Year 12 topics are:

• The changing nature of family (La famille en voie de changement)
• The ‘cyber-society’ (La « cyber-société »)
• The place of voluntary work (Le rôle du bénévolat)
• A culture proud of its heritage (Une culture fière de son patrimoine)
• Contemporary francophone music (La musique francophone contemporaine)
• Cinema: the 7th art form (Cinéma : le septième art)
• We will also study the film “Au Revoir les Enfants”

Year 13 topics are:

• Positive features of a diverse society (Les aspects positifs d’une société diverse)
• Life for the marginalised (Quelle vie pour les marginalisés ? )
• How criminals are treated (Comment on traite les criminels)
• Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment (Les ados, le droit de vote et l’engagement politique)
• Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power? (Manifestations, grèves – à qui le pouvoir? )
• Politics and immigration (La politique et l’immigration)
• We will also study the text “No et Moi” and students will undertake an Individual Research Project. This is discussed in the Speaking exam, and sees you researching any aspect of the Francophone world.

There is a trip to France in November of Year 13.

Lessons are conducted largely in French and students are expected to participate as actively as possible. GCSE Grammar structures are revisited and further, more sophisticated structures are also taught. The film “Au Revoir les Enfants” is studied and students start to write analytical essays on this. They are expected to keep up to date with current affairs in the Francophone world and regularly read in French independently (guidance is given on this).

Paper 1: Listening, Reading and Writing (including writing summaries and translation into and out of French)

Paper 2: Writing Exam (one essay on the set film, one essay on the set text)

Paper 3: Speaking Exam (discussion of one of the above 12 topics and the Individual Research Project)

There is no coursework element in A Level French.

Please refer to our entry requirements document.

An A level in French can lead of course to study French at University level. Languages can be combined with almost anything and new ones started from scratch. Other possibilities are the fields of travel and tourism, translating, teaching, journalism and linking languages with business. The need for a skill combined with the ability to speak a language is increasingly in demand in many types of employment such as the Civil Service, Law, Accountancy, Hotel and Catering. Britain is desperately short of well qualified graduates with language skills. Employment opportunities for those who study a language, especially when combined with something else, are very good indeed.