VCE FRENCH UNITS 3&4

LECTURE
July 2020

Presented by:
Jessica Han
 SLI.DO

• Today we will be using sli.do for Q&A!

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• At the end of each content block, I’ll spend 10 mins
answering the most popular questions J

• Ask your own questions, or

• Upvote other people’s questions
• You can ask a question on any of the slides!
BLOCK I
 Overview of Block I

q Overview of French Unit 4

q Overview of Final Exams

q How to ace your oral exam, with

sample oral responses

q Q&A
Changes to French due to Covid-19
French Unit 4
 End-of-year written exam
• 2 end-of-year exams, accounting for 50% of your study score
1. ORAL 12.5%

• 3-4 weeks before exam season, i.e. at the start of Term 4

• 15 minutes
• General Conversation + Extended Discussion in FRENCH
2. WRITTEN 37.5%

• Monday 30th Nov 2020 (3:00pm-5:15pm)

• 2 hrs 15 mins
• Listening + Reading + Writing in both FRENCH & ENGLISH
 End-of-year oral exam

• Responses in FRENCH only

• 15 minutes in total, 2 sections

• Section A: 7 min General Conversation

• A ‘get-to-know-you’ chat with the examiners
• Covers a range of topics (your family, school, hobbies and
future)

• Section B: 1 min Intro + 7 min Extended Discussion

• A discussion on ’the French-speaking communities’ or ’the
world around us’
• Based on a visual aide of your choice
 Section B: Extended discussion
Content:
• Not just a one-sided presentation of information, but rather an active
discussion of facts, events, people, ideas and opinions
• Show extensive engagement with the topic by using a variety of
resources (e.g. movies, books, articles)
• Often examiners will ask about your thoughts and opinions on the
topic and resources...
• Quelle est votre opinion du film?
• De quoi s’agit le film?
• Qu’avez-vous appris grâce à ce film que les autres documents ne
vous auraient pas montré?
• Quelles sont les différences entre les actions de X et celles de Z?
• Est-ce que vous auriez pu faire la même chose que X?
 Section B: Extended discussion
Language:

• Do all of this...in good French!

• Less so about flaunting fancy grammar and vocabulary. Focus on
coherency and comfort.
 Section B: Extended discussion
Language:

• Do all of this...in good French!

• Less so about flaunting fancy grammar and vocabulary. Focus on
coherency and comfort.

Tip: Make sure you

practice and are
comfortable with saying
DATES in French!!!
 Section B: Extended discussion
The introduction
q Introduce your topic e.g. Cette année pour mon étude approfondie j’ai
travaillé sur le thème de...

q Signpost your subtopics e.g. Comme sous-thème je me suis

particulièrement intéressée à...

q The resources you used

q Brief your visual aid
• It must be 1 min or less, or the examiners WILL cut you off
• Draft up and memorise your intro - first impressions count!
 Visual aids
Visual aids

• You may bring with you a visual aid (e.g. a photograph)

• Ensure that it satisfies all VCAA requirements (no words or captions)
• Ensure that you know, understand and can comfortably talk about
ALL aspects of your visual (not just the aspect you want to focus on!)

• Foreground and background

• The people or objects present in it
• Its significance
• Why you chose to include it
 Rescue Strategies
• Don’t panic if your examiner asks you an expected question
• Buy yourself some thinking time by answering in full sentences
• Be flexible in your responses
• Learn to simplify your responses

• Don’t be afraid to ask your examiner to repeat or rephrase the

question if you did not understand it
• “Pourriez-vous répéter la question s’il-vous-plaît?”
• “Pourriez-vous reformuler la question s’il-vous-plaît?”

• If you are absolutely stuck and cannot think of how to say a word or
phrase in French, you can say “en anglais, ...”
QUESTIONS?
BLOCK II
 JESSVCE

15 MINUTE BREAK
 Overview of Block II

q VCAA Listening

q Other listening resources

q VCAA Reading

q Other reading resources

q Q&A
 Exam strategy: Listening
In reading time:
• Read through all the questions. Check if you are required to respond to
English or French.

