French

Course summary

French is the official language in 32 states and countries. It is spoken by over 300 million people in the world, and 56% of all French speakers live in Africa. It is the second most widely taught foreign language after English, the second most common language used in diplomacy, and the third most commonly-used language in business. (Source: Diplomatie.gouv.fr) Building on the knowledge, understanding and skills gained at GCSE, you will learn an interesting spectrum of social, intellectual, historical, political and cultural topics throughout the course. You will study a film and a piece of literature, and you will undertake a research piece into an area of personal interest in France or another French-speaking country to further develop your cultural awareness. You will do almost all of this study in French, so your language will come on in leaps and bounds. In the second year, you will have weekly one-to-one sessions with a foreign language assistant, working on your speaking skills.