French

Studying modern languages at A-level is more than just "learning a language". It introduces a student to the life, culture, politics, customs and thoughts of another country and its people. For this reason students are urged to take every opportunity to use the language - by travelling, for example, or reading books and magazines such as Stern or Paris Match. It may also be that your language studies help in your other A-levels or in your personal hobbies, enabling you to read historical documents in their original form, or to watch the films of Truffaut without having to squint for the sub-titles!

How French is taught at Hurtwood

The course encourages students to:
Develop understanding of the spoken and written forms of the Foreign Language from a variety of registers
Communicate confidently, clearly and imaginatively in the Foreign Language through both the spoken and written word, using increasingly accurate, complex and varied language
Increase their sensitivity to language and language learning
Develop critical insights into, and contact with, the contemporary society, cultural background and heritage of countries or communities where the foreign language is spoken
Develop positive attitude to foreign language learning

In addition to the AS requirements, Advanced GCE students should:
Understand and study in greater depth aspects of the contemporary society, cultural background and heritage of one or more of The French speaking countries, demonstrating a higher level of critical awareness
Use the foreign language to analyse, hypothesise, evaluate, argue a case, justify, persuade, rebut, develop arguments and present viewpoints, in speech and in writing
Demonstrate their capacity for critical thinking, to see the relationships between different aspects of the subject and to perceive their field of study in a broader context
Understand and apply the grammatical system and a range of structures as listed in the specification for Advanced GCE and use of a wider range of vocabulary
Transfer meaning from English into French and/or vice versa

All lessons are conducted in French, English only being used when expedient.
Both students and staff enjoy yearly educational trips as well as a language day and student conferences in London, which are all part of the language learning experience here at Hurtwood.

French

SPECIFICATIONS

Unit 1: Spoken Expression and Response in French

Externally assessed

Availability: January and April/May

First assessment: January 2009

Content summary:

This unit rewards students for their ability to converse in French on a general topic area that they have chosen in advance. Students will need to demonstrate that they can engage in a discussion in French that relates to a chosen general topic area and allied subtopics. Students will be expected to give relevant and appropriate information, convey opinions, interact and respond to a range of questions. They must choose one of the following general topic areas:

Youth culture and concernsLifestyle: health and fitness

The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the French-speaking world

Education and employment.

Assessment:

8-10 minute assessment in two sections.

Section A requires students to respond to four Edexcel-set questions on a stimulus related to the student’s chosen general topic area.

Section B requires the teacher/examiner to engage the student in a discussion that, although still relating to the same general topic area and its linked subtopics, moves away from the main focus of the stimulus. Centres will need to record the full assessment of all students on either cassette or CD.

All students for this unit will be assessed by Edexcel.

Unit 2: Understanding and Written Response in French

Externally assessed

Availability: January and June

First assessment: June 2009

Content summary:

This unit requires students to understand and convey their understanding of French language texts and recordings. In addition, students will need to produce an essay to demonstrate an ability to manipulate the French language in continuous writing. Students will be expected to recognise and use the French language in a variety of contexts and in relation to a prescribed range of general topic areas.

The unit draws upon four general topic areas:

Youth culture and concerns

Lifestyle: health and fitness

The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the French-speaking world

Education and employment.

Assessment:

2 hour 30 minute paper in three sections.

Section A requires students to listen to a range of authentic recorded French-language material and to retrieve and convey information given in the recording by responding to a range of French-language questions.

Section B requires students to read authentic French-language printed materials and to retrieve and convey information by responding to a range of mainly French-language test types.

Section C requires students to write 200-220 words in the form of a letter, report or article in French based on a short printed French-language stimulus.

All students for this unit will be assessed by Edexcel.

Unit 3: Understanding and Spoken Response in French

Externally assessed

Availability: April/May

First assessment: June 2010

Content summary:

This unit requires students to demonstrate the effectiveness of their French-language skills by presenting and taking a clear stance on any issue of their choice. They will be expected to interact effectively with the teacher/examiner, defend their views and sustain discussion as the teacher/examiner moves the conversation away from their chosen issue. They will be expected to use the language of debate and argument to discuss the issue and will also be assessed for understanding as well as communication and quality of spoken language.

