How do I say 'I want to become a doctor' in French?

You can say 'Je veux devenir médecin' (present tense) or 'Je voudrais devenir médecin' (conditional, more polite). For future plans, use 'Je deviendrai médecin' (future tense). Remember that professions in French often don't need an article (e.g., 'être médecin', not 'être un médecin').

What is the difference between 'un stage' and 'un emploi'?

'Un stage' is a work placement or internship, usually temporary and often part of studies (e.g., 'J'ai fait un stage dans une entreprise'). 'Un emploi' is a job or employment, which can be part-time or full-time (e.g., 'J'ai un emploi à temps partiel dans un supermarché'). Make sure to use the correct term in your answers.

How do I talk about my work experience in the past tense?

Use the perfect tense (passé composé) for specific actions: 'J'ai travaillé dans un bureau' (I worked in an office), 'J'ai aidé les clients' (I helped customers). For descriptions or habitual actions, use the imperfect: 'C'était intéressant' (It was interesting), 'Je travaillais tous les jours' (I worked every day). Combine both for a richer answer.

What are some good phrases to justify my career choice?

Use 'parce que' (because) or 'car' (as/since) to give reasons. For example: 'Je veux être infirmière parce que j'aime aider les gens' or 'Je voudrais travailler dans la technologie car c'est un secteur en pleine croissance.' You can also use 'grâce à' (thanks to) to mention influences: 'Grâce à mon stage, j'ai découvert que j'aime le journalisme.'

How can I include the importance of languages in my answers?

You can say: 'Les langues sont très importantes pour trouver un bon emploi' (Languages are very important for finding a good job) or 'Parler français peut m'aider à travailler à l'étranger' (Speaking French can help me work abroad). For higher marks, add a personal reason: 'Je veux apprendre l'anglais pour devenir traducteur' (I want to learn English to become a translator).

What tense should I use to talk about my future career plans?

Use the future tense (e.g., 'je travaillerai', 'je deviendrai') for definite plans, and the conditional (e.g., 'je voudrais', 'j'aimerais') for dreams or less certain ambitions. For example: 'Après l'université, je travaillerai comme ingénieur' (After university, I will work as an engineer) vs. 'J'aimerais voyager avant de m'installer' (I would like to travel before settling down).

Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

AQA

GCSE

This topic covers the customs and festivals celebrated in French-speaking countries and communities, requiring students to understand and express information and opinions about these cultural events.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

Topic Overview

Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions is a key part of the AQA GCSE French curriculum, focusing on the world of work and future aspirations. Students learn to discuss part-time jobs, career plans, work experience, and the qualities needed for different professions. This topic also covers the importance of languages in the global job market, helping students connect their language learning to real-world opportunities. By mastering this topic, you'll be able to talk confidently about your own ambitions and understand others' career paths in French.

This topic builds on vocabulary and grammar from earlier themes, such as describing yourself and your daily routine. You'll use a range of tenses (present, past, future, and conditional) to express your current job, past work experience, and future career goals. Key grammar points include the use of 'vouloir' (to want), 'devoir' (to have to), and 'pouvoir' (to be able to) with infinitives, as well as forming the conditional to express polite requests or hypothetical situations. Mastering these structures will allow you to achieve higher marks in both speaking and writing exams.

Understanding this topic is not just about passing exams—it's about preparing for your future. Whether you're planning to work in the UK or abroad, being able to discuss your career ambitions in French can open doors. The AQA exam often includes questions about work experience, ideal jobs, and the role of languages in careers, so being well-prepared will help you stand out. By the end of this topic, you should be able to write a detailed paragraph about your dream job and explain why languages are valuable in the workplace.

Key Concepts

Core ideas you must understand for this topic

→Vocabulary for jobs and professions (e.g., 'médecin', 'avocat', 'ingénieur') and work-related activities (e.g., 'travailler à temps partiel', 'faire un stage').
→Using the conditional tense (e.g., 'je voudrais', 'j'aimerais') to express ambitions and polite requests.
→Forming the future tense (e.g., 'je travaillerai', 'je deviendrai') to talk about long-term career plans.
→Structuring a paragraph about work experience using past tenses (perfect and imperfect) to describe what you did and what it was like.
→Expressing opinions and reasons (e.g., 'à mon avis', 'parce que', 'car') to justify career choices and the importance of languages.

