Topic 2: Social issues
This topic covers the use of technology in everyday life, specifically focusing on social media and mobile technology.
Topic Overview
Topic 2: Social issues in French (AQA GCSE) explores key themes such as charity and voluntary work, healthy and unhealthy living, and the environment. You will learn to discuss problems like poverty, homelessness, and pollution, as well as solutions like recycling, volunteering, and adopting a balanced lifestyle. This topic builds on your ability to express opinions, give reasons, and use a range of tenses, which are essential for the speaking and writing exams.
Understanding social issues is crucial because it allows you to engage with real-world problems in French, demonstrating your ability to handle complex topics. You will encounter vocabulary related to social problems (e.g., le chômage, les sans-abris), health (e.g., manger équilibré, faire du sport), and environmental issues (e.g., le réchauffement climatique, le recyclage). Mastering this topic will help you achieve higher marks in the 'Identity and culture' and 'Local, national, international and global areas of interest' themes.
This topic connects to other areas of the GCSE, such as discussing your local area (Topic 1) and global issues (Topic 3). It also prepares you for the translation and role-play tasks, where you might need to describe a social problem or suggest a solution. By the end of this topic, you should be able to hold a conversation about how to improve society and your own health, using appropriate grammar and vocabulary.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Charity and voluntary work: Key phrases like 'faire du bénévolat' (to volunteer), 'une association caritative' (a charity), and 'collecter des fonds' (to raise funds). You need to discuss why people volunteer and the benefits for the community.
- →Healthy and unhealthy living: Vocabulary for food (e.g., les légumes, les fast-foods), exercise (e.g., faire de la natation, être sédentaire), and habits (e.g., fumer, boire de l'alcool). Use 'il faut' + infinitive to give advice.
- →Environmental issues: Terms like 'la pollution', 'le gaspillage' (waste), 'les énergies renouvelables', and 'protéger l'environnement'. Discuss causes and solutions using 'si' clauses and the conditional tense.
- →Social problems: Words for poverty (la pauvreté), homelessness (les sans-abris), and inequality (les inégalités). Express sympathy and propose actions using 'on devrait' or 'il est important de'.
What You Need to Demonstrate
Key skills and knowledge for this topic
- Ability to express and justify opinions on technology
- Use of vocabulary related to social media and mobile devices
- Ability to discuss advantages and disadvantages of technology
- Use of appropriate tenses to describe past, present, and future experiences with technology
Marking Points
Key points examiners look for in your answers
- Ability to express and justify opinions on technology
- Use of vocabulary related to social media and mobile devices
- Ability to discuss advantages and disadvantages of technology
- Use of appropriate tenses to describe past, present, and future experiences with technology
Examiner Tips
Expert advice for maximising your marks
- 💡Use a variety of connectives to link ideas about technology
- 💡Ensure you can express both positive and negative opinions
- 💡Practice using specific vocabulary like 'télécharger', 'en ligne', and 'réseau social'
- 💡Prepare to discuss how technology has changed your life or how you use it daily
- 💡Use a variety of tenses to show off your grammar. For example, in a paragraph about the environment, combine present (e.g., 'la pollution est un problème'), past (e.g., 'l'année dernière, j'ai participé à une collecte'), and future (e.g., 'je vais réduire ma consommation d'énergie').
- 💡Learn key phrases for giving opinions and reasons, such as 'à mon avis', 'je pense que', 'parce que', and 'car'. In the writing exam, always justify your opinions with at least one reason to access higher marks.
- 💡For the speaking exam, practice role-plays where you have to ask for information or make suggestions. For example, ask 'Qu'est-ce qu'on peut faire pour aider les sans-abris?' and respond with 'On pourrait faire un don à une association caritative.'
Common Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers
- Over-reliance on simple sentence structures
- Failure to justify opinions
- Confusing the use of 'tu' and 'vous' when discussing technology habits
- Inaccurate use of past and future tenses when narrating experiences
- Confusing 'faire du bénévolat' with 'faire du volontariat' – both mean volunteering, but 'bénévolat' is unpaid work for a charity, while 'volontariat' can be for any cause. Use 'bénévolat' for charity contexts.
- Thinking 'je suis en bonne santé' means 'I am healthy' – it's correct, but students often forget the preposition 'en'. Also, 'je suis sain' is not used; say 'je suis en bonne forme' for 'I am fit'.
- Mixing up 'le réchauffement climatique' (global warming) with 'le changement climatique' (climate change) – they are related but not identical. Use 'réchauffement' for temperature rise and 'changement' for broader shifts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Basic knowledge of present, past (perfect), and future (near future) tenses in French.
- •Familiarity with expressing opinions and giving reasons (e.g., 'je pense que', 'parce que').
- •Understanding of vocabulary related to daily life, such as food, activities, and places.
Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
Likely Command Words
How questions on this topic are typically asked
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