The new Junior Cycle French course is a little different to the old course in that it is not split into higher and ordinary levels but rather is studied at common level by all students. The new course is also more modern and teaches a variety of skills that are useful for the future such as language skills, intercultural awareness, communication, creativity and much more. While not as predictable as the old course might have been, the paper is still accessibly structured and very doable. In this guide, you will hopefully get a better understanding of the course and how to ace it.
Guide
How to get a Distinction in Junior Cycle French
By Ciara M. - 17 minute readIn this guide, student Ciara M. shares the tips and tricks that helped her receive a distinction in Junior Cycle French.
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Introduction
Assessment information
Junior Cycle French is marked out of 400 marks:
The written exam is worth 360 marks (90%).
The Assessment Task is worth 40 marks (10%).
You will be marked using the following grade descriptors which will appear on both the certificate you receive on results day and your Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA):
| Grade Descriptor | Percentage |
| Distinction | ≥90 to 100 |
| Higher Merit | ≥75 to <90 |
| Merit | ≥55 to <75 |
| Achieved | ≥40 to <55 |
| Partially Achieved | ≥20 to <40 |
| Not Graded (NG) | ≥0 to <20 |
Classroom-Based Assessments
There are also two Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) on the course and for each, you will be awarded one of the following descriptors:
Exceptional
Above expectations
In line with expectations
Yet to meet expectations
Remember
The grade you receive on your CBAs will only appear on your JCPA and does not influence your overall grade on the course.
CBA 1: oral communication
CBA 1 will likely take place in 2nd year so that there’s lots of time to focus on it before the workload of 3rd year begins. Replacing the old oral exam, this is an oral presentation. Even though this might sound very intimidating to some, getting an ‘exceptional’ is definitely achievable as long as you put in enough time and effort. You may choose one of the following formats for your CBA 1:
Presentation
The student presents an area of interest in front of their class and responds to questions based on their topic from their teacher. I chose this format and presented it on ‘Ma Ville de Rêve’ (My Dream Town).
Roleplay
A pair or group act out a scripted roleplay (e.g. reserving a hotel room) and answer unscripted questions from their teacher afterwards.
Interview
The student answers scripted questions from another student or their teacher about a topic of interest. The teacher will ask additional unscripted questions at the end.
Conversation in response to stimulus material
The student chooses a stimulus material and the teacher asks unscripted questions. This is the hardest format in my opinion as you are asked unscripted questions for the full three minutes rather than 30 seconds at the end.
Picking your topic
When choosing your topic, the most important thing to do is to pick something you know a lot about already or something you’re very interested in. This will give you the necessary motivation to prepare the best presentation you possibly can and will make it a lot easier to answer unscripted questions at the end. I would also recommend selecting a topic that can be discussed using simple language.
Top tip
Try not to choose something that requires knowledge of a branch of French you haven’t already covered in class, e.g. don’t talk about a holiday you’ve been on if you haven’t covered the passé composé.
Preparation
It’s imperative that you are completely prepared by the time the day of your presentation comes around. You should have 2-3 weeks to prepare before this so make sure to make good use of this time. Below, I have outlined my step-by-step approach to preparing for the presentation:
Brainstorm
During the first week, I started off by brainstorming ideas.
Gather materials
Next, I moved on to gathering the necessary information and materials for my oral communication piece. Then, I began the process of putting it all together.
Review with your teacher
I made sure to ask my teacher to check that all the grammar, verbs and sentence structure were correct.
Memorise
I began memorising my piece. While some teachers allow flashcards to be used, you should try to avoid this if you want a higher mark.
Practice
I practiced my piece as much as I could to ensure that I was fully confident when the time came to present. You can prepare for the unscripted questions by revising question pronouns (qui, quel, comment, etc.) and by getting a friend to ask questions related to your topic.
Trial run
If you’re given the opportunity, do a trial run of your CBA in front of your class teacher. If your teacher gives any feedback, take it into consideration for the real thing.
Top tip
I used the Features of Quality Rubric Sheet online to try to predict what I would have gotten based on my practice runs. I then made notes on what I needed to improve on in order to achieve a higher mark on my CBA.
Presentation day
On the day of your presentation, you will be recorded by your teacher, either on your own or in front of a couple of classmates. Don’t let this throw you off though, this video will not be seen by anyone except (possibly) the French teachers in your school and/or an inspector.
