GCE EXAMINERS' REPORTS
FRENCH
AS/Advanced
SUMMER 2012
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
Statistical Information
The Examiner’s Report may refer in general terms to statistical outcomes. Statistical
information on candidates’ performances in all examination components (whether internally
or externally assessed) is provided when results are issued.
Annual Statistical Report
The annual Statistical Report (issued in the second half of the Autumn Term) gives overall
outcomes of all examinations administered by WJEC.
Unit
Page
FN1
1
FN2
6
FN3
13
FN4
16
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
FRENCH
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2012
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
Chief Examiner:
Mr Gareth Wyn Roberts
Principal Examiners:
Mr Philip Anthony Ainsworth
Mrs Lindsey Davies
FN1a – External Examiner conducted oral
FN1b – Teacher conducted oral
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
Entry
FN1a (01)
2237
Max Mark
60
Mean Mark
50.1
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
52
47
42
38
34
Unit
Entry
FN1b (02)
1553
Max Mark
60
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
52
47
42
38
34
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
1
Mean Mark
51.0
FN1 and FN3 oral tests
SUMMARY
Almost all centres are now used to the nature and demands of both the FN3 and the FN1
examinations. They generally feel comfortable with the topics and the nature of the cards
containing the tasks. There is, however, a tendency in many centres to rely heavily on prelearnt material which may not, in some instances, be relevant to the questions asked. The
best performance is to be seen where candidates have been thoroughly prepared and happy
to discuss in French and show spontaneity and flexibility in their answers. In some instances,
trying to elicit a ‘spontaneous conversation’ when there has been no preparation or thought
can lead to poor conversations and frustration for both the examiner and the candidate.
In both FN1 and FN3 candidates still tend to write too much in the preparation room when
getting ready for their tests. They then read this out word for word.
In many centres, where the FN1b test is conducted by the centre staff rather than the
external examiner, pupils are allowed to deliver mini-speeches without sufficient challenge or
further questioning. This is true both in card based tasks and in the ensuing conversations.
At FN3, candidates and centres are familiar with the requirements of the topic based
conversation tests. The fact that candidates now have a small element of choice of the topic
they will discuss gives them increased confidence.
Exposés on films are still particularly popular and the ensuing conversations do convey the
candidates’ enthusiasm for the film, book or region chosen. As the discussion following the
exposé lasts ‘up to ten minutes’, candidates must expect questions which broaden out the
conversation to the book, film or region chosen and not just the specific aspect discussed.
They must also expect to be discouraged from giving pre-learnt speeches and required to
rise to the challenge of unexpected questions.
Introduction
The board would like to thank centres for the welcome given to the visiting examiners and
the arrangements made for them. Oral examiners are aware that centres vary in the quality
of their facilities but appreciate the centres’ efforts to provide suitable accommodation for the
tests.
The preparation room does not have to be supervised but it is essential to have someone
close by in case of an emergency. The preparation room, as well as the room where the
tests take place, must be clearly indicated as examination rooms. This was not done in many
centres. We say once more that it is not part of the examiner’s duties to check whether
candidates have taken in mobile phones etc. into examination rooms, nor is it part of the
examiner’s duties to look after candidates’ belongings during the examination. A chaperone
is not required but is permitted. A chaperone, for any reason, should not be the candidate’s
French teacher.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
2
FN1a (conducted and marked by the visiting examiner)
(a)
Topic based conversation
The system of choosing cards worked well. Some candidates were
disappointed while others were pleased at their choice of card. All cards were
well answered by some candidates and no cards appeared more popular than
others. Centres are reminded that they need to cover each of the topics.
Many candidates exceed the guidelines in the amount of material they can
write in the preparation room. Consequently they try and read very full
answers to the initial three questions. This is against the spirit of the
examination as over-reliance on pre-prepared material is discouraged in the
specification and mark scheme.
Some candidates feel threatened by interruptions by the examiner.
Candidates should not think that they can give mini speeches on something
they have prepared earlier or be allowed to talk about something which is not
relevant to the question asked. Examiners are looking for a good interactive
atmosphere and a high degree of spontaneity. Speaking at length is not the
same as speaking spontaneously and interactively with the visitor.
Candidates sometimes do not understand a question and proceed to ignore it
in their answer. Candidates may ask an examiner to rephrase a question.
(b)
General conversation
Most candidates coped well with the ‘general conversation’ – which is really a
‘personal conversation’. Surprisingly, some candidates are still unable to
discuss what they do in their other subjects through the medium of French.
Candidates should be prepared to be stopped by the examiner who might
wish to steer the conversation to another aspect of a subject or topic. Many
candidates did not know what they would like to do in the future. They should
not be content with ‘je ne sais pas’ in response, but rather they should try to
indicate areas of interest and some possible ideas for the future.
Some barely improved their level beyond GCSE French. There needs to be a
clear improvement in sophistication, length of utterances and quality of
language and vocabulary between GCSE even when discussing hobbies.
Again those with few interesting hobbies should talk in detail about what they
might like to try or what they used to do and not be content with ‘je n’ai pas le
temps’, a common answer to searching questions about hobbies!
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
3
FN1b (tests conducted by teachers but externally marked)
Some centres continued to use cassettes. Digital media usually makes for clarity of
recordings - though in some centres the volume of the recording was low.
For FN1b, it would be very helpful if teachers could clearly identify themselves, especially in
centres where more than one teacher conducts the test. A brief report form is made
available to centres after the tests have been marked.
Centres generally coped well with the process of the candidates’ selection of the topic based
cards. In some centres, however, candidates were given two A cards or two B cards or two
text cards or two picture cards. This is contrary to the requirements. In addition, the cards
are to be done first followed by the conversation. This was not done in all instances.
There are more acute problems in the centre conducted tests than those tests conducted by
an external examiner. When candidates answer the three initial questions on each card,
many teachers allow their candidates to talk for too long, thus giving the impression of over
rehearsal and overuse of pre-learnt material in their response to the three initial questions. In
some centres no further questions were asked on each of the cards. Candidates should not
be allowed to deliver pre-learned mini-speeches.
The discussion on the cards is ‘topic based’. Although some of the topics, such as hobbies,
interests, education, overlap with those for the general conversation, when the cards are
being discussed, candidates should discuss these topics in general, using perhaps ‘on’
rather than ‘moi je’
Centres should also aim to make their conversations more natural, in both the topic based
conversation and the ‘general conversation’ and steer candidates away from mini speeches.
Often ideas expressed by candidates will need further exploration. Jumping from one
question to a question on something completely different without further exploration is not
good practice. Teachers also need to present candidates with a challenge to show that they
can cope with the unexpected, by asking questions that the candidate has not been asked
before. These ‘surprises’ should arise naturally from the conversation and not be artificial.
Questions to the examiner always seem to be artificial or unnatural and are best avoided.
We know that these recordings are not natural conversations but tests.
Centres also need to bear timings in mind as some centres discussed one card for five to
seven minutes, rather than the specified four minutes for each of the two cards. Examiners
who conduct oral tests that overshoot timings are not giving the candidates any advantage
or favours. If a general conversation, for example, is longer than the specified seven
minutes, candidates’ performances often dip.
Asking and answering the first three questions on the card should take no more than a
minute and a half. The remaining two or two and a half minutes should be a conversation on
the topic indicated on the card. This should arise spontaneously from answers to the first
three questions. In some centres, it is obvious that the ensuing ‘conversation’ is one that has
been prepared earlier on that particular topic in that centre. This affects spontaneity and
genuine interactivity.
The general conversation is generally well handled - though again a little more naturalness
and spontaneity would lead to improved marks. All three topics – hobbies and interests,
current subjects studied and future plans – need to be discussed. We are looking for
candidates who can give opinions and support them.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
4
We re-iterate that GCSE type descriptive topics such as family, school, town and region are
not part of the WJEC AS test. For FN1b, some centres are still questioning students about
their old school and in some cases asking the students to talk about themselves and their
families. These aspects are not appropriate for AS level French. Although it seems natural to
talk about candidates’ possible visits to France, such questioning needs to be done within
the confines of the three set topics, for example, the relevance of the visit to the candidate’s
study of French or future plans to live in France. There is a tendency for many of discussions
about visits to France to become descriptive and ‘detached’ from the specified topics.
Having stated all their shortcomings, it is pleasing to report that many centres do succeed in
conducting very good personalised orals which are spontaneous.
The very best discussions on the cards show a high level of detailed knowledge and
sophisticated reasoning within the four minute discussion. Similarly, the very best ‘general
conversations’ are rich in detail, well-argued and maintain or defend viewpoints.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
5
FN2
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
