French Exam Notes: Year 8

Section A: Writing Assessment Criteria

The writing section is assessed using Criterion D, focusing on vocabulary, grammar, organization, and communication skills.

0: The student does not meet the minimum standard.
1-2:
- Limited vocabulary.
- Limited grammatical structures with many errors hindering communication.
- Presents information in a partially recognizable format using basic cohesive devices.
- Communicates limited relevant information with some sense of audience and purpose.
3-4:
- Basic range of vocabulary.
- Basic range of grammatical structures with some errors that sometimes hinder communication.
- Organizes information in a recognizable format using basic cohesive devices.
- Communicates some relevant information with some sense of audience and purpose.
5-6:
- Uses a range of vocabulary.
- Uses a range of grammatical structures with a few errors that do not hinder communication.
- Organizes information in an appropriate format using simple and some complex cohesive devices.
- Communicates most relevant information with a sense of audience and purpose.
7-8:
- Uses a wide range of vocabulary.
- Uses a wide range of grammatical structures generally accurately.
- Organizes information effectively and coherently using a wide range of simple and complex cohesive devices.
- Communicates all or almost all required information with a clear sense of audience and purpose.

Writing Task: Responding to MariamaBâ

Write a letter responding to MariamaBâ, answering all her questions in French.

A. Introduction:
- Introduce yourself (name).
- Age.
- Birthday.
- Description.
- Family.
B. Past Activities:
- What you did last night: Where? Activities? With whom? Opinion?
- What your mother or father did last weekend (2 details in the past).
- What your friends did last weekend (2 details in the past).
C. Celebration/Festival:
- Talk about a celebration or festival (Where? Activities? With whom? Opinion?).
- Describe the festival (3-4 details).
- Write in the present tense and explain how you celebrate this festival or tradition. (Use adverbs like Normalement, d’habitude, Généralement, en général, etc.)
D. Importance of Cell Phones:
- Are cell phones important in your life? Why?
- Give specific examples (advantages and disadvantages).

Section B: Reading Comprehension Assessment Criteria

The reading comprehension section is assessed using Criterion B, focusing on identifying information, conventions, and connections in authentic texts.

0: The student does not meet the minimum standard.
1-2:
- Identifies minimal stated information (facts and/or opinions) in a variety of simple authentic texts.
- Identifies basic conventions in simple authentic texts.
- Identifies basic connections in simple authentic texts.
3-4:
- Identifies some stated information (facts and/or opinions) in a variety of simple authentic texts.
- Identifies basic conventions in simple authentic texts.
- Identifies basic connections in simple authentic texts.
5-6:
- Identifies most stated information (facts and/or opinions, and supporting details) in a variety of simple authentic texts.
- Interprets conventions in simple authentic texts.
- Interprets connections in simple authentic texts.
7-8:
- Identifies explicit and implicit information (facts and/or opinions, and supporting details) in a wide variety of simple authentic texts.
- Analyses conventions in simple authentic texts.
- Analyses connections in simple authentic texts.

Reading Comprehension: Paul et Sarah's Hobbies

Paul and Sarah discuss their hobbies and preferences.

Paul's Leisure Activities

Paul is 12 years old.
He enjoys sports, especially football, which he plays with his friends after school every day. They run, pass the ball, and score goals.
His favorite football player is Kylian Mbappé, whom he admires for being fast and talented.
He also likes tennis and plays with his father on weekends at a local tennis club. Although his father is a good player, Paul sometimes wins.
Paul enjoys playing video games at home, with Mario Kart being his favorite. He often plays with his younger brother, and they are very competitive.
He likes listening to music, particularly Imagine Dragons, which energizes him before football matches. He sometimes sings along, especially to "Believer."
Paul enjoys eating pizza with lots of cheese and pepperoni and often has pizza nights with his family on weekends.
He prefers simple and sporty clothing, such as jeans, t-shirts of his favorite football teams, and colorful, comfortable sneakers.

