French — GCE A Level (745)

What this syllabus is

French 745 is the Cameroon GCE Board Advanced Level French syllabus, a sequel to the Ordinary Level course. It intensifies the government language policy options set out at O Level: official bilingualism, biculturalism, national integration and professionalism.

The examination assesses reading, writing, listening, modern communication, the critical analysis of literary texts and any other area of current interest — culture, music, arts, architecture. Its main aim is to assess your mastery of the teaching syllabus content.

How the course is organised

The official content is set out as four main topics with sub-topics and attainment targets. SABI keeps the same four as strands, because at this level each one maps onto a distinct examined skill.

• Strand 1 — Language: grammar, syntax and usage (topic 1.0)
• Strand 2 — Essay Writing Techniques (topic 2.0)
• Strand 3 — Translation (topic 3.0)
• Strand 4 — Literature and Literary Analysis (topic 4.0)

Strand 1 — Language

The grammar content extends the O Level list and is tested directly in the 25 grammar questions of Paper 1, and indirectly everywhere else.

• Les articles : défini, indéfini, partitif et contracté
• Les noms : commun, propre, genre et nombre
• Les pronoms : possessif, relatif, indéfini, personnel, démonstratif, COI, COD
• Les adjectifs : interrogatif, démonstratif, possessif, indéfini, qualificatif, numéral
• Les adverbes de manière, cause, fréquence, but, moyen et circonstance
• Les conjonctions, les prépositions, les interjections et l''impératif
• La phrase simple et complexe ; le verbe et son sujet ; le groupe nominal ; les compléments des verbes
• Le verbe : le temps, la voix et le mode ; les temps du passé, du présent et du futur
• Attainment target: use appropriate language in varying contexts

Strand 2 — Essay Writing Techniques

Composition at A Level is judged on argument as well as accuracy. The syllabus breaks it into the same three stages as O Level but expects a defended point of view.

• Introducing an essay topic and situating it precisely
• Developing the main body: coherent paragraphs, logical connectors, concordance des temps
• Concluding: comment exprimer un jugement de valeur par rapport au type de sujet donné, and bringing your point of view to a logical conclusion
• Free composition and essays written on a set extract

Strand 3 — Translation

Translation is examined in both directions and the syllabus names exactly what is being marked.

• Traduire un sens — translating meaning rather than words
• Traduire le temps verbal — carrying tense across accurately
• Traduire les structures grammaticales
• Traduire les expressions idiomatiques
• Traduire les faux amis
• Attainment target: translate passages from English into French and French into English using appropriate tenses, grammatical structures and apt expressions

Strand 4 — Literature and Literary Analysis

Topic 4.0 is what separates A Level from O Level French, and it carries the analysis, synthesis and evaluation marks.

• Themes in literary texts, and relating them to your own personal experience
• Characters: types — hero, protagonist, antagonist, minor, confidant, flat character — le rôle d''un personnage, portraiture, and synthesising the relationships between characters
• Literary techniques: le contraste, les figures ou techniques littéraires, la langue; assess their effectiveness
• Setting: le rôle d''un milieu, le milieu et l''action; assess the role and effect of setting on characters
• The plot — intrigue and action: l''origine du conflit, la tension ou les points chauds, les personnages impliqués, le dénouement; analyse whether action is cyclical, linear, alternating or episodic
• Points of view in literature and in essay topics

How you are examined

Assessment objectives are weighted: lower abilities (knowledge and understanding) 10%, application of knowledge and understanding of syllabus content 20%, analysis 30%, synthesis 30% and evaluation 10%. Analysis and synthesis together are 60% of the marks.

Paper 1 — 50 multiple-choice questions, 30%: 10 on literary concepts and notions, 25 on grammar and 15 on vocabulary. One mark per question, set as 30 single-star, 15 double-star and 5 triple-star questions.

A further written paper, 35% over 3 hours, carries two compulsory questions — one on essay writing and one on translation. Four essay topics are set (two free composition, two on extracts) and you answer one. Translation offers four short passages of 60 words each covering different life and communication situations; two are in English and two in French.

The cognitive objectives are defined explicitly: understanding and application in new situations, analysis of language and literature into component parts, synthesis of diverse elements into new meaning, and evaluation — judging the value of ideas and material, especially in literature and free composition.

How to study this syllabus

Because analysis, synthesis and evaluation carry 70% of the marks between them, read set texts with a notebook: themes, character relationships, techniques and settings, with quotations. Recall alone will not pass this paper.

Keep a running list of faux amis and idiomatic expressions. Translation marks are lost on those far more often than on grammar.

Practise both essay types — free composition and extract-based — since you choose only at the exam and the techniques differ.

Recommended references in the syllabus: a good English dictionary, a good bilingual French-English dictionary, Whitmarsh''s New Advanced French Course, Bescherelle''s La Conjugaison 12000 verbes, and La Grammaire Française d''A-Z.

Source and status

This overview follows the official Advanced Level French syllabus, code 745, published by the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board.

Aims, assessment objectives, examination structure, grammar content, translation focus and literature topics are taken from that document. The strand grouping is SABI''s study structure, added to make the syllabus easier to learn from.