Entry
FN2
3871
Max Mark
98
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
69
62
56
50
44
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
6
Mean Mark
55.3
FN2 - Listening, Reading and Writing
SUMMARY
The overall standard for the examination was similar to that of last year. The mean for the
paper went down suggesting that the paper was more challenging. This summer, the FN2
was marked electronically. As a result, it is imperative that candidates adhere to the spaces
provided for their answers. Ample space is available on the examination paper. Leaving a
line between sentences in the essay should be discouraged. Using black ink optimises the
legibility of hand writing in scanned papers.
Crossing out answers or moving them around the page via a system of arrows creates
problems when the paper is being marked electronically. The paper covered most of the
themes in the specification. The listening was on sexual equality within secondary schools;
one article was on learning to drive (youth culture / training), the second article on different
kinds of farm holidays (leisure / tourism) with essays on whether team sports encourages
friendship & health; dangers of drugs; the importance of marriage and whether youth culture
was different to that of adults.
Generally speaking candidates found the requirement to ‘answer in your own words as much
as possible’ the most challenging part of the paper, mainly the questions set on the two
reading passages. The standard of translation seemed to have improved with candidates
being more vigilant and dextrous in their transfer of meaning in different tenses. There were
fewer unfocussed essays, however, too many candidates are writing an essay that is broadly
on the topic area set but lacks the specific focus of the essay on the paper! A positive trend
is that grammatically based questions show a distinct improvement, particularly the gapfilling exercises.
Question 1 - Listening and responding - Comprehension task answered in French
(8 marks)
In terms of the facility factor, this was the 4th most accessible question out of 8, making it a
fairly challenging question.
Première partie:
The listening proved to be more of a discriminator than usual as the topic area of sexual
equality within the school context is more abstract than areas in previous listening exercises.
Candidates are becoming adept at using antonyms but some omit ticking a box or tick the
VRAI box and proceed to rephrase the original statement.
The main requirement for this task is comprehensibility. Grammatical accuracy or lack of it
only affects a mark if it impedes communication and intelligibility. Some candidates are still
unable to use simple antonyms in order to successfully correct a false assertion. A small
minority persist in negating a false assertion. It clearly states in the rubric that this is not
permissible!
(i), (iv) and (vii) gained the marks if the VRAI box was ticked.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
7
For the remaining questions the FAUX box and a correction of the original false statement
was required. If V or F was not ticked and the statement corrected properly, a mark was still
awarded. If V was ticked and the statement corrected, no mark was awarded.
(i)
Generally well done.
(ii)
les années 70 / 1970. A number confused 60 with 70. Many tried to write a full
sentence and spelling mistakes made the answer difficult to be understood e.g. mixe,
mixed, mix.
(iii)
au secondaire / lycée aussi (other alternative answers but NOT lycée seulement).
The answers were often unclear or only partial.
(v)
elles choisissent ces filières / continuent avec ces filières. The misspelling of
choisissent was very common.
(vi)
elles les trouvent difficiles OR elles abandonnent facilement. Often, misspelling of
difficiles.
(viii)
la majorité d’ingénieurs diplômés sont des garçons / 26% d’ingénieurs diplômés sont
des filles. Diplômes was often written as an answer. This could obviously not be
credited. Imprecise answers e.g. referring to majority or minority were not accepted.
Question 2 - Deuxième partie: Discrete grammar task based on the listening (5 marks)
This was well done. This type of question has shown an increase in standard, as testified by
the fact that this was the second most accessible question on the paper. Centres are
obviously providing practice at dictation style questions.
The blanks had to be filled in with words spelt correctly. A ‘zero tolerance’ policy was applied
– no misspellings were tolerated and all accents had to be right and in the right place. Q.3
meilleure seemed to cause the most problems.
Centres are to be congratulated for improving performance in this question.
Question 3(a) – Reading and Responding – Comprehension task. Choosing the
correct statements on the first reading passage (5 marks)
This was the most accessible question on the paper. Candidates are well used to this kind of
question and perform well at it! Only 5 true statements had to be ticked. One mark was
deducted for any extra statement ticked. The vast majority of candidates followed the rubric
here.
(i), (iii), (vi), (viii) and (x) gained the marks if the VRAI box was ticked.
Question 3(b) – Reading and Responding – Comprehension task. Answering the
questions in French on the first reading passage (8 marks)
This was the most challenging question on the examination paper. The main difficulty was
that candidates were not being awarded marks due to having copied from the text without
showing any manipulation of language. Lack of comprehension of the text was a secondary
difficulty. If any English words were used in the answer, the mark for that section could then
not be awarded even if the difference between the English and French word was minimal.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
8
Answers had to be in French and in the candidate’s own words. No lifting was allowed and the
answer had to be accurate enough to be understood. Candidates do not need to change every
word which would not be feasible or desirable, but they needed to show they had manipulated
the language in some way. This often means changing the verb in terms of syntax in some way
or possibly changing the sentence around.
Another problem with reading is the inability of the candidates to answer in the CORRECT
TENSE. Candidates need to read a question carefully and especially note the tense being used.
In most cases candidates should answer in the tense of the question. A repeated grammatical
error was the 2nd verb infinitive. Many candidates lost marks for copying the plural command
form from the text - a simple construction with a modal + 2nd verb infinitive would have shown
manipulation and avoided copying from the text.
(i)
idea of c’est moins cher / tout est compris. Mainly well-answered.
(ii)
idea of payer des intérêts + sur le prêt. Answers were often unclear or only partially
answered.
(iii)
idea of “not going out to learn / learning at home”.
(iv)
idea of “lack of examiners / not enough examiners”.
(v)
idea of: 1) “must be 28 years old” and 2) “must have a driving license for 3 years or
more”. (depuis 3 ans but not pour 3 ans which would involve a future allusion).
(vi)
2 answers required (many alternative answers). Some adduced ça coûte plus cher as an
advantage!
Question 3(b) - Reading and Responding - Answering the questions in French on the
second reading passage (11 marks)
Not surprisingly, this was the third most challenging question on the examination paper. Marks
were mainly lost for lack of manipulation of language when extracting the answer from the text,
i.e. too much verbatim copying. Others lost marks unnecessarily by using English words in their
answers – an English word in an answer means that the mark for that part cannot be awarded.
As in (b), answers had to be in candidates’ own words. The lifting of a sentence is not allowed.
(i)
3 not 3 noms (copying from text).
(ii)
idea of “going to / visiting a farm”. Many alluded to activités à la ferme.
(iii)
idea of “staying / eating with l’habitant”.
(iv)
idea of “being alone / moving from one gîte to another”.
(v)
idea of “local people”. Locaux not acceptable as it is a different word.
(vi)
idea of “booking beforehand”.
(vii)
idea of either “looking for a gîte beforehand / choose a region / order regional guides”.
Answers needed to be specific to en ligne, missed by many.
(viii)
infinitive required in the 2 answers: 1) préparer... 2) réserver... (showing manipulation of
the original verbs in the texts).
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
9
(ix)
idea of “learning to cook”. Idea not understood or answer unclear (many assuming stage
to mean ”work experience”.
(x)
idea of “local / fresh food”.
Question 4 – Discrete grammar task based on the second reading passage (10 marks)
This grammatical-cum-semantic based exercise was the 4th most challenging question on the
examination paper. There seemed to be an improvement in overall performance this year,
reflecting the fact that more centres are laying greater emphasis on grammar during lessons.
Not all words were needed and every word could only be used once. The spelling had to be
correct and accents had to be right and in the right place. Once 2-3 answers were wrong this
often led to a number of further errors. Candidates need to bear in mind that the words in the
gaps need to make sense in the article from which the passage has been paraphrased as well
as being grammatically correct. Some basic errors belied a lack of appropriate vocabulary e.g.
Q.5 where ordinateur was used instead of repas or basic syntax Q.7 à vous aider instead of
pour.
Question 5 – Transfer of meaning task from target language into English / Welsh
(16 marks)
This question was the second most challenging question in the examination. Every sentence
was divided into sections according to the marks awarded. Every part of the sentence had to be
mentioned in the answer and verbs had to be in the correct tense. Missing words and also words
in another language were not credited.
For this question, sometimes a “creative” translation was tried but not all parts of the sentence
were mentioned.
Generally, most candidates coped well with the approximate transfer of meaning but found
idiomatic language a far greater challenge. Candidates would do well to learn the most common
faux amis.
Candidates should be aware that the correct tense is required in this exercise.
(i)
passer translated as “pass” or “sit”. Renseignez-vous was often “resign yourself”.
(ii)
The word encore was often omitted. The tense was a problem for some. Conducteurs
often became “conductors”, even though the context should have given the meaning of
the word.
(iii)
Many spelt “differenCiate incorrectly.
(iv)
Location was a clear discriminator, its French meaning known by few indeed.
(v)
reçu not known in this context. A surprising number did not know the days of the week.
Those who wrote the French word groupe in their English could not be awarded the
mark for the section.
(vi)
étonnés was not known by most and stage mis-translated (in this context) as “work
experience”.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
10
Question 6 – Essay in French (200-250 words)
Somewhat surprisingly, this was the 3rd most accessible question on the paper. This reflects
the fact that there are now fewer completely unfocussed essays. All essays were attempted
but the first two proved to be more popular by far.



