Identity and culture: Me, my family and friends

AQA

GCSE

This study area demands a comprehensive analysis of the evolving structure of the family unit and social relationships within the Francophone world. Candidates must navigate the linguistic and cultural nuances of family dynamics, friendship networks, and the changing legal landscape of partnerships, including marriage and civil unions. Mastery requires the ability to articulate complex opinions on intergenerational conflict, the role of digital communication in maintaining relationships, and the sociological shift from the traditional nuclear family to diverse modern configurations.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award marks for the accurate use of reflexive verbs (e.g., 'je m'entends bien', 'on se dispute') to describe relationships.
Credit the inclusion of complex structures such as 'avant de' + infinitive or 'après avoir' + past participle when discussing family activities.
Candidates must express and justify opinions using varied adjectives (e.g., 'compréhensif', 'égoïste') rather than relying on generic terms like 'sympa'.
Reward the successful manipulation of three time frames (past, present, future) within a single response to demonstrate grammatical range.

Example Examiner Feedback

Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

"You have used a good range of vocabulary, but check the gender agreement of adjectives describing family members."
"Excellent use of the perfect tense; to access higher marks, ensure you include a reflexive pronoun where required."
"You have answered the bullet points, but you need to extend your justification using connectives like 'puisque' or 'étant donné que'."
"Strong attempt at complexity. Try to incorporate a 'si' clause or a subjunctive phrase (e.g., 'bien que je sois...') to enhance the grammatical range."

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award marks for the accurate use of reflexive verbs (e.g., 'je m'entends bien', 'on se dispute') to describe relationships.
Credit the inclusion of complex structures such as 'avant de' + infinitive or 'après avoir' + past participle when discussing family activities.
Candidates must express and justify opinions using varied adjectives (e.g., 'compréhensif', 'égoïste') rather than relying on generic terms like 'sympa'.
Reward the successful manipulation of three time frames (past, present, future) within a single response to demonstrate grammatical range.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡In the Writing paper, ensure every bullet point is covered explicitly; omitting a bullet point caps the Content mark significantly.
💡Use the 'PALMA' strategy (Past, Adjectives, Linking words, Modals, Adverbs) to ensure variety in the 90 and 150-word tasks.
💡For Photo Cards, always develop answers with at least three clauses, including a verb in a different tense if possible, to maximize AO2 marks.
💡In Reading/Listening, beware of distractors where a family member is mentioned but the specific detail applies to someone else.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusion between 'avoir' and 'être' in the perfect tense, particularly with reflexive verbs (e.g., writing 'j'ai disputé' instead of 'je me suis disputé').
Incorrect agreement of adjectives with family members (e.g., 'mon père est bavarde').
Misuse of possessive adjectives, specifically failing to agree 'mon/ma/mes' with the noun possessed rather than the possessor.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Décrivez

Mentionnez

Écrivez

Expliquez

Justifiez

Traduisez

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic