Theme 1: Identity and culture - Topic 2: Technology in everyday life — AQA GCSE French
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Theme 1: Identity and culture - Topic 2: Technology in everyday life explained
Theme 1: Identity and culture - Topic 2: Technology in everyday life covers 2 specification points, including Social media and Mobile technology.
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Social media
This topic covers the vocabulary and grammar needed to discuss social media use, its benefits, and its dangers. Students must learn to describe how they use platforms (les réseaux sociaux) to share photos (partager des photos), chat with friends (tchatter), or follow influencers. It is crucial to articulate the positive aspects, such as staying in touch (garder le contact), alongside the negative impacts, like cyberbullying (la cyberintimidation) or screen addiction (la dépendance). Using frequency adverbs like 'souvent' (often) or 'rarement' (rarely) helps detail usage habits. Students should also be able to discuss past social media activities and future intentions using appropriate tenses.
Mobile technology
This topic covers vocabulary related to mobile technology, including smartphones and their everyday uses. Students must learn to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mobile devices, such as staying in touch with friends (*rester en contact avec des amis*) versus the risks of cyberbullying (*la cyberintimidation*). You should be able to express opinions on how often you use your phone (*mon portable*), what apps you use (e.g., *partager des photos*), and compare past and present habits using different tenses. For example, saying "Before, I used to read books, but now I spend my time on my smartphone" (*Avant, je lisais des livres, mais maintenant je passe mon temps sur mon smartphone*).
Your focus
- Describe personal social media habits using appropriate verbs and frequency adverbs.
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using social media networks.
- Understand written and spoken accounts of online activities and their consequences.
Show all 6 objectives
- Name various mobile devices and their functions in French.
- Describe how often and why you use mobile technology using appropriate frequency adverbs.
- Evaluate the pros and cons of mobile technology using justified opinions.
Theme 1: Identity and culture - Topic 2: Technology in everyday life exam tips
Marking Points
- Identify specific social media activities from French descriptions (e.g., télécharger, poster des commentaires).
- Recognise the advantages of social media, such as communication and entertainment, in comprehension tasks.
- Identify the risks and disadvantages mentioned in texts, such as fraud, bullying, or wasting time.
- Distinguish the frequency and duration of social media use based on time phrases and adverbs.
- Identify specific mobile devices and applications from spoken or written French.
- Understand and express the frequency and purpose of using mobile technology.
- Recognise positive and negative opinions regarding mobile phones and screen time.
- Translate phrases about downloading, sharing, and communicating via mobile devices accurately.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Learn the specific vocabulary for online dangers, such as 'le vol d'identité' (identity theft) and 'le harcèlement en ligne' (online harassment).
- 💡Watch out for negative structures like 'ne... jamais' (never) or 'ne... plus' (no longer) which completely change the meaning of a user's habits.
- 💡Pay attention to verbs followed by 'à' or 'de' when discussing technology, such as 'passer du temps à' (to spend time doing).
- 💡Look out for time markers like *récemment* or *le week-end prochain* to identify which tense is being used when discussing technology habits.
- 💡Learn the specific vocabulary for social media actions, such as *partager* (to share) and *envoyer un texto* (to send a text).
- 💡Pay attention to negative structures like *ne... jamais* (never) or *ne... plus* (no longer) which often appear in texts about reducing screen time.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'partager' (to share) with 'partir' (to leave); ensure you recognise 'partager' in the context of sharing posts or photos.
- Misinterpreting 'un compte' as 'a count'; in this context, it means a social media 'account'.
- Translating 'numérique' as 'numerical'; it translates to 'digital', as in 'l'empreinte numérique' (digital footprint).
- Confusing *un portable* (a mobile phone or laptop) with *une porte* (a door); remember that *un téléphone portable* specifically means a mobile phone.
- Misunderstanding the verb *télécharger* as 'to charge a phone' instead of 'to download'; use *charger* for charging a battery.
- Translating 'to spend time on my phone' as *dépenser du temps*; correct this to *passer du temps*, as *dépenser* is only used for spending money.