Social Media: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE French): Revision Note

Exam code: 8652

Amy Bates

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Amy Bates

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The topic of ‘social media’ can appear in any of the exams - you might be asked to speak or write about yourself, or understand information about others. Let’s use the vocabulary, grammar and phonics we have seen so far to take a closer look at some typical exam questions and how you might tackle them.

Social media: listening

In the listening exam, there will be questions where you have to identify which piece(s) of information is / are correct. Ensure that you listen to the whole thing, as both pieces of information may be mentioned, and both may be correct.

Worked Example

Raphaël is talking about social media. 
Write A if only statement A is correct.
Write B if only statement B is correct.
Write A+B if both statements A+B are correct.

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  1. Raphaël uses social media …

    1. to follow his friends.

    2. to follow celebrities.

  2. He thinks that influencers have …

    1. too much money.

    2. too much influence.

  3. Somebody stole his …

    1. password.

    2. personal information.

Answers:

Here are the correct answers:

  1. A - je peux suivre mes amis

  2. B - je pense qu’ils ont trop d’influence sur la jeunesse

  3. A+B - quelqu’un m’a volé mes informations personnelles et mon mot de passe

Social media: speaking

In part 2 of the speaking exam, you will read aloud a text and answer four unprepared questions based on the topic of the text. Here is a question to practise reading aloud on the topic of social media and technology.

Worked Example

Read aloud the following text in French.

La technologie est utile et je l’utilise toujours.
Hier, j'ai suivi plusieurs influenceurs.
Mais les réseaux sociaux peuvent être dangereux.
Les jeunes ne sont souvent pas sûrs en ligne.
Il faut protéger les enfants en ligne.

Answers:

  • You should have correctly pronounced the [au] and [eau] sounds

  • You should have included the liaison in personnes étrangères, peuvent être and les enfants

Social media: reading

In the reading exam, you will need to identify different tenses and say what people do in the past, present and future.

Look out for time phrases to help you, e.g. ‘tomorrow’, ‘at the moment’, ‘yesterday’. You should also be able to identify tenses from the verb - look out for present tense verb endings, past participles, or a form of aller + infinitive to indicate the future.

Worked Example

Marie is talking about social media and digital technology. What does she say about each aspect?
Write P for something that happened in the past.
Write N for something that happens now.
Write F for something that will happen in the future.

La technologie est très importante dans ma vie. Dans le passé, j'utilisais beaucoup mon portable pour envoyer des messages, mais je l'utilise moins aujourd'hui. J'ai besoin d'un nouvel ordinateur, donc mes parents vont l'acheter pour mon anniversaire le mois prochain. Quand j'étais petite, j'avais une grande télévision dans ma chambre, mais maintenant je préfère regarder des films en streaming sur mon portable.

  1. use her phone a lot

  2. buy a new computer

  3. have a TV in her room

  4. stream films

Answers:

Here are the correct answers:

  1. use her phone a lot

    P - j'utilisais mon portable beaucoup

  2. buy a new computer

    F - mes parents vont l'acheter

  3. have a TV in her room

    P - j'avais une grande télévision dans ma chambre

  4. stream films

    N - je préfère regarder les films en streaming

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Here are the time phrases from the text which indicate each tense:

  • Present tense - maintenant (now)

  • Past tense - quand j'étais petite (when I was little); dans le passé (in the past)

  • Future tense - le mois prochain (next month)

Social media: writing

In the writing exam, you need to translate sentences into French. This question will help you to practise your translation skills.

Worked Example

Translate the following sentences into French.

  1. With my phone, I am always available.

  2. You can share photos online.

  3. She has received some funny messages.

  4. We are going to save these emails.

  5. I would like to download a new app.

Answers:

Here are the correct answers:

  1. Avec mon portable je suis toujours disponible.

  2. On peut partager des photos en ligne.

  3. Elle a reçu des messages drôles/amusants.

  4. Nous allons/on va enregistrer ces (e-)mails.

  5. Je voudrais télécharger une nouvelle appli/application.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Remember that the verb recevoir has an irregular past participle - reçu.

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Amy Bates

Author: Amy Bates

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