French

Course summary

This A Level covers a range of social and cultural topics that relate to the countries where French is spoken, such as cinema, heritage and the changes in family life. We currently offer a residential trip to Paris. You will be using a range of skills to study both these topics and the film La Haine as well as the novel No et Moi. As a research project in your second year, you will be able to choose a topic related to a French-speaking country to discuss in your speaking exam. Weekly speaking sessions with a native speaker will help build up your confidence and improve your fluency. French can be studied in combination with any course at A level or in Higher Education. Graduates in modern languages are in high demand and language students’ skills are highly valued by both universities and employers. Former Wyke French students have gone on to university to read Law with French; Chemistry with French and International Relations. Most of your lessons will be delivered in French and half of them will take place in the computer room where online resources are often used. As well as 4×70 minutes lessons with your specialist teacher, you will have a 30-minute session with the Foreign Language Assistant each week. Topic booklets/handouts based on the AQA recommended texts and materials, are issued throughout the course to every student. You will study a range of social and cultural topics that relate to the countries where French is spoken, such as changes in family; music and cinema and marginalised groups in society. By studying these topics you will gain fluency and the skills which will allow you to manipulate the language confidently. You will also study a film and a book, and choose a topic to research independently in your second year of study. We use a variety of resources in lessons, and you will take part in pair and group work as well as working individually. You will have access to extensive online resources at home and in college to support your progress. Weekly speaking sessions with a native speaker will help build up your confidence and improve your fluency as well as enhance your listening skills. Assessment tasks will be varied and cover listening, reading, speaking and writing skills. COURSE CONTENT: • Aspects of French society: current trends and issues. • Artistic culture in the French-speaking world. • Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world. • Individual research project (based on a sub-topic of one of the above topics) • Study of one text and one film • Grammar