French is not only spoken by people in France and Belgium, but also in large parts of Africa and Canada and in smaller countries in the Pacific and South America. It is one of the most useful languages and one of the most fun to speak.

Core content
Students study all of the following themes on which the assessments are based.

Theme 1: Identity and culture covers the following four topics:

Topic 1: Me, my family and friends

Topic 2: Technology in everyday life

Topic 4: Customs and festivals in French-speaking countries/communities

Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest covers the following four topics:

Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region

Topic 2: Social issues

Topic 3: Global issues

Topic 4: Travel and tourism

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment covers the following four topics:

Topic 1: My studies

Topic 2: Life at school/college

Topic 3: Education post-16

Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Assessments
GCSE French is assessed by four examinations consisting of:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing.

The GCSE has a Foundation Tier (grades 1–5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4–9). Students must take all four question papers from the same tier.