A Level French
Do you have an interest in developing your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in French while broadening your knowledge of France and other French speaking countries? In this course, you will develop a deeper understanding of the language.
WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?
This course will enable you to develop all four language skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing through a wide range of materials, both inside and outside the classroom. In addition to the topics, you will study a film and a novel, both of which tie in usefully with other themes across the two years. All of this information from the classroom will be reinforced in homework and also during weekly conversation sessions with our French language assistant, which really embeds what you have learned and improves your confidence in speaking. You will delve into a variety of topics which really give you an inroad into French-speaking culture, history, and life.
You will learn vocabulary based on these topic areas as well as grammar rules, which will enable you to make sense of and use the language accurately. You will use a wide range of materials and have access to additional books, films, TV programmes and digital resources through the college intranet and learning resource centres.
Apply for this course
Start date: 08/09/2025
TOP COURSE HIGHLIGHTS
Subject specialist lecturers
Excellent resources
language assistants
Small class sizes
Trips and visits
weekly conversation classes
To help you improve your confidence in speaking you will have a weekly conversation class with a native speaker.
excellent resources
An excellent range of independent study resources are available on the French Moodle site.
Trips and visits
Students have taken part in the Mini-Assistant Scheme, which involved a ten-day stay in Brittany with a five-day work experience placement in a primary school.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Year 1
• Families and citizenship
• Youth trends and personal identity
• Education and employment opportunities
• Regional culture and heritage in France and French-speaking countries and communities
• Media, art, film and music in the French–speaking world
• A French film
Year 2
• Diversity and Difference
• Migration
• Integration / marginalisation
• Occupied France during World War II
• A French novel
In the second year, you will have the opportunity to choose a subject related to the French-speaking world which interests you personally to study and develop as part of the final exam.
WHERE WILL IT TAKE ME?
At university, French is valued highly by admissions teams when applying and can be studied with almost any other subject such as Business, Law, History, Politics, Geography, and the sciences. Many linguists go into broadcast journalism, politics, teaching, translation & interpreting, or the Civil Service.
ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS
Your achievement in this subject is dependent upon excellent attendance, punctuality and effort including at least 4 hours of independent study time per week. You will learn in a friendly and supportive atmosphere, and your progress will be monitored and assessed regularly by your lecturer.
You will have regular tests on vocabulary and grammar, as these form the basis for all your studies on this course. A variety of weekly homework tasks will be set and assessed in line with exam mark schemes. These will include written work, reading and listening tasks, oral presentations and preparation for discussions.
You will review your own performance in termly 1:1 sessions with your lecturer. You will undertake mock examinations in advance of your final exams. You will be assessed at the end of each year. There will be a written exam and a speaking exam. The exams at the end of the first year will be internal and your final exams at the end of the second year will test your knowledge of all topics covered during the two years.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
First and foremost, an interest in French language, grammar, and culture. Also, five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including a minimum of Grade 6 in French and Grade 6 or above in English Language or English Literature. Successful A Level students would normally have achieved high grades in a number of relevant GCSE subjects.
INFORMATION & SUPPORT
We encourage all students to expose themselves to the French language and culture as much as possible (e.g. music, TV, holidays, books, films). We provide various materials for this in our Learning Resource Centre (novels, grammar books, magazines, DVDs, study guides) as well as within the college I.T. system (class resources on Moodle, past exam papers, extra work, TV documentaries on streaming service etc.)
Awarding Body: Eduqas
Meet the staff, tour the campus and find out about life as a student at one of the best colleges in the country.
What you could earn
Potential Salary
£57,983
Entry Level Salary
£11,631
Average Salary
£31,006
Annual openings in Cornwall
7
Potential Salary
£42,561
Entry Level Salary
£14,125
Average Salary
£28,380
Annual openings in Cornwall
6
Potential Salary
£41,217
Entry Level Salary
£5,061
Average Salary
£19,410
Annual openings in Cornwall
11
Potential Salary
£39,178
Entry Level Salary
£5,356
Average Salary
£21,130
Annual openings in Cornwall
36
Potential Salary
£70,970
Entry Level Salary
£12,591
Average Salary
£44,534
Annual openings in Cornwall
50
Potential Salary
£54,515
Entry Level Salary
£21,199
Average Salary
£39,953
Annual openings in Cornwall
62
Potential Salary
£58,718
Entry Level Salary
£13,244
Average Salary
£39,431
Annual openings in Cornwall
14
Potential Salary
£21,499
Entry Level Salary
£7,819
Average Salary
£15,158
Annual openings in Cornwall
16
RELATED COURSES
