Box Hill School: Year 11 into 12 A Level and IB French transition information
and tasks
Subject: French
At Box Hill we offer the EDEXCEL A level course, as well as IB Ab Initio French, Language B French and
Language A French. The MFL department want to ensure that everybody is equally able to access the
content of the A-Level and the IB Level courses and so the following tasks give you a chance to
ensure you are fully prepared.
Programme/
Year
Yr12 and 13
AL
Course details
Preparation and Tasks:
A level French is a 2 year linear course with
assessment at the end of year 2.
The assessment will test listening, reading,
speaking, writing and translation skills.
Pupils will be studying literature and/or a
Film during year 13 and will be expected to
read the text in the French.
To practice grammar:
http://www.languagegym.com/#/verb-trainer
For listening and reading skills, and
to increase awareness of current
afffairs:
https://www.newsinslowfrench.co
m/
To get into the habit of using French
in every day life:
http://www.tremplinfle.com/bridgi
ng-the-gap-between-gcse-and-alevel.html
Yr12 and
Yr13 IB Ab
Initio
The IB DP language ab initio course is
designed to provide students with little or
no French with the necessary skills and
intercultural understanding to enable them
to communicate successfully in an
environment where the language studied is
spoken. This process, based around
‘themes’ (topics), encourages the learner
to go beyond the confines of the
classroom, expanding an awareness of the
world and fostering respect for cultural
diversity. The language ab initio course
develops students’ linguistic abilities
through the development of receptive,
productive and interactive skills by
Language • Receptive skills: the ability to
comprehend straightforward written and spoken
language. • Productive skills: the ability to write
and speak the target • language effectively. •
Interactive skills: the ability to understand and
respond effectively to written and spoken
language.
Themes • Individuals and society – Daily routines;
education; food and drink; personal details;
appearance and character physical health;
relationships; shopping • Leisure and work –
Employment; entertainment; holidays; media;
sport; technology; transport • Urban and rural
environment – Environmental concerns; global
issues; neighbourhood; physical geography; town
and services; weather
Texts • During the course, students are taught to
understand and produce a variety of spoken,
written and visual texts. Use of authentic texts is
encouraged. Examples of texts to be studied
Yr 12 and 13
IB Language
B
Yr 12 IB
Language A
Yr 13 IB
Language A
providing them opportunities to respond
and interact appropriately in a defined
range of everyday situations. Language ab
initio is available at standard level only.
The assessment will test Speaking, Writing
and Reading comprehension. The students
prepare a piece of writing coursework and
this is discussed in the oral exam, along
with as other themes.
Language B French is aimed at developing
the linguistic and inter-cultural
understanding of pupils. Core topics
studied are Relations Sociales,
Communication et Medias and Questions
Mondiales.
Pupils should start the course with a secure
knowledge of French grammar and a sound
range of vocabulary.
During year 13 they will study two works of
literature.
include articles, letters, maps, timetables and web
pages.
Familiarise yourself with reading current affairs in
French:
http://www.liberation.fr/
To practise grammar:
http://www.language-gym.com/#/verb-trainer
http://www.tremplinfle.com/bridging-the-gapbetween-gcse-and-a-level.html
Pupils study Part 1: Works in Translation,
and Part 4: Options during year 12.
Part 1 involves reading three works in
French, which were originally written in a
different language. Pupils will study
Macbeth – Shakespeare. Le Meilleur des
Mondes – Aldous Huxley and Maison de
Poupée – Ibsen.
Part 4 involves studying books and films.
This part leads to several interactive orals
which are worth 10% of the final grade.
The books studied so far have been Le
Portrait de Dorian Gray – O. Wilde, Le
Parfum – P. Süskind, Un Sac de Billes, J.
Joffo. Pupils will learn to write
commentaries and recognise and interpret
figures and speech.
Pupils Study Part 2: Detailed Study, and
Part 3: Literary genres.
For Part 3, pupils will study the Novel, and
develop their skills in literary analysis. They
will base their studies around 4 novels, of
differing times and settings, all written in
French as their original language.
For Part 2, pupils will study poetry and 2
books from another genre. This will lead to
an oral that will be worth 20% of the final
grade. So far students have been studying
poems from J. Prevert and 2 novels: Atala –
R. Chateaubriand, and L’Etranger – A.
Shakespeare :
http://www.linternaute.com/biogra
phie/william-shakespeare/
We also recommend watching the
2015 film adaptation of Macbeth.
Literature: A good site to familiarise
yourself with studying literature is
http://www.etudes-litteraires.com/
To practise grammar:
http://www.languagegym.com/#/verb-trainer
Familiarise yourself with reading
current affairs in French:
http://www.liberation.fr/
Figures of speech:
http://www.bacdefrancais.net/qcmfigures.php
http://www.salle34.net/les-figuresde-style-exercice-n3/
http://keepschool.com/quiz/lycee/f
rancais/les_figures_de_style_suite.h
tml
Preparation for Part 3:
http://flaubert.univrouen.fr/bovary/atelier_lycee/accue
il.html
Figures of speech:
http://www.meilleurenclasse.com/p
rogramme-d-entrainement/1rel/francais/revisions-de2nde/etudier-des-figures-destyle/ent1
Camus. Pupils will learn “vercification” and
continue to learn to recognise and
interpret figures of speech.