• Use your dictionary to search up and translate any words or phrases that
you don’t know

In listening time:
• 1st playing: jot down brief notes to the questions, ideally in the language
you are required to respond in

• 2nd playing: fill in any missing gaps

• If you hear a foreign word or phrase, don’t panic, jot down what it
sounds like and try work it out later
 Exam strategy: Listening

In writing time:

• Answer in full sentences, unless the format of the question does

not demand it e.g. fill-out tables, dot points

• The number of ideas or key points in your response should

correspond with the number of marks allocated to the question
VCAA 2009 Listening
VCAA 2009 Listening
 VCAA 2009Listening
Gaultier
• Un petit chaton de 7 mois
• il porte un collier rouge
• Il y a 3 jours a disparu du jardin de famille Moulin
• Les enfants Moulin sont très tristes
 VCAA 2009Listening
Victor
• Un petit cochon d’Inde brun et noir
• Il est né le weekend dernier et celui ici est
le seul bébé qui reste
• Gratuit
 VCAA 2009Listening
Nouf-nouf
• Il a 11 ans…un chien très special
• Tout le monde dans son quartier l’adore parce que l’année derniers il
a sauvé un jeune garçon qui était tombe dans la rivière pendant les
inondations
• On organise un fete pour lui ce samedi au parc Vincent
• Venez nombreux pour rendre homage à ce chien courageux
 Listening Resources
1. News in Slow French is a fantastic website for listening (and reading)
practice: https://www.newsinslowfrench.com/

• Weekly news updates in French, with audio recordings and written

transcripts!
• Very beginner friendly, and they have content for intermediate and
advanced learners too
• Free (subscription plans available for full access)
• Also available on Spotify and iTunes
 Listening Resources
2. Some of my favourite French YouTubers (with English subtitles) J

• Cyprien
• Normanfaitdesvidéos
• Natoo
• Studio Bagel
• Squeezie
• Le Rire Jaune

Apprendre une langue - Cyprien

Also, Timothée Chalamet speaking French for 25 minutes straight on the Quotidien
https://youtu.be/XtM_PASnXZA
 Exam strategy: Reading

In reading time:

• Check if you are required to respond to English or French.

• Read through all the questions
• Read through the text
• Use your dictionary to search up and translate any words or
phrases that you do not know

• Try to answer some of the questions in your head if you have

some extra time
 Exam strategy: Reading

In writing time:

• Answer all questions in full sentences

• The number of ideas or key points in your response should
correspond with the number of marks allocated to the question
VCAA 2010 Reading
VCAA 2010 Reading
VCAA 2010 Reading
VCAA 2010 Reading
 Reading Resources
1. Franceinfo is a fantastic website for listening (and reading) practice:
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/

• Daily news updates in French, with audio recordings and written

transcripts!
• Has something for everyone – science, politics, sports, the
environment, you name it
• Good for learners looking for a challenge
• Free
 Reading Resources
2. French books are a great way to boost your vocabulary

• This may be very challenging at the beginning, but you will slowly but
surely improve
• Good for learners looking for a challenge

I recommend...
• Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• Les aventures d’Astérix
• Harry Potter...en français!
 Reading Resources
3. Making Quizlets is the best way to learn and review new vocab!

• Flashcard site - make a flashcard for every word or phrase you don’t
know
• Has multiple modes for review
• Free
• Can access Quizlets other people have made. You could organise a
French study group and have everyone share a weekly Quizlet.

4. Challenge yourself: Set your phone language to French J

QUESTIONS?
BLOCK III
 Overview

q 5 things to do for top marks

q How to approach an essay

q Sample essay

q Resources Master List

q Final Q&A
 Exam strategy: Writing

In reading time:

• Choose the prompt you want to write on

• Use your dictionary to clarify any words or phrases in the prompt
that you do not know

• Plan your 3 body paragraphs in your head

• If you have time, think about any specific evidence or examples
that you might include

• Take note of the required text type and target audience

 Exam strategy: Writing
In writing time:
• Introduction: a brief overview of the topic and your contention

• 2-3 sentences long

• 3-4 body paragraphs

• Each paragraph should be about the same length

• Each paragraph should explore an unique argument or idea, with

examples and/or pieces of supporting evidence

• Conclusion: a brief summary of your contention

• 2-3 sentences long

 5 things to do for top marks
1. Pay attention to your text type

Common text types include: article, speech, formal letter, email

• Please make sure that you are familiar with ALL text types
Text types: Articles

Date
Title

Author’s Name
 Text types: Speech

Title

Greeting

Self-introduction

Concluding remark
 Text types: Formal letter

Sender’s name, address

Recipient’s name, address

Date
Greeting

Sign-off

Sender’s name
 Text types: Email

Recipient’s email

Sender’s email

Date

Greeting

Sign-off

Sender’s name
 5 things to do for top marks
2. Master your tenses
• Make sure you use the correct tense as per the requirements of your
essay prompt
• Don’t be afraid to use other tenses to supplement your main tense!
• Have a good grasp of the basic tenses
q Le présent
q Le passé composé (être, avoir)
q Le futur proche, simple et antérieur
q L’imparfait
q Le conditionnel
q Le subjonctif
• Know what they are, when to use them, how to conjugate the
basic verbs (être, avoir, aller)
 Tenses
Tip: learn the trends of tenses