20 marks were awarded for Quality of Response,
10 marks for Accuracy,
5 marks for Range and Idiom.
Candidates should bear in mind that the majority of marks are to be gained for garnering and
marshalling thoughts and opinions in comprehensible French, accuracy and range being
less important in terms of marks.
Some candidates did not specify the question answered (a), (b), (c) or (d) and it could be
very confusing for the examiner when the question was not answered properly for example
les drogues and la culture des jeunes.
Some essays, whether the question number was specified or not, covered 2 or sometimes
even more of the essay titles. Too short essays were scaled down and candidates were
penalised for essays that were too long.
(a)
les sports d’équipe encouragent l’amitié et la bonne forme:
Many candidates did not mention “équipe” and did an essay on “any individual sport”.
Also the 2 points “amitié” and “bonne forme” were not always discussed. Some
candidates tried to cover 2-3 of these titles in the one essay, which of course could
not be rewarded. Weaker candidates gave lists of sports whereas more discerning
candidates alluded to the overly competitive nature of sport and bonne forme in
addressing the key words in the title.
(b)
les drogues sont dangereuses:
Some candidates deviated and only discussed tabagisme or alcoolisme. Some
excellent essays addressed the dangers and negative consequences to health. Prelearnt, irrelevant material in weaker essays centred on the causes of drug addiction.
(c)
le marriage reste toujours important de nos jours:
Few attempted this question but there were some excellent responses covering
areas such as society / family / tradition / civil partnership.
(d)
la culture des jeunes est différente de celles des adultes:
Often candidates only mentioned their own life or again drugs and alcohol and their
essays were typically bereft of a comparison. This essay was very broad and could
include eating, doing / wearing different things and many contrasts.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
11
GENERAL COMMENTS
Some candidates still do not obey the rubric:

In question 1 they correct a VRAI statement or they negate a statement
(expressly forbidden in rubric).

In question 3a they tick too many statements.

In questions 3b/c they copy too much from the text or they use English words.

For questions 2 & 4 they lose marks for lack of complete accuracy.

In question 5 they use French words in their English / Welsh translations.

In question 6 answers can be too long, too short or do not answer the title set. All
these are transgressions of the rubric and if avoided many more marks could be
awarded to many more candidates.

The importance of understanding the tense in the question and using the correct
tense in the answer is often overlooked in Q.1, 3b, 3c & 5.

In the reading questions, strategies to avoid copying from the text are improving.
Candidates are increasingly adept at changing the sentence round, often
changing a passive sentence to an active one or vice versa. Dexterity in using
synonyms and antonyms continues to augment.

Candidates are becoming ever more skilful at transfer of meaning, but too many
are still letting themselves down by omitting simple words or failing to
comprehend idiomatic use of familiar words and also faux amis. Grammar and
syntax continue to improve, however, we have the usual areas for attention:

Use and forms of verbs, with the Present Tense being particularly poor.

Lack of familiarity with the different tenses.

Adjectival agreements.

Government of verbs.

Lack of use of on and confusion when attempting the passive.

Correct use of 2nd verb infinitives.