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Ability to identify and describe specific festivals (e.g., Fête des Mères, Fête des Rois, Fête du Travail, Jour de l'An, Saint-Sylvestre, Saint Valentin, Toussaint, veille de Noël, Pâques, poisson d'avril).
Ability to use vocabulary related to celebrations (e.g., cadeau, fête, fêter, feux d'artifice).
Ability to discuss religious aspects (e.g., église, mosquée, juif, musulman, religieux).
Ability to express opinions about festivals and customs.
Ability to use appropriate time frames (past, present, future) when narrating experiences of festivals.

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Ability to identify and describe specific festivals (e.g., Fête des Mères, Fête des Rois, Fête du Travail, Jour de l'An, Saint-Sylvestre, Saint Valentin, Toussaint, veille de Noël, Pâques, poisson d'avril).
Ability to use vocabulary related to celebrations (e.g., cadeau, fête, fêter, feux d'artifice).
Ability to discuss religious aspects (e.g., église, mosquée, juif, musulman, religieux).
Ability to express opinions about festivals and customs.
Ability to use appropriate time frames (past, present, future) when narrating experiences of festivals.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡Ensure you can use a variety of time frames to describe festivals you have attended or plan to attend.
💡Practice using opinion phrases (e.g., 'à mon avis', 'ça me plaît') in the context of cultural events.
💡Learn the specific vocabulary for religious and secular festivals provided in the specification.
💡In the speaking exam, be prepared to ask a question about festivals to the examiner.
💡Use communication strategies like paraphrasing if you forget a specific word for a custom or festival.
💡In the speaking exam, prepare a range of opinions and justifications. For example, when asked about your ideal job, don't just say 'je voudrais être médecin'—add 'parce que j'aime aider les gens et c'est un métier passionnant'. This shows depth and earns higher marks.
💡Use a variety of tenses to impress the examiner. When describing work experience, start with the perfect tense for completed actions (e.g., 'j'ai travaillé dans un bureau'), then use the imperfect for descriptions (e.g., 'c'était intéressant'), and finish with the conditional for future aspirations (e.g., 'je voudrais continuer dans ce domaine').
💡Learn key phrases about the importance of languages: 'Les langues sont importantes pour trouver un emploi' and 'Parler français peut m'aider à travailler à l'étranger'. These are common in writing and speaking tasks and show you understand the broader context.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusing the names of specific festivals or their dates.
Over-reliance on pre-learnt responses in the speaking exam, failing to show spontaneity.
Inability to use appropriate past or future tenses when describing a festival attended in the past or planned for the future.
Lack of justification for opinions expressed about customs.
Mixing up 'devoir' and 'falloir': 'Devoir' means 'must' or 'have to' (e.g., 'je dois travailler'), while 'falloir' is impersonal (e.g., 'il faut travailler'). Students often use 'il faut' with a person, which is incorrect.
Forgetting to use the correct preposition after 'travailler': You work 'dans' (in) a sector (e.g., 'dans la santé'), 'comme' (as) a job (e.g., 'comme médecin'), or 'pour' (for) a company (e.g., 'pour une grande entreprise').
Using the present tense instead of the conditional for polite requests: In French, 'je veux' (I want) can sound rude; use 'je voudrais' (I would like) to be polite, especially in speaking exams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about this topic

Before You Start

Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

•Basic vocabulary for describing yourself (e.g., age, personality, likes/dislikes) from Topic 1: Me, my family and friends.
•Formation and use of the present tense, especially common irregular verbs like 'avoir', 'être', 'faire', and 'aller'.
•Understanding of the perfect tense (passé composé) to describe past events, as work experience is often discussed in the past.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Décrivez

Ecrivez

Mentionnez

Répondez

Choisissez

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic

Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

Key Terminology

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in AQA GCSE French

Theme 1: Identity and culture

Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region

How to Revise Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions — AQA GCSE French

Examiner Tips for Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Common Mistakes in Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Key Marking Points

Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I say 'I want to become a doctor' in French?

What is the difference between 'un stage' and 'un emploi'?

How do I talk about my work experience in the past tense?

What are some good phrases to justify my career choice?

How can I include the importance of languages in my answers?

What tense should I use to talk about my future career plans?

Before You Start

Key Terminology

Le SMIC

Un CDI

Le télétravail

La reconversion professionnelle

Un entretien d'embauche

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in AQA GCSE French

Theme 1: Identity and culture

Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region