E.g. Still confused about when to use the le subjonctif? You’re not alone!
• General rules (e.g. ”the subjunctive...shows the subject’s mood (wish,
hope, fear, uncertainty) towards a fact or an idea”) are often vague
and difficult to understand, remember and master
• So, learn the trends of when the subjunctive is used! The following
phrases are ALWAYS followed by the subjunctive:
q Il faut que it is necessary that
q Il est important que it it is important that
q Il est possible/impossible que it is possible/impossible that
q Afin que so that
q Bien que although
q Pourvu que provided that
 Tenses: si clauses

Flaunt your knowledge of the tenses with si clauses

If... Then... Example

Present Future Si j’ai le temps, je le ferai
If I have the time, I will do it
Imperfect Conditional Si j’avais le temps, je le ferais
If I had the time, I would do it
Pluperfect Conditional Si j’avais eu le temps, je l’aurais fait
perfect If I had had the time, I would have
done it
 5 things to do for top marks
3. Let connectives be your new best friend
• Avoid only using the old ‘mais’, ‘parce que’ and ‘et’...
Mais Parce que Starting
Cependant Donc So D’abord
D’ailleurs Afin de Par exemple
Pourtant Grâce à Premièrement
Or Car Avant tout
Tandis que Et Concluding
Néanmois En plus En somme
En revanche De plus Bref
Bien sûr En outre En tout cas
Malgré Alors Finalement
 5 things to do for top marks
More connectives

Quality Quantity Time

Assez Au moins Ensuite
Heureusement Presque Alors
Totalement En plus Plus tard
Vraiment Beaucoup de De nos jours
Absolument Trop de Quand
 5 things to do for top marks
4. Add in some funky grammar!
q Master your reflexive verbs e.g. il m’aime
 5 things to do for top marks
4. Add in some funky grammar!
q Master your reflexive verbs e.g. il m’aime
q Know a variety of negations e.g. ne...pas, ne...personne, ne...aucun(e)
 5 things to do for top marks
4. Add in some funky grammar!
q Master your reflexive verbs e.g. il m’aime
q Know a variety of negations e.g. ne...pas, ne...personne, ne...aucun(e)
q L’impératif e.g. allons-y!
 5 things to do for top marks
4. Add in some funky grammar!
q Master your reflexive verbs e.g. il m’aime
q Know a variety of negations e.g. ne...pas, ne...personne, ne...aucun(e)
q L’impératif e.g. allons-y!
q En + present participle e.g. en faisant du sport...
 5 things to do for top marks
4. Add in some funky grammar!
q Master your reflexive verbs e.g. il m’aime
q Know a variety of negations e.g. ne...pas, ne...personne, ne...aucun(e)
q L’impératif e.g. allons-y!
q En + present participle e.g. en faisant du sport...
q Ask a rhetorical question e.g. saviez-vous que...?
 5 things to do for top marks
4. Add in some funky grammar!
q Master your reflexive verbs e.g. il m’aime
q Know a variety of negations e.g. ne...pas, ne...personne, ne...aucun(e)
q L’impératif e.g. allons-y!
q En + present participle e.g. en faisant du sport...
q Ask a rhetorical question e.g. saviez-vous que...?
q Je l’aime instead of “j’aime mon chat”
q J’y vais instead of “je vais à Paris”
q J’en veux une instead of “je veux une pomme”
 5 things to do for top marks
4. Add in some funky grammar!
• You don’t need to add all of the grammar I just mentioned, but
they’re all good tricks to have up your sleeve

• ACTIVELY seek to include them in your essays (have at least 1 per

body paragraph)

• Others exist! Start building a bank of your own...