Additionally, if you really don’t want anyone but your teacher in the room (they must be there), you can always speak privately with them and request that there be no audience (whatever you have to do to feel comfortable). Here are some tips for your presentation:
During your presentation
When presenting, remember to speak slowly and steadily to nail your pronunciation and fill the time required. Stick to the plan as much as you can and try not to improvise/add anything in the spur of the moment.
Unscripted questions
When answering unscripted questions, try to listen for keywords in the question. For example, in the question “Qui est ton chanteur préféré?”, the keywords let you know that you are likely being asked who your favourite singer is. Try to give full answers where you can.
Answering questions
Rather than answering the previous sample question with just the name of your favourite singer, try to respond with a full sentence like this: “Mon chanteur préféré est Harry Styles”.
Remember
You will have to fill out a reflection sheet after finishing this CBA.
CBA 2: student language portfolio
CBA 2 will be completed in 3rd year. It is an individual student language portfolio, requiring you to pick your three best pieces of work produced during 2nd and 3rd years. The student language portfolio (SLP) requires three different pieces:
An oral piece
This is a spoken piece (different from CBA 1) that you can record yourself and send in or have your teacher record in class (consult your teacher to see if they have a preference). Again, I recommend that you pick a topic that you are comfortable speaking about. Try to perfect the pronunciation for a top-class presentation.
A cultural piece
This is a spoken or written piece on a francophone country. There is a wide range of countries to choose from, including but not limited to the following: France, Belgium, Monaco, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Rwanda, Cameroon, Madagascar, Tunisia, Canada, Guyana, Haiti, Vanuatu, etc. When you have chosen your country, research and divide your information into different 8 sections, e.g. nourriture (food), villes (cities), etc. Some teachers might have you do this piece in different ways (e.g. a piece about cultures from different countries) but the main thing to focus on is checking there are no mistakes and writing the recommended amount.
One other piece
This is a spoken or written piece on a topic of your choice. It is most convenient to select a piece you have already put work into which has been previously corrected by your teacher. This way, you don’t have to put unnecessary time and effort into it.
Remember
You will have to fill out a reflection sheet on each of the pieces after handing in your SLP. I recommend putting as much effort as you can into it as it will help you complete the Assessment Task.
The Assessment Task
The Assessment Task is a written reflection on the work you have done for CBA 2 and will likely take place in the spring of 3rd year. You will have 80 minutes to complete this task and it is worth 10% of your final grade for Junior Cycle French. That may not sound like much but remember, that could be the difference between a distinction and a higher merit so you should try your very best. You will do the Assessment Task over two separate classes:
First class
In this class, you are given your Assessment Task booklet and are allowed to discuss it with your class. Pose any questions you might have to your teacher in this class rather than at the last minute. I recommend writing down all the questions in the booklet into your copy or on a sheet so you can plan out your answers later that day.
Second class
In this class, you will be writing out your answers in the booklet (this is an exam setting). However, you are allowed to bring in your CBA 2 work and notes which can be very helpful to use when writing up answers. You should have a pretty good idea of what your answers will be from the planning stage so just make sure to write them out in time. There is not much room to write your answers so the simpler the better. Use simple, effective language and don’t include too many points if there’s no room to develop them.
Final assessment
The Junior Cycle French exam takes place in June of 3rd year and is worth 90% (360 marks) of your overall grade. There are three sections to this exam:
Listening section
The listening section is worth almost 40% (140 marks) of the final assessment so it's important to know how to do well on it. It takes approximately 30 minutes and typically includes 7 questions. These questions can be asked in either French or English and may even include pictures. Each section is played three times. Here are the three main ways I prepared for the listening section:
Learn vocabulary
Learning vocabulary is very important for the listening section because if you can get a good grasp of the meaning of the audio, it will be very easy to answer any sort of question thrown at you (in either French or English). Try to identify the way you learn vocabulary best, for me it was flashcards but other people may prefer mind maps, etc. Some of the most important topics to revise for this section include:
Time
Numbers
Days of the week
Months of the year
Jobs
Family
Places
Weather
Hobbies
Practice questions
Practice questions are helpful for every aspect of the final assessment as they consist of questions that are realistic to what you’ll be asked on the day. I would especially recommend doing as many listening samples as you can find as this will help you improve your skills. Here are some useful tidbits:
Don’t listen to the track more than three times when you’re practicing as you’ll only be allowed to listen to it 3 times on exam day.
