AQA GCSE French: Preparing Students for Exam Success (New Specification)

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This brand-new course will look in detail at the four different skills that are assessed in the new AQA GCSE examination and it aimed on ensuring your GCSE French students achieve the highest marks. We will analyse the types of questions featured across the four exam papers and how the initial reading and dissecting of a question is key to answering the question in the way that the question setter intended it to be answered. There will be examples of answers from across a range of content to illustrate the differences between high scoring answers and mediocre answers, which, when grade boundaries are very ‘tight’, could mean the loss of one or more grade. Other common exam technique errors will also be addressed, and strategies introduced to help students monitor improvement in their exam technique. A methodology for marking, grading and evaluating student work will be introduced.

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BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the new AQA GCSE French Specification.
• Learn how to tackle and assess each skill effectively.
• Acquire valuable insights on the marking process particularly for the writing and speaking.
• Obtain practical tips to prepare students for their speaking, writing, listening and reading examinations.
• Enhance cultural awareness and appreciation in the French language classroom.

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PROGRAMME

10.00am: Tackling the Speaking Component Effectively – Paper 2

• Exploring the importance of clarity of communication.
• Tips and ways to improve pupils’ ability to interact effectively in speech for a variety of purposes. (Steve- not sure if to include this point)
• Teaching the new skill of reading aloud
• Analysing the power of the discussion component general conversation part of the exam and how to master it.
• Techniques for tackling the materials for the Photo card and the Roleplay.
• Teaching strategies for improving speaking skills throughout the year.
• How to coach students to assess their own speaking and set targets.

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1100am: Break

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11.15am: Key Elements to Reach Top Marks in The Writing Paper – Paper 4

•  How to tackle the writing successfully.
• How to get top marks in each of the writing activities for foundation and higher.
• Strategies to structure the writing task successfully.
• What grammatical aspects to focus on.
• How to use the mark scheme effectively and share it with students.
• How to tackle the translation into French

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12.15pm: Strategies to Prepare Students for Listening – Paper 1

•  Strategies to improve students’ understanding of the questions, including question words.
• Teaching and learning strategies for the new dictation task. Common mistakes and how to avoid them.
• Strategies for students to know how to practice effectively.
• The power of listening transcripts.

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1.00pm: Lunch

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2.00pm: Top tips for The Reading – Paper 3

• How to understand questions clearly.
• Practical ways to tackle a reading comprehension; how to interpret texts.
• Analysing the typicality of questions from Sections A, B and C to maximise marks
• How to deal with unknown vocabulary.
• How to practice reading skills effectively.
• Exploring the most effective ways to do the translation from French into English.

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2.45pm: Getting over the Exam Hurdle

• What support can you put in place to make the assessment process more manageable
• Feedback from the recent exams to understand areas where lower attaining students could improve in their written and oral exam responses
• Help learners analyse the types of questions and assessment demands
• Getting underneath the surface of the questions – What the examiners are really looking for?

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3.15pm: Depart