1. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. French Reading Skills LinkedUp project: Ensuring successful transition from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5

2. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. HOW TO COPE WITH THE UNFAMILIAR ELEMENTS AND WORK UNDER PRESSURE Reading skills

3. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. Reading techniques To get a grade C, you will need to: - identify and pick out the main points and some specific detail from what you read - identify the point of view of the writer(s) - show that you understand references to events in the past, present and future - show that you understand language with which you are familiar used in unfamiliar contexts

4. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. To get a grade A, you will also need to: -work out the meaning of unfamiliar language from the context -recognise points of views, attitudes and emotions -draw conclusions from what you read -explain extracts Reading techniques

5. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. Don't panic! You are not expected to understand every word. Be positive! Concentrate on what you do understand, not on the difficult words and phrases. Use clues! Look at the title of the text and the questions first. They will tell you what the text is about! Reading techniques

6. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. Be aware of different ways of finding out the meaning of words. For example: Can you guess the meaning of a difficult word in a sentence if you understand what all the other words mean? Can you find similarities between French and English words (e.g. fièvre = fever / temperature)? Can you find links with other French words (e.g. manger = to eat: salle à manger = room to eat in)? Are you aware of language patterns (e.g. a in front of an adjective often makes it negative: logique = logical, alogique = not logical)? Reading techniques

7. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. Make sure you are confident with recognising the full range of words that introduce questions: Où? Qui? Comment? Quand? Pourquoi? Combien? Quel? Use your knowledge of grammar. For example, if you can identify a plural, a verb tense, an adjective, an adverb or a preposition, you will be in a better position to make an intelligent guess at a meaning. Reading techniques

8. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. If you have to write answers in French, be as clear as possible; but remember you will not be penalised for small mistakes. Don't spend too long on a difficult item. Come back to it later. DON’T leave gaps. If in doubt – make a logical guess Reading techniques

9. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. ABC exam tips A.ANSWER WHAT IS ASKED It is crucial to read the instructions calmly and carefully to make sure you are answering the questions. B.BEAT THE CLOCK To make the most of the time available, do what you can and then come back to the most difficult questions. Don’t spend fifteen minutes on a one-point question until you have been right through the paper – you could be using that time to score far more points on another task. C.THE CONTEXT COUNTS The context will often help you to work out the likely meaning of unfamiliar words.

10. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. False friends – les faux amis One group of words to look out for is false friends. These are words which look familiar, but which lead you astray. They sometimes remind you of an English word, eg. sale but it actually means ‘dirty' not ‘a sale’. These words are the examiner's favourite traps. Test and improve your knowledge of these types of word by answering the following questions:

11. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. Les faux amis assister passer un examen réaliser car monnaie location coin jeûne sensible To attend To take an exam To create coach change rental corner a fast sensitive

12. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. Examples from GCSE Listening exams – which meaning is correct? La semaine derniere j‘ai passé mon examen Mon ancien ami s‘appelle Sarah Je suis resté à la maison C‘était une deception On fait du vin avec des raisins Une voiture d‘occasion To pass/take former/ancient I stayed/rested Deception/disappointment Grapes/raisins Occasional /second-hand

13. © Crown copyright 2010, Department for Education These materials have been designed to be reproduced for internal circulation, research and teaching or training purposes. They can be reproduced for free provided that this material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Adaptation of these materials for other languages is permissible, providing the original source is acknowledged. Matin: Froid et ensoleillé Après-midi: Du vent partout Soirée: Risques de pluie! Quel temps va-t-il faire? Ecrivez la bonne lettre dans chaque case. (a) Le matin ______________(1 mark) (b) L’après-midi _______________(1 mark) (c) Le soir __________________(1 mark) Voici la météo pour samedi. Foundation Level 2007