When you’re marking your answers, however, you can listen to it as many times as you need to hear the vocabulary and pronunciation.
Try to note any words you don’t understand (even if the questions aren’t directly related to them) and afterwards, look up their meaning.
The vocabulary used in aural sections is generally quite repetitive so it’s worth your while to be familiar with the most common words tested.
Watch television
Watching television was my favourite way to prepare as I got to watch some of my favourite TV shows and movies, only this time, in French. I recommend watching a program you have seen already in English so that you’re familiar with the plot. All you have to do is switch the audio and subtitles to French (not English because you will be tempted to just read them instead of listening to the French dialogue).
Top tips
Here's some further advice and tips for the listening section:
Highlight keywords
Before the audio begins to play, have a quick look over each question and highlight/underline keywords. This way, when you’re listening to the audio, you can know exactly what you’re listening for.
French or English
Highlight whether you have to answer the question in French or English. This is very important because you will lose all marks for the section if you answer in the incorrect language. The general rule is this: if the question is in English, answer in English and if the question is in French, answer in French. Always double-check.
Associated words
If you have time, you could write down the French for the keywords beside them. This will help you pick out the relevant audio section much faster and you can also write down some associated words that you might expect to hear. For example, for the question "What is the budget for the dream holiday?", you might expect to hear words like argent (money) or mille (thousand).
Listening
The audio plays three times for each question so always spend the first time listening and not writing to get a feel for what the audio clip is about. Mark any questions you think might be tricky with a star or circle. During the second and third time, write down the answers to the questions and listen out for anything you might have missed.
Number questions
Watch out for number questions as they can be tricky. If you’re struggling with a particular number, you can write out the phonetics (sound) of it and afterwards, translate it to English.
Answer every question
Try not to leave any blank spaces. You don’t lose any marks for a wrong answer so you’re better off taking a guess and potentially picking up some marks.
Reading section
The reading section is worth 140 marks so it’s crucial to do well on it if you want that distinction grade. There are normally 7 reading comprehensions in this section. It's a broad section but if you do enough practice questions, you can get quite good at answering the questions, even with limited knowledge. You also get a good understanding of commonly asked questions and how to scan a text quickly while still getting all the information needed to answer it. Not much grammar is needed for this section so just revise your vocabulary and you’ll be good to go. Here's some advice and tips for the reading section:
Timing
I recommend spending an average of 3-5 minutes on each of the 7 questions. Some will only take 2 minutes but others require more reading and longer answers so it really depends. This totals a maximum of 35 minutes on this section and I strongly advise spending a couple of minutes afterwards reading over all your answers.
Move on if you get stuck
Work through the questions carefully and come back to the ones you’re stuck on later. Never spend too much time on one question because this will cost you time and potential marks.
Use what's in front of you
Look at titles, pictures, etc. before reading the text to get clues on what it will be about. Once you have an idea of the topic, read through the text. You don’t have to understand every word but rather, get the bigger picture.
Relevant information
Write as much relevant information as you can in comprehension answers because the marking scheme will often require detailed answers.
Writing section
While this section may not be worth as many marks as the previous two (80 marks), the preparation you do for this section will be the most helpful overall. There are usually three types of questions in this section:
Filling out a form.
A grammar exercise.
Writing an email/blog.
This section of the exam probably requires the most preparation. You will have to go over a lot of vocabulary and grammar to avoid mistakes but don’t let this scare you. Here's some advice and tips for the writing section:
Timing
I recommend spending 10-15 minutes on the first question, 5 minutes on the second and 15-20 minutes on the third. You should spend a couple of minutes looking over work but that being said, you should also allocate some of that time to planning. Always use the rough work section to brainstorm ideas, outline your points and identify the vocabulary you’re going to use.
Get the easy marks
Work smarter instead of harder by spending more time covering material you know will come up. For example, you can get some easy marks by just learning off the structure of an email/blog and what you must always include, i.e. greeting, date, sign-off, etc.
Prepare some sentences
Try to have a few complex sentences/phrases that you know have correct French prepared before the exam. This will impress the examiner and might even help you pick up a few marks. However, I don't recommend attempting to create a complex sentence on the day of the exam. It’s better to use simple sentences in accurate French than complex sentences with bad French.
