Why study French?

The study of French offers students the opportunity to learn one of the world's key languages, spoken by more than 220 million people on five continents. French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world and the official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. The ability to communicate in French, therefore, gives you an advantage on the job market and opens the door to working for French and francophone countries globally. In terms of travel, France is a major tourism destination in its own right, and speaking French will enhance your enjoyment of travel across the francophone world. And finally (and perhaps most importantly) French is the language of love, reason and culture ....

The study of A level French will not only develop linguistic fluency through the study of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, but will also introduce you to different elements of French and francophone culture, society, politics, and art. You will perfect a variety of skills including summary, prose and translation as well as comprehension and essay writing.

A key element of the new course is research skills and presentation. In addition, you will study film and literature in general but through two key pieces of work. It is a stimulating and fascinating subject in its own right, but an excellent complement for a range of other subjects, academic and technical.

More information about French can be found in the subject film below or in our Sixth Form Prospectus (on our website).