Sarah's Leisure Activities

Sarah is 11 years old.
She loves reading books and reads every night before bed. Her favorite book is "Harry Potter" due to the fascinating adventures of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. She loves magic and fantastic creatures.
She enjoys drawing and painting, creating landscapes and animals after school. Her favorite animal is the cat, and she has a pet cat named Minou.
Sarah likes to cycle with her family on weekends in the park. They enjoy the scenery and find it relaxing.
She enjoys listening to music, especially Taylor Swift, and listens to her songs daily, finding them beautiful and energizing.
Sarah also likes to cook, with her favorite dish to prepare being crêpes. She makes crêpes with her family on Sunday mornings.
She loves wearing colorful and unique outfits, often wearing floral dresses with denim jackets. She also likes handmade jewelry, expressing her creativity through her clothing.

Comprehension Questions and Answers

Mention 4 activities de loisirs de Paul ? (Mention 4 of Paul's leisure activities?)
- Football
- Tennis
- Video games (Mario Kart)
- Listening to music (Imagine Dragons)
Quel est le nom du chat de Sarah ? (What is the name of Sarah's cat?)
- Minou
Choisis la bonne réponse: (Choose the correct answer:)
- i. Avec qui Paul joue-t-il au tennis le week-end? (With whom does Paul play tennis on the weekend?)
  - b) Son père. (His father)
- ii. Quel est le joueur de football préféré de Paul? (Who is Paul's favorite football player?)
  - b) Kylian Mbappé
- iii. Quelle activité Sarah pratique-t-elle avec sa famille le week-end? (What activity does Sarah do with her family on the weekend?)
  - b) Faire du vélo (Bike riding)
- iv. Pourquoi Paul aime-t-il jouer au football après l'école? (Why does Paul like to play football after school?)
  - b) Pour rester en forme et s'amuser. (To stay in shape and have fun.)
- v. Quelle est la principale raison pour laquelle Sarah aime dessiner? (What is the main reason Sarah likes to draw?)
  - b) Pour s'exprimer et explorer sa créativité. (To express herself and explore her creativity.)
- vi. Quelle est la principale motivation de Paul pour jouer au tennis avec son père? (What is Paul's main motivation for playing tennis with his father?)
  - b) Pour passer du temps de qualité ensemble. (To spend quality time together.)
Vrai ou faux (+ justification): (True or False (+ justification):)
- Paul joue au football tous les jours avant l'école. (Paul plays football every day before school.)
  - Faux (False). Justification: Il joue au football après l'école. (He plays football after school.)
- Sarah préfère écouter de la musique plutôt que lire des livres. (Sarah prefers to listen to music rather than read books.)
  - Faux (False). Justification: Elle aime beaucoup lire des livres. (She really likes reading books.)
- Paul écoute des chansons d'Imagine Dragons pour se relaxer avant de dormir. (Paul listens to Imagine Dragons songs to relax before sleeping.)
  - Faux (False). Justification: Ils lui donnent de l'énergie avant les matchs de football. (They give him energy before football matches.)
- Sarah prépare des crêpes le dimanche matin parce qu'elle veut devenir chef cuisinier. (Sarah makes crêpes on Sunday morning because she wants to become a chef.)
  - Faux (False). Justification: C'est un moment très spécial pour sa famille. (It's a very special moment for her family.)
- Paul mange souvent des pizzas avec sa famille le matin. (Paul often eats pizza with his family in the morning.)
  - Faux (False). Justification: Il mange souvent des pizzas le weekend. (He often eats pizza on the weekend.)
- Sarah ne fait pas de vélo avec ses amis le weekend. (Sarah doesn't bike with her friends on the weekend.)
  - Vrai (True). Justification: Elle fait du vélo avec sa famille. (She bikes with her family.)
La personnalité de Paul : Justifie avec un exemple du texte : (Paul's