Responding to questions confidently

    OCR
    GCSE

    Assessment of the candidate's ability to initiate and sustain a spontaneous interaction in the target language. This component evaluates the manipulation of complex linguistic structures, the deployment of repair strategies to maintain fluency, and the capacity to offer critical analysis of Francophone themes under examination conditions. Mastery requires moving beyond rote memorization to demonstrate authentic communicative competence.

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    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for Communication where the message is conveyed clearly despite minor errors
    • Credit the use of complex structures (subordinate clauses, variety of tenses) to access higher bands
    • Reward spontaneous repair strategies (e.g., self-correction, rephrasing) rather than silence
    • Assess pronunciation and intonation for their impact on clarity, not native-speaker perfection

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You answered the question, but try to extend your response with a 'parce que' clause"
    • "Watch your pronunciation of silent final consonants to ensure the examiner understands the word"
    • "Great use of the past tense, but remember to use the correct auxiliary verb with 'aller'"
    • "You paused for too long; next time use a French filler word like 'alors' to keep the turn"

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for Communication where the message is conveyed clearly despite minor errors
    • Credit the use of complex structures (subordinate clauses, variety of tenses) to access higher bands
    • Reward spontaneous repair strategies (e.g., self-correction, rephrasing) rather than silence
    • Assess pronunciation and intonation for their impact on clarity, not native-speaker perfection

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Use hesitation fillers like 'euh', 'alors', or 'en fait' to maintain flow while thinking
    • 💡If you do not understand a question, ask 'Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît?' immediately
    • 💡Always extend a simple 'oui' or 'non' answer with an opinion and a reason
    • 💡Ensure you use a specific time marker (e.g., 'l'année dernière', 'demain') to signal tense changes clearly

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Over-reliance on 'c'est' or 'il y a' without varying sentence openers
    • Confusion of auxiliary verbs (avoir/être) in the passé composé leading to breakdown in meaning
    • Answering 'Pourquoi?' questions with a simple statement rather than a justified reason using 'parce que' or 'car'

    Study Guide Available

    Comprehensive revision notes & examples

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Décris
    Explique
    Donne ton opinion
    Raconte
    Compare
    Justifie

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