Tenses
As always, try to use the tense that the question is asked in. For example, if the question is asked in the futur simple, try not to answer in the futur proche.
Important
During the exam, only use a blue or black pen (not a pencil) because it will be scanned by a computer and the scanner cannot pick up pencil.
Final tips
Final Tips
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Avoid cramming
If you study French for just an hour per week throughout 3rd year, you will be confident going into the exam and more likely get very good marks. This is an easier and more successful method than cramming the three-year course a few weeks before your exam.
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Don't let the mocks get you down
Keep in mind that it is never too late to start working and that you can still make massive improvements in your last few weeks. I’ve seen some of my classmates jump entire grades in the time between the mocks to the real exam so don’t be discouraged if you don’t do as well as you were expecting in them. This is the point of the mock exams, they motivate you to work harder.
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Do your best
Try not to be intimidated by your friends’ notes, test scores or whatever is going on around you on the day of the exam. Remember all the work you’ve done since 1st year and know that you are ready for this. All you can do at the end of the day is your best. These exams are not the end of the world so even if you feel like it hasn’t gone to plan, just say to yourself that you have gone in there and given it your best and that’s all you can do and that ce qui sera, sera.
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The night before
The night before the exam, remember to pack everything you might need. Try to get a good night’s sleep to ensure you don’t feel sluggish or tired during the exam.
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Day of the exam
On the morning of the exam, have a healthy breakfast and drink water throughout the day. Listen to a French radio station directly before the exam if you can access it to be in the zone for the listening portion.
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Use the extra paper
Think and plan before writing to avoid lots of scribbles that may leave a bad impression on the examiner. If you need to quickly jot something down, use a spare page. You should also use the extra pages at the end of the paper if needed for extra writing space. Make sure to clearly label which question you are answering if you end up doing this.
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Leave no question blank
Don’t leave any questions blank. You’ll be amazed at how many marks you can pick up just by guessing.
Don't leave early
Never leave your exam early. This exam gives you plenty of time so there is a high chance you will be finished before time is up. Even if you’re finished an hour early, you’ll regret not using the extra time to your advantage to check over and improve all your answers. Remember, marks can also be gained inside the exam hall.
Some final tips
for your Junior Cycle French exam.
Avoid cramming
If you study French for just an hour per week throughout 3rd year, you will be confident going into the exam and more likely get very good marks. This is an easier and more successful method than cramming the three-year course a few weeks before your exam.
Don't let the mocks get you down
Keep in mind that it is never too late to start working and that you can still make massive improvements in your last few weeks. I’ve seen some of my classmates jump entire grades in the time between the mocks to the real exam so don’t be discouraged if you don’t do as well as you were expecting in them. This is the point of the mock exams, they motivate you to work harder.
Do your best
Try not to be intimidated by your friends’ notes, test scores or whatever is going on around you on the day of the exam. Remember all the work you’ve done since 1st year and know that you are ready for this. All you can do at the end of the day is your best. These exams are not the end of the world so even if you feel like it hasn’t gone to plan, just say to yourself that you have gone in there and given it your best and that’s all you can do and that ce qui sera, sera.
The night before
The night before the exam, remember to pack everything you might need. Try to get a good night’s sleep to ensure you don’t feel sluggish or tired during the exam.
Day of the exam
On the morning of the exam, have a healthy breakfast and drink water throughout the day. Listen to a French radio station directly before the exam if you can access it to be in the zone for the listening portion.
Use the extra paper
Think and plan before writing to avoid lots of scribbles that may leave a bad impression on the examiner. If you need to quickly jot something down, use a spare page. You should also use the extra pages at the end of the paper if needed for extra writing space. Make sure to clearly label which question you are answering if you end up doing this.
Leave no question blank
Don’t leave any questions blank. You’ll be amazed at how many marks you can pick up just by guessing.
Don't leave early
Never leave your exam early. This exam gives you plenty of time so there is a high chance you will be finished before time is up. Even if you’re finished an hour early, you’ll regret not using the extra time to your advantage to check over and improve all your answers. Remember, marks can also be gained inside the exam hall.
Hope these help - happy studying!
Best of luck in your exams!
By Ciara M.