The syllabus content is organised around five topic areas:
- Area A: Everyday activities
- Area B: Personal and social life
- Area C: The world around us
- Area D: The world of work
- Area E: The international world
All students take the following four examinations:
- Paper 1 Listening
- Paper 2 Reading
- Paper 3 Speaking
- Paper 4 Writing
As well as building your language skills, you will explore different cultures, customs and values to gain a range of transferrable skills:
- Confidence in working with information and ideas
- Responsibility towards own learning
- Innovation to cope with new challenges
- Commitment to take any opportunity to strengthen knowledge of the language
All students take the following four examinations, each worth 25% of the final grade:
- Paper 1 Listening: students listen to a number of recordings and answer questions in French. The paper is divided into three sections and the examination lasts 45 minutes.
- Paper 2 Reading: students read a number of texts and answer questions again in French. The paper is divided into three sections and the examination lasts 1 hour.
- Paper 3 Speaking: students complete two role plays, a topic presentation with follow-up conversation and a general conversation. The examination is carried out by a teacher and lasts 15 minutes. It is recorded and assessed internally and moderated externally.
- Paper 4 Writing: students have three different exercises and write exclusively in French. Section 1 has two questions: first students have to write a series of single words based on pictures and for the second question they are tasked to write 80-90 words. Section 2 gives the students a choice of three tasks, with each task consisting of 130-140 words. The examination lasts 1 hour.
The listening, reading and writing skills are assessed at the end of Year 11 as external examinations. The speaking skills are assessed in the Spring Term of Year 11.