Candidates who do not know a verb in French often invent a new one like
“provider”,“improver”, or “texter” etc instead of trying to paraphrase using the
French they know or even think of a simpler word in French.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
12
FN3
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
Entry
FN3
2321
Max Mark
60
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
54
49
44
39
34
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
13
Mean Mark
50.2
FN3
All the tests are conducted by external visiting examiners.
(a)
Structured Discussion
Candidates seemed to be happier talking about the traditional topics at A2, namely
‘racism’, nuclear energy and ‘global warming’. Most candidates seemed to go for one
of these if they were offered as a choice of card. Candidates prefer to avoid media if
they can because they are less familiar with modern media than the traditional radio,
TV or printed material.
Some candidates are still making too copious notes for the guided discussion and
bringing these into the examination room. Brief notes, if any at all, are by far more
conducive to more fluent conversations. Candidates still need to bear in mind that the
card containing the text is only a starting point for a conversation that could deal with
any aspect of the topic area. The answer to the question what is the card about is
not meant to lead to twelve sentences of quotes from the passage. A couple of
sentences are enough. Candidates get too involved in the detail on the card – this is
not an “explication de texte”. Candidates should not expect to be able to give mini
speeches as answers to the three starter questions. The answer to the first question
should be brief - a sentence or two at most. Only in the third question can the
candidate expect to be given a little more freedom to present a view in more detail.
Some candidates seem to object to being stopped. They must, however, be made
aware that they need to be able to withstand robust questioning in order to get marks
in the higher bands. The ability to present opinions and viewpoints in good French
and being able to support assertions when challenged is the main feature of
candidates who perform very well in this examination.
This kind of test was also part of the previous A2 specification as well, so that centres
are aware of the requirements. Candidates wishing to gain the highest grades,
however, must be able to give relevant, cogent answers which show a very good
insight into the issues involved.
(b)
Oral Exposé
The majority of exposés were on films. Most of the exposés were on films from the
list set for the Guided Studies essay in FN4. The most popular were La Haine,
Amélie and Les Choristes. This is allowed in the specification but candidates and
centres need to be aware that there is a check to ensure that a candidate has not
answered a question on the same film, book or region in both the oral test and the
written test. This is contrary to the examination regulations and will normally
disqualify the candidate from the examination.
Many centres had candidates talking about films and books not on the prescribed list
and this worked well. Examiners cannot be expected to know every work that is
presented and indeed this does make for an interesting and possibly more
spontaneous conversation.
There are fewer exposés on books and regions. Many of those on the regions tend to
be descriptive rather than evaluative. There were many good exposés on books
(often on the set list e.g. Boule de Suif, L’étranger, Manon des Sources). The best
exposés on the literature were perceptive literary criticisms showing detailed relevant
knowledge.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
14
All centres provided visiting examiners with a list of candidates and their examination
numbers in the order candidates are being tested. Some centres, however, are still
allowing candidates to use the title of the film or book as the title of the exposé. This
makes it difficult for the examiner to get a focus for the ensuing conversation.
Candidates should present titles for presentations in the form of a question to be
answered or an issue or aspect of a film, book or region which is about to be
explored. The best exposés did not give an exhausting description of the book, play
or region but indicated clear areas that the examiner could pursue in the
conversation. Very often the examiner will ‘lead into’ the questions with general
questions, such as why was that film chosen? and why was that particular aspect of
interest to the candidate?. Some titles were too narrow and the conversation had to
be widened out to cover other aspects of the topic area. Some candidates found this
disconcerting but the conversation following the exposé does last for up to 10
minutes.
Generally the standard overall was good, in many instances very good. There were
some outstanding exposés and ensuing conversations. Those who tried to learn
exposés by heart were not always convincing. In most cases there was quite a large
discrepancy between the quality of French in the exposé and the quality of the
language in the conversation that followed. This is reflected in the marks awarded
and interactivity is impeded.
As all candidates are meant to prepare their exposés beforehand, the exposé must
be of very good quality to become outstanding enough to gain the highest marks.
The best quality exposés do keep to the four minute deadline. They are planned
meticulously and the language is succinct and in an appropriate oral register. They
have a short but effective introduction, a central part detailing and illustrating the
candidate’s opinion about the topic under discussion and a conclusion which is to the
point and possibly offers a lead in into the ensuing conversation.
While the exposé is a structured oral essay, the ensuing conversation is more
spontaneous and interactive. This means that the discussion can vary in depth and
breadth. Even in centres where numerous candidates have chosen to discuss the
same aspect of a book, every exposé and discussion is different.
Language marks in FN1 and FN3
The language marks in both FN1 and FN3 are important. Although Accuracy and Range are
only worth five marks each, poor accuracy and lack of expression can also affect the quality
of communication. The quality of intonation and pronunciation can vary considerably from
centre to centre. Intonation is adversely affected if candidates are reading long pre-prepared
answers to the starter questions or if they are regurgitating pre-learnt passages or minimonologues. Pronunciation of final consonants is a particular problem in some centres,
indicating that the candidates are more familiar with written rather than oral forms.
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FN4
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
Entry
FN4
2343
Max Mark
98
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
73
65
57
49
42
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
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Mean Mark
58.2
FN4 Listening, Reading and Writing
SUMMARY
The first part of the examination paper carries slightly more marks than the Guided Studies
essay but, nevertheless, candidates often gain higher marks for the essay than they do for
the first three questions.
For the first three questions which test candidates’ listening, reading and writing skills, the
content is specified in detail and candidates often lack the written language skills to give
sufficient accurate and careful attention to the tasks. In some instances marks are lost by not
