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School of Modern Languages and Cultures

Key Stage 4 Topics and Resources

Current AQA documentation

Please see current A level specifications on the AQA website (French, German and Spanish syllabuses - 2018 onwards), and the Italian A level specification on the Edexcel website.

Example of syllabus: AQA A-Level French*

Topic Work

Below is a breakdown of the main topics studied in French A-Level. These are just a guide. You may think of other related topics which will inspire the resource that you create.

*NB: These will be similar for Spanish and German. Please consult the aforementioned documents (links above) for the Spanish and German equivalents.

3.1 Social issues and trends
  • 3.1.1 Aspects of French speaking society
    • The changing nature of the family (La famille en voie de changement)
    • The cyber society (La cyber-société)
    • The place of voluntary work (Le role de bénévolat)
  • 3.1.2. Aspects of French-speaking society – current issues
    • Positive feature of a diverse society (les aspects positifs d’une société diverse)
    • Life for the marginalised (quelle vie pour les marginalisés ?)
    • How criminals are treated (Comment on traite les criminels)
3.2 Political and artistic culture
  • 3.2.1. Artistic culture in the French-speaking world
    • A culture proud of its heritage (une culture fière de son patrimoine)
    • Contemporary francophone music (la musique francophone contemporaine)
    • Cinema: the 7th art form (cinema: le septième art)
  • 3.2.2 Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world
    • Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment (les ados, le droit de vote et l’engagement politique)
    • Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power? (manifestations, grèves – a qui le pouvoir ?
    • Politics and immigration (la politique et l’immigration)
Students completeing the A-Level also study one text and one film OR two texts.
Literature
Molière – Le Tartuffe
Voltaire – Candide
Guy de Maupassant – Boule de Suif et autres contres de la guerre
Albert Camus – L’étranger
Françoise Sagan – Bonjour Tristesse
Claire Etcherelli – Elise ou la vraie vie
Joseph Joffo – Un sac de billes
Faïza Guène – Kiffe kiffe demain
Philippe Grimbert – Un secret
Delphine de Vigan – No et moi
Films
Les 400 coups – François Truffant (1959)
Aurevoir les enfants – Louis Maille (1987)
L’auberge espagnole – Cédric Klapisch (2002)
Un longe dimanche de fiançailles – Jean Pierre Jeunet (2004)
Entre les murs – Laurent Cantet (2008)
Individual Research Project

‘Students must identify a subject or a key question which is of interest to them and which relates to a country or countries where French is spoken. They must select relevant information in French from a range of sources including the internet. The aim of the research project is to develop research skills. Students will demonstrate their ability to initiate and conduct individual research by analyzing and summarizing their findings, in order to present and discuss them in the speaking assessment.’