well as at home, so that they gain good learning habits, which will stand them in good stead for future assessments and examinations. A little and often approach suits the subject best, rather than leaving it until the end. When your child is preparing a Speaking or Writing controlled assessment, he/she will be given a task sheet with instructions and guidance. This will enable him/her to prepare adequately for the task, in a two-week period: during that time, he/she should practise the language to speak and write at the appropriate level. They are encouraged to use all the resources at their disposal and discouraged from using online translator tools, a short cut which is so often deeply misleading. Do check that they are preparing for these tasks.