paying due attention to the Rubric i.e. if answers are required in English, then answers in
French or which contain French words e.g. victim spelt as ‘victime’ will not be awarded a
mark. Similarly where answers are required in French and an English word is given e.g.
operation rather than opération, then the answer will not be credited.
Most candidates do realise now that in reading comprehension tasks where answers are
required in French, copying out the original text will not gain marks. Most candidates can
manipulate the French sufficiently to avoid copying but their answers often lack sufficient
accuracy to ensure full communication of the idea.
This year’s paper was perceived as a little more difficult than that set in 2011 but provided a
suitable level of challenge for candidates of a wide range of ability. The average mark for the
listening task (question 1, worth 6 marks) was above half marks as was the mark for the first
reading comprehension task (i.e. Question 2 (a) worth 10 marks, with answers both in
English / Welsh and in French). It was the second reading task (worth 12 marks) which
proved to be the least accessible task. It was a good discriminator and it yielded a wide
range of marks.
Candidates were able to ‘borrow’ some of the vocabulary, and indeed structures, for the
transfer of meaning task from English/ Welsh into French. Candidates, on average, gained
half marks for this question. Marks were generally lost for inappropriate vocabulary and lack
of grammatical accuracy, in particular accuracy in verbal forms.
Question 1 (Listening and responding - comprehension tasks answered in English or
Welsh)
1.
Almost all candidates understood that the period was approximately ‘50 years’. Some
did not understand ‘cinquante’ and said ‘15 ‘or ‘5’, or did not give the appropriate unit
of time i.e. just answered ‘50’ or ’15 weeks’.
2.
Most candidates understood the contrast between the present and previous situation
but got confused with explosions etc. It was the exposure to nuclear energy which
caused the illness.
3.
The contrast of underground tests and tests above ground was not understood by
some. In fact some confused ‘below’ and ‘above’ or got the geographical area
incorrect.
4.
Candidates were not credited for repayment, reparation, reimbursement,
recompense, remuneration.
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Question 2 (Reading and responding - 1 or 2 passages in French related to one or
more of the topic areas with comprehension tasks some of which will be answered in
English/Welsh
Question 2 (a)
The first part had to be answered in English.
1.
Two different ideas were required.
2.
(i)
3.
Almost all understood the idea of hurtful/ insulting remarks
Many understood the idea of humiliation but (ii) ‘chantage’ was only
understood by a few. Often we had ‘singing’.
The second part of 2(a) had to be answered in French.
4.
Three different answers were required. Most candidates understood that the
perpetrator could hide their identity, that the victim could not hide from the bullying
and that information on the internet remained there forever - but lacked the language
to express one or more of these ideas clearly.
5.
Most candidates understood that the victim didn’t use his or her computer but not all
understood that the victim did not respond to SMS messages. Stating that he or she
did not use the mobile phone was not enough.
Question 2 (b)
All the questions had to be answered in French.
NB Generally the answers had to be in an appropriate tense. Note also that using quotation
marks around the text is likely to mean that the text has been copied out rather than
adequately manipulated to answer the question set.
1. ‘ignorer’ was marked as incorrect.
2. The notion of ‘expulsion’ had to be included in the answer. ‘Vol’ was too vague.
3. Some did not understand that Douai was not a person but the location of the court
which freed one Afghan. Many answers were marked wrong because they said ‘ils’…
4. Either the ministry’s refusal to comment or the police’s willingness to do so would
have gained the mark. Very often quoting the text in quotation marks was not a
sufficient answer. ‘Ils’ would not have provided a suitable answer either as it is either
‘la police’= elle or ‘le ministère’= il.
5. Any idea of stopping the expulsions was an acceptable answer but many just quoted
the text.
6. Many did understand either that France was going to lose its reputation for
welcoming people, or that it was wrong to send someone back to a country at war
etc. The answers, however, were often garbled and lacked clarity.
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7. Many did not understand that the government had decided to ignore a court ruling.
8. The English word ‘passport’ would have meant no mark awarded. The answer
needed to clearly indicate that the Afghan government did not give the proper
documentation to their citizens (not to France).
9. This was the answer where candidates made most use of quotation marks. Either the
present or past tense was acceptable here as was ‘anglais’ in addition to
‘britanniques’.
10. The idea that the exiles should/ were obliged to fight against the Taliban was
required. ‘Against the Taliban’ was also required because they could have fought for
the Taliban.
11. This is the question that resulted in the most garbled ideas. Any use of ‘notre/ nos
soldats would have given a wrong answer because the ‘reported speech’ was
incorrect. French soldiers would have been correct.
Question 3 (A short translation from English/Welsh into French based on one of the
topic areas - 25 marks, 15 for sections, 10 overall mark for accuracy).
Candidates were free to make use of passage 2b as a source of vocabulary and structures
but this had to be done with care as there were differences.
There were many ‘good’ proses. These were characterised by an attention to detail and
great grammatical accuracy. There were also proses that lacked these good features.
Although half marks were available for each section, significant omissions or incorrect key
words did mean the loss of the whole mark. Many candidates showed a lack of knowledge of
basic vocabulary e.g. aeroplane, coach, take off, land, arrive or basic constructions such as
time, (just before 11 pm, this morning, yesterday and countries (confusion of adjective and
country). There was carelessness also in the use of English rather than French version of
cognates e.g. ‘operation’ rather than opération’, ‘press’ instead of ‘la presse’,’official’ rather
than ‘officiel’. Occasionally the spelling was careless e.g. ‘avoin’ instead of ‘avion’.
The passage did contain a good variety of tenses but some candidates could not correctly
form the perfect tense e.g. ‘l’avion arrivé’ or ‘l’avion a arrivé’.
Accuracy marks tended to correspond closely to the mark for communication. Most mistakes
tended to involve the use of a correct tense, the grammatical accuracy of verbs, use of an
infinitive after another verb (la presse voulait savoir), adjective agreement, gender,
expressions of time, nationalities (countries and adjectives) and the use of pronouns after
prepositions e.g. ‘chez eux ‘.
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FN4 GUIDED STUDIES OPTION
The response to this option was very pleasing, with the majority of candidates knowing how
to answer the questions set.
The best answers were on the literature texts
A. LE MONDE DU CINEMA
Le boucher
Attempted by very few, but answers were all on (a). The essays on Popaul were well thought
out and explored his character well.
Le grand voyage
