Why study French?
Linguists at QCL love their dynamic and varied lessons, as well as the wide-ranging extra-curricular offerings such as theatre festivals, drama workshops, cinema trips and trips abroad. The study of a language is exciting and Old Queens always say how happy they are to have done an A-level in a language, whatever sector they go on to work in afterwards.
French is the third most important language that UK citizens need at the moment, in terms of trade, business, diplomatic and security priorities. French remains an important language for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is the language most frequently sought by those employers looking for language skills (49%). Speaking French, therefore, opens up many job and travel opportunities, as many Old Queens have discovered.
Studying and being able to speak French also enables pupils to access a wealth of literature, cinema, history and culture, both in France and in the Francophone world.
By the end of the course, you will be able to converse fluently and discuss complex issues in detail in discursive French. You will be set to continue studying any modern language you wish at university too, from Portuguese to Hebrew, Japanese to Arabic; there are many further opportunities that studying a language A-level opens up.
What will I study? How will I be assessed?
We prepare you for the AQA board specification. You will study cultural topics, such as film, literature, fashion and Francophone music alongside contemporary issues such as immigration and multiculturalism, with some important French history too. You will research your own topic to discuss in the oral examination (this could be a work of art, a musician, a building or a political issue, for instance) and will write essays on a book and film that you have studied, as well as be tested on your listening, reading and translation skills. Our linguists always say how much more interesting the A-level is compared to the GCSE – they are right!
Linguistic competence at a high level opens innumerable doors in the workplace and the global economy, with linguists being given clear preference in the job market thanks to the transferable skills of communication, textual analysis and interpretation, and attention to detail.