GCSE French: Maximising Success in the Listening Exam

Course Code: T0438 £249.00

ABOUT THIS COURSE

The listening examination is often perceived by students as the most challenging component of GCSE French. Success requires far more than vocabulary knowledge alone; students must learn to decode sounds accurately, process language in real time and apply effective listening strategies under pressure.

 

This new course explores practical and evidence-informed approaches to developing confident, resilient and successful listeners. Drawing on current classroom practice, delegates will examine the role of phonics, decoding, auditory memory and metacognitive listening strategies, alongside effective approaches to exam preparation and assessment. The course provides a wealth of practical activities, teaching routines and intervention strategies that can be implemented immediately to improve listening outcomes across the ability range.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

  • Teachers preparing to teach GCSE French
  • Novice teachers looking to strengthen their practice
  • Experienced teachers looking to refresh their practice with a new perspective
  • Teachers using AQA and Edexcel

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

  • Gain a deeper understanding of the barriers that prevent success in GCSE French listening.
  • Explore practical approaches to teaching phonics and decoding skills.
  • Learn how to develop students' confidence and resilience as listeners.
  • Discover effective classroom routines that improve listening outcomes over time.
  • Develop strategies for strengthening auditory memory and processing skills.
  • Learn how to teach students to anticipate, visualise and think critically while listening.
  • Explore practical activities that can be implemented immediately in the classroom.
  • Gain insight into common examination pitfalls and how to address them.
  • Leave with a clear action plan for improving listening provision within their department.

PROGRAMME

10.00am: Building Strong Foundations Through Phonics and Decoding Why Listening is So Difficult:
  • Common barriers to success in GCSE listening
  • Cognitive overload and listening anxiety
  • Why students often feel least confident in listening
Developing Phonics for Listening Success:
  • Teaching sound-spelling links explicitly
  • High-frequency sound patterns that cause difficulty
  • The role of pronunciation in improving listening accuracy
  • Integrating phonics across Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4
  • Practical decoding activities
11.00am: Break
11.20am: Creating Effective Listening Routines Listening as an Active Process:
  • Why listening is never passive
  • Self-efficacy, competence and motivation
  • Building listening confidence through success
Vocabulary and Listening:
  • Teaching vocabulary for listening rather than translation alone
  • Retrieval practice and long-term retention
  • Connecting sounds, meaning and spelling
The Power of Target Language:
  • Increasing exposure without overwhelming students
  • Establishing sustainable classroom routines
  • Building familiarity with natural language
Independent Listening Habits:
  • Developing listening beyond the classroom
  • Using authentic resources effectively
  • Teaching students how to practise independently
12.30pm: Lunch
1.30pm: Teaching Students How to Think Like Successful Listeners Scaffolding listening activities:
  • Modelling skills required for the exam
  • Developing auditory memory
  • Practical classroom activities
2.30pm: Break
2.40pm: Exam Performance, Feedback and Intervention Understanding GCSE Listening Assessment:
  • Common question types and recurring pitfalls
  • Teaching students to manage distractors effectively
  • Making the most of first and second listening
Think Critically: Avoiding Common Errors:
  • Teaching students not to jump to conclusions
  • Recognising negative forms, qualifiers and distractors
  • Developing exam resilience
Marking and Diagnosing Listening Difficulties:
  • Identifying the root causes of listening errors
  • Is it vocabulary, phonics, processing or exam technique?
  • Using assessment to inform teaching
Effective Feedback and Intervention:
  • Whole-class feedback approaches
  • Targeted intervention strategies
  • Supporting progress from Grade 4 to Grade 7+
  • Building confidence before the examination
3.15pm: Bringing it All Together
  • Key routines to implement immediately
  • Sequencing listening across the curriculum
  • Developing confident and resilient listeners
Action Planning:
  • Next steps for departments
  • Recommended resources
  • Questions and discussion
3.40pm: Depart  
GCSE - Code: T0438

GCSE French: Maximising Success in the Listening Exam

COURSE LEADER

Marie Massé is a French and Spanish teacher with a wealth of classroom and leadership experience. She has served as Head of Languages, Subject Leader for French, Trust Lead for MFL and consultant for secondary MFL. Having taught GCSE French for 16 years and as a language learner herself, Marie understands first-hand the challenges that listening can present. Having learned English, Spanish and Italian, listening was often the skill she found most difficult and frustrating. This experience sparked a long-standing interest in understanding how successful listeners think and process language, and a determination to help students overcome the barriers that can make listening feel overwhelming. Through her classroom practice, Marie has developed a range of practical, evidence-informed strategies that build confidence, resilience and success in listening, helping students unlock one of the most challenging aspects of language learning.

 

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