Candidates who wrote on this film seem to have engaged really well with the characters and
themes. For (a) there were some very intelligent, perceptive essays which successfully
explored the role of Mustapha, especially his impact and influence on Réda. Many
commented on Mustapha as the symbol of east meets west and the religious divide (in
contrast with Réda’s father’s attitudes and religious observance).
For (b) the religious importance was well defined as was the sub-theme of the father-son
relationship as the plot unfolds. Candidates responded with sensitivity to the delicacy of the
themes in this question.
In general candidates appeared to find much to interest them and some wrote with great
sensitivity.
Au revoir les enfants
A large number chose this film and candidates have a good knowledge of it. The themes and
characters were very well-explored and analysed by many candidates. There was a
tendency towards description in (a) as candidates outlined the daily life of the two boys.
However, some successfully elicited the underlying fear and menace in the outwardly normal
setting and drew on aspects of la Résistance and the threads of anti-Semitism to exemplify
this.
Most candidates answered (b) and these showed a good knowledge of Joseph and the
effect he has in the film. They successfully drew the comparison between Joseph as victim
and villain and many felt that he had no real choices.
La haine
Many candidates chose (a). Hubert’s quote was well explored by many, but there was a
tendency to describe where “la haine attire la haine” appeared in the film. Focus on the idea
of the vicious circle and Hubert’s need to break out of it was well developed and explored by
many candidates. Some essays contained good references to cinematographic techniques
used by Kassovitz in this context.
In (b) there was some variation in the concept of what constitutes “family” but on the whole
candidates had a good understanding of the issues raised in the film. The traditional idea of
family and its evident dysfunctionality was well-explored with regard to the three main
characters. Some candidates concentrated on the symbolic idea of “family” in the face of
adversity (life in “la banlieue”) while others placed the emphasis on the traditional
relationships, and lack of father figures. Almost all seemed to have engaged well with the
issues involved.
The fewer essays on (b) were on the whole very well observed, although this was not
necessary for a successful response.
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Les choristes
A large number of candidates chose this film.
For (a) there were some very interesting and enjoyable essays on Violette Morhange,
especially as the only female lead in the film. Some gave a description of her relationship
with Pierre but did not explain how Mathieu succeeded in healing this nor the fact that she
(unwittingly) breaks Mathieus’ heart. The fact that it is her death that sets the plot is motion
was also overlooked by many.
The majority chose (b) and some presented a balanced view, relating Rachin’s authoritarian
approach to the institution in which the film is set. Some essays tended to be a comparison
of Mathieu and Rachin, and some concentrated on Mathieu at the expense of Rachin.
Interestingly, Rachin was not condemned by all candidates for his attitude to discipline but
also attracted some of sympathy.
Le dernier métro
Few candidates chose this film, but there were some good answers, all on (a). There were
some very good answers on Bernard Granger and his complicated relationships with other
characters, especially Marion. Candidates also drew on the subplot of the Resistance and
the backdrop and menace of the Occupation with relation to Bernard.
Amélie
The majority chose (b) and drew very good comparisons on the idea of the fairy-tale.
Jeunet’s use of colour, sound and setting were drawn on well by candidates, as was the idea
of characters of the fairy-tale genre. These are woven into the film to create the desired
effect and this angle was well-explored by many.
B. LE MONDE DE LA LITTERATURE
L’Etranger
Question (b) was the preferred choice. Many dealt well with the different aspects of Marie’s
role as the novel develops. Good contrast was made between the two parts. At the top end
there were some excellent essays which fully explored the question set.
For question (b) there were some thoughtful and insightful answers to this question with
candidates showing that they could work with the question and apply it to the novel. The
various aspects of “le soleil” were carefully and thoroughly explored and related to
Meursault, his character and his actions.
La Place
Much less popular this year, but both questions were well explored and produced some very
good answers. Candidates engage very well with the novel and its themes, also with Ernaux’
particular style. The question on her father was dealt with in a sensitive way by candidates,
and his role in the second question was also well dealt with.
Manon des Sources
Question (a) tended to produce some rather superficial answers which fell into description of
the characters rather than analysing their various rôles and importance to various elements
of the plot.
Question (b) was the question answered by most candidates. This theme of nature is
well-known by candidates and they produced some interesting and well considered answers.
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Les Mains Sales
The essays on ‘les Mains Sales’ were fewer in number but candidates dealt well with the
questions. When candidates venture into the political aspects they tend to do less well as
their knowledge of the (now rather outdated) political intrigues and ideologies is often slight
or incorrect.
Le Silence de la Mer
Questions (a) and (b) were fairly evenly represented. Candidates who chose this text wrote
some very thoughtful and sensitive essays. They showed a very good understanding of the
characters and engaged sympathetically with the plot, characters and the background ideas
especially in (b) where many empathised with the plight and dilemma faced by Werner.
Le Blé en herbe
Of all the novels this continues to produce the best literary studies essays. The highly
relevant and pertinent theme of “adolescence” is very well-handled by candidates who
engage well with the questions and produce some excellent answers.
Boule de Suif et autres contes de guerre (selected stories)
Question (a) Proved to be the popular choice and very few answered question (b). A lot of
the candidates studying Maupassant produce some high quality essays and show very good
background knowledge of the events surrounding the “contes” and can analyse them in a
meaningful and relevant way.
C. LES REGIONS DE LA FRANCE ET LA FRANCOPHONIE
There were some good essays on the regions although they were comparatively few.
Provence-Côte d’Azur
The aspect of transport and its (often seasonal) impact and problems in Provence-Côte
d’Azur was quite well done by the candidates who chose this question.
Rhône –Alpes
Very few answers, but on the whole, good.
La Bretagne
Most candidates opting for question (b). On the whole, candidates were discussing the
Fishing Industry, but also introducing the importance of Tourism and Agriculture. Some
merely listed aspects of these sectors, but there were some well-balanced and welldiscussed essays.
L’Alsace
None seen.
Ile de France
Very few seen, all (b), and varied in quality from descriptions and statistics to some highly
evaluative and pertinent answers.
Pays de la Loire
None seen.
Québec
None seen.
Un DOM
None seen.
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General points:

Most candidates kept to the word limit of 400 words. Those who went beyond or fell
short of this disadvantaged themselves according to the criteria of the mark scheme.

This meant that the essay was no longer of the same quality as a 400 word essay
(lost conclusion, too many details and not concentrating on the question asked).
Some essays were too short and quality of response and knowledge of film, book or
region suffered.

There is a tendency for candidates to rely too much on narrative, story-telling and
scene-setting and lengthy character descriptions. (A and B) Candidates should think
not “What”, but “Why”?

The vast majority of candidates tried to stick to the question.

After a few years of practice centres are now encouraging candidates to write a
strong traditional French essay with a concise introduction, a clear progression with
linked paragraphs and a conclusion. This really does help candidates to focus on the
question in hand.

Very few candidates used quotes. (This is an observation and not a requirement).

A good essay is a planned essay – it was most encouraging to see evidence of
planning. This does help candidates to harness their thoughts and ideas before
beginning to write.

Many of the questions (A and B) ask for a personal response or viewpoint.
Candidates should be encouraged to do this when practising their essay writing
technique.
Accuracy

Verbs and tenses were quite well handled, unlike genders and adjectives. The use of
historic present tense works very well in these types of essays (A and B).

There were a lot of problems, surprisingly, with basic grammar like de le or à le.

Some key words were wrongly spelt like internat spelt internaut.

The verb ”inclure” was badly conjugated.

Still problems with the spelling of Meursault
GCE French Examiners Report Summer 2012/MLJ
21 09 12
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