 5 things to do for top marks
5. Idioms are a great way to spruce up your essay!
• Include 1-2 in your essay (don’t overdo it)
• Make sure you know exactly what the idiom means and how to use it

Some examples:
• Coûter les yeux de la tête To cost an arm and a leg, to be expensive
• Faire la grasse matinée To sleep in
• L’habit ne fait pas le moine Do not judge a book by its cover
• Jeter l’éponge To throw in the towel, to give up
• Avoir le cafard To feel blue, to feel down
• Coup de foudre Love at first sight
• C’est dommage That’s too bad, that’s a shame
• Faire d’une pierre deux coups Hit two birds with one stone
 VCAA 2010 Writing

q Text type: magazine article

q Target audience: students
q Topic: the importance of languages in developing cross-cultural
relationships
Spend some time planning your essay before you start writing!
 A sample essay

12 vendredi avril, 2020

Indicates that
text type is an
article
L'importance des langues

Connectives
A variety of
De nos jours, vu que la globalisation se
tenses
répand très rapidement, il est devenu
nécessaire qu’on sache parler une autre
Directly
langue à part l’anglais. La langue est address the
essay prompt
cruciale dans le développement des
rapprochements interculturels.
 A sample essay
Body paragraph 1 Concise and
relevant topic
La langue, c’est la clé de la communication sentence
interculturelle. Sans la langue, la conversation
devient sévèrement limitée aux gestes des mains
et aux expressions faciales, qui ne sont ni
efficaces ni idéals. Surtout dans les évènements
signifiants tels que les conventions, il faut qu'on
puisse parler la langue de l'autre partie présente
Good afin d'avoir une conversation mûre et courante.
grammar
Après avoir appris une langue étrangère, on
and
vocabulary pourrait éviter plusieurs malentendus, discuter
des sujets plus profonds et économiser l'argent
nécessaire pour engager un interprète. C’est Idiom!
vraiment faire d’une pierre deux coups.
 A sample essay
Body paragraph 2
Concise and
relevant topic
En apprenant une langue, on arrive à mieux
sentence
connaître une culture et par conséquent on
élargit son horizon. Beaucoup de la culture
d'un pays est dans sa langue. Saviez-vous
que c’est grâce aux hiéroglyphes qu'on sait
que les anciens Égyptiens vénéraient les
chats et le Nil? Ceci dit, si vous appreniez
Good une langue, il serait beaucoup plus facile de
grammar développer des rapprochements
and interculturels.
vocabulary
 A sample essay
Body paragraph 3
Concise and
relevant topic
Apprendre la langue d'un autre pays est,
sentence
surtout, un signe de respect. Vous pourriez
être débutant ou parler couramment, ce
n’est pas important. Apprendre une langue
est plutôt un symbole d'intérêt et de sincérité
à propos de la culture du pays, et ils
apprécieraient votre effort sans doute. Donc,
Good si vous faisiez l'effort d’apprendre leur
grammar langue, ils seraient plus prêts à établir une
and connexion interculturelle.
vocabulary
 A sample essay
Conclusion

Ne sous-estimez pas le pouvoir des langues. Apprenez-les

quand vous avez le temps ou l'opportunité! Bien que ce
soit difficile, je vous promets que ça vaudra la peine - les
liens interculturels que vous développerez par
conséquent sont hors de prix.
Good
Margaux Dupont grammar and
Indicates that
vocabulary
text type is an
article
 Final tips
Final tips:
• Writing in French isn’t easy!
• Learn a handful of good phrases that you can comfortably recycle
and add to any essay you write
• E.g. Il faut que...
• E.g. En faisant qqch...
• E.g. ..., c’est vraiment faire d’une pierre deux coups
• Ensure that you have high quality language and ideas too!
• Think and say things simply – approaching a French essay the
same way you do an English one will do you no good

• CONSISTENT PRACTICE IS KEY! Aim to write at least an essay a

week (and wait for feedback before writing the next one)
 General VCE French Questions
1. How did you manage your time balancing French with
your other VCE subjects?

• Learn to prioritise. The more you struggle with a

subject, the more time and effort you should dedicate
to studying it

• Consistent practice is key. Proficiency in French does

not arise overnight. You need to be practising it every
week (ideally every day)!
 General VCE French Questions
1. How did you manage your time balancing French with
your other VCE subjects?

• Learn to prioritise. The more you struggle with a

subject, the more time and effort you should dedicate
to studying it

• Consistent practice is key. Proficiency in French does

not arise overnight. You need to be practising it every
week (ideally every day)!

2. Okay...what resources are out there for me to use to

practice my French?
 Resources Master List
• Practice exams • Writing
• VCAA past exams • Schaum’s Outline of French
• DELF (A1 beginner, C2 expert) Grammar by Mary E.
Coffman Crocker
• Speaking
• Weekly practice with your • Find yourself a French pen
pal
teachers and/or friends
• Listening and Reading • Aim to write one essay a
week (and send it to your
• News in Slow French teacher for feedback)
• French Youtubers • Find essay prompts on
• France info practice exams (or ask your
• French books teacher to give you some)
• Quizlets • Draft answers for your oral
• Set your phone language to
French