Assessment:

11-13 minute assessment

Students first outline their chosen issue for about one minute, adopting a definite

stance towards the issue. They should then defend and justify their opinions for up to four minutes. The teacher/examiner will then initiate a spontaneous discussion in which a minimum of two further unpredictable areas of discussion will be covered. Centres will need to record the full assessment of all students on either cassette or CD.

All students for this unit will be assessed by Edexcel.

Unit 4: Research, Understanding and Written Response in French

Externally assessed

Availability: June

First assessment: June 2010

Content summary:

This unit requires students to demonstrate skills in advanced-level French writing

(discursive or creative essay) and translation from English into French. The unit also requires students to demonstrate evidence of independent, advanced-level Frenchlanguage reading and research of a chosen text, play, film or topic area that links to the culture and/or society of a French-speaking country, countries or community. The content of this unit will be linked to the following general topic areas:

Youth culture and concerns

Lifestyle: health and fitness

The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the French-speaking world

Education and employment

Customs, traditions, beliefs and religions

National and international events: past, present and future

Literature and the arts.

Assessment:

2 hour 30 minute paper in three sections.

Section A: A short written translation exercise to test students’ ability to transfer

meaning from English into French effectively.

Section B: A French-language essay in response to one from a choice of seven

questions, linked to the prescribed general topic areas, that invite either discursive or creative writing.

Section C: A research-based essay in French (240-270 words) to reward students

for French-language research skills linked to an area of interest to the student that relates to the culture and/or society of a French-language country, countries or community. They have freedom to determine the content of their research (potentially in negotiation with their teacher) but it must relate to the four research-based essay topic areas for this unit.

All students for this unit will be assessed by Edexcel. Students are not permitted to take any books, dictionaries or texts into the examination room.

Who will teach you?

Malika Khellaf

I was born in Paris and moved to England after my degree in English Literature and civilization. I studied French, Spanish, Italian and English amongst other subjects for my “Baccalauréat” (A levels) at the “Lycée Montesquieu” in Le Mans.

I then read English, Spanish and Italian at the “Université du Maine”.

After my degree was completed I was employed as a Foreign Language assistant in 2 Comprehensive schools in Solihull, where I studied simultaneously for my masters in “American Contemporary Literature” for a year.

I then remained in Birmingham and taught French and Spanish for a year before taking a PGCE course at the University of Birmingham.

I have been teaching French and Spanish since 1999 and have enjoyed organizing several educational trips abroad; I see it as part of my duty to expose students to the foreign language as well as to different cultures and traditions.

What skills do I need?

To start courses in A-level French, German, Italian or Spanish we would expect a student to have studied it at GCSE level and gained an A grade pass. However, it should not be thought that A-level work is just a continuation of GCSE. It would certainly be expected that students would have mastered the fundamentals such as the basic rules of grammar, the formation and use of the main tenses, the common irregular verbs, and the genders. This is rather like learning the rules of a game before starting to play it.
But the A-level course goes much further, involving the skills of translation, both into and from English, and studying works of literature by major novelists, poets and dramatists in the chosen language.

After A-level

We offer GCSE courses and AS and A-Level qualifications, which lead to a wide range of opportunities at Universities in the UK and abroad. French will be considered an asset with any other subject combination and would open up many possibilities for combined degrees such as Economics and Business.
Modern Languages mix well with any combination of A-level subjects, although care should be taken where you are wanting to take specialist courses in the Sciences at degree level. Proficiency in a language is highly regarded for Business and Science, as well as for Arts and Humanities courses. If you wish to read single or joint Honours courses in French, Spanish or German at University, it is essential to take the subject at A-level. Apart from interpreting or translation, linguists are also in demand for journalism, banking, sales and marketing, as well as tourism, broadcasting and hotel management.

French

How French is taught at Hurtwood

SPECIFICATIONS

Who will teach you?

What skills do I need?

After A-level

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