SQA Higher French Tips

Reading: 30 marks

Directed Writing: 20 marks

Prior to the exam you will also submit two assignments to the SQA – a writing assessment and a speaking assessment.

Listening

The listening exam consists of two parts. The first part is one person talking and the second is a conversation between two people. You will be given a booklet containing some questions about what you have just heard. The final question will involve you writing a short essay (120-150 words) in French. This will take the form of you answering a question that is written in French.

Tips 

• Read over the questions first so you know what to listen for. Pay particular attention to questions that ask what, when, why, how long? etc. 
• Take notes in French and English. If you hear a word/phrase in French that you are unsure of the meaning of note it down and try to work it out later. 
• Remember you will have 2 opportunities to hear the recording. After the first playing, make a note of any information you still need. 
• If you are unsure of an answer make an educated guess. 
• Get some practice listening to French. Listen to some French radio channels, podcasts or even watch some videos in French. By getting plenty of experience hearing the language being spoken you will become more comfortable and familiar with French. 

Reading 

You will be given an article written in French for which you will be asked various questions in English. Your answers should also be in English. Some of the questions may focus on a particular section of the article (you will be told this) and others may relate to the article as a whole.

Tips 

• Read the article carefully beforehand and highlight some key information. 
• Once you have read the article, read over the questions and highlight the keywords. This will help you identify the information you are looking for in the article.
• Don’t spend too long on a particular question. If you are stuck, leave a space for it and come back to it once you have finished the others.
• If you are genuinely unsure of the answer have an educated guess. Never leave an answer blank.
• As part of your revision, it is a good idea to practice reading some French texts I.e newspaper articles, websites or blog posts. 

Directed Writing

You will be given the choice of two scenarios and must write a short essay (150-180 words). There will be several bullet points with areas you must include however you can also include some additional information. 

Some examples of scenarios include:

• You were visiting your French pen pal in Paris
• You spent some time in France teaching English at a school
• You were spending the summer working in France
• You spent some time on a school exchange trip to France

Tips 

• Use your French dictionary to double check spelling. No point losing marks for spelling errors. 
• Don’t spend too much time choosing which scenario to write about. This gives you more time to spend on writing.
• Marks can be awarded for including complex sentences in your essay. It is a good idea to memorise a couple of complex sentences that could be included in an essay regardless of topic (make sure the spelling and grammar are correct). This will help increase your chances of receiving more marks. Here is a list of complex sentences you could use 

How to improve your French vocabulary 

• Keep a vocabulary book. Note down any new words/phrases in a notebook. You could even categorise words into specific topics.
• Learn useful vocabulary or phrases. Make note of any words or phrases you think may appear in your exam.
• Use sticky notes. Write down any new words or phrases on a sticky note and hang them somewhere you will see them regularly i.e on your mirror, cuboard door or even the light switch. This is particularly useful for visual learners.
• Get as much experience with the French language as possible. Listen to podcasts, radio and audiobooks or watch some French films or TV shows. You could also read some books, newspapers or articles written in French. This will help you become familar with the French language in a real life setting instead of an educational setting i.e textbooks.