French
faqs
Why study French A-Level at Higham Lane Sixth Form?
If you have a talent for languages, then you might want to consider continuing with your French studies at A-Level. With our world becoming more globalised, the ability to speak another language, even if only to A-Level, can open up many doors in your career and academic life.
What travel opportunities will studying French at A-Level bring me?
If you intend to go to Sixth Form after school, then your knowledge of French will give you the opportunity to maybe take a gap year in various French-speaking countries across the world. Your language skills will also provide you with opportunities to work abroad in summer camps, where you can truly put your language skills to good use.
Studying French at A-Level, not only improves your language skills, but it provides you with insights into France’s history and culture. If you do plan on travelling after school, this knowledge will truly enhance your experience.
What are the business advantages with the French language?
With France being one of the UK’s largest European trading partners, French can provide you with a number of career opportunities. The British Council sees French as a big asset to UK companies, and post-Brexit it’s likely to continue to grow in importance.
Many French-speaking countries lie in Africa, which is an increasing global marketplace. With countries such as Tanzania and Cote D’Ivoire being rich in natural resources, the ability to speak French could allow you to pursue careers related to resources such as gold and petroleum.
Context:
Languages are all around us; they are used in so many situations whether at work, on holiday or just casually in day-to-day life - we live in a multilingual global society. Choosing an A-level language is a really smart move! They are fascinating subjects which give you both a range of career possibilities alongside having fun whilst you learn!
A-level language courses are interesting and varied subjects to study and give you a broad range of knowledge and skills. Learning a language is a never-ending process; languages are constantly changing, bringing in new words and getting rid of old ones.
The skills and qualifications that you gain from studying a language at A-level are incredibly important tools to have under your belt. For example, learning a foreign language can build your communication, interpersonal, intercultural, and public speaking skills. Some studies have also shown that learning another language can
improve your ability to multi-task and block out distractions. Languages are great for a wide variety of careers especially those involving translation or communication with people from non-English speaking countries. This can include careers in tourism, government, politics, media, publishing, and journalism. You can also work in education, fashion or law!
Exam Board:
WJEC Eduqas (603/0064/4; 603/0071/1)
Assessment:
3 papers covering:
A-Level paper 1: Listening, reading and translation (50% of A-Level)
A-Level paper 2: Written response to work, grammar and translation (20% of A-Level)
A-Level paper 3: Speaking (30% of A-Level)
Course Details:
A-Level papers will be based on content from the following themes:
Being a young person in French-speaking society
Understanding the French-speaking world
Diversity and difference
France 1940-1950: the occupation and post-war years
One book and one film will be studied for A-Level paper 2.
One Independent Research Project (IRP) will be completed for A-Level paper 3.
Other Learning Opportunities:
Foreign Language Assistant (FLA) work with KS3/4 classes.
Where next with this course?
Languages are an invaluable skill to have. Having a language can increase your salary from 8 to 20% and can give you a head start on other potential employees. By speaking another language you are vital to any company that operates with other international businesses (and there are a lot of them!). Furthermore, a language is also a pre-requisite for many university courses so it is something to consider if you are thinking about university in the future.
Incorporating a language into your degree can set yourself ahead of the rest when applying for jobs once university is over. Studying languages shows a high level of communication skills, the ability to work independently and that you are mature, confident and can easily adapt to different situations and cultures. These skills are essential in the multicultural, global society that we live in.
One thing to bear in mind when considering a language degree is the third year. A language degree is 4 years long, as you spend the third year abroad in a foreign country. You can study, work or be a teaching assistant. The great thing about the year abroad is the chance for you to use your language in your daily life and you can also meet new people and travel to new places. You will have many new cultural experiences, such as eating local food, visiting places you'd never heard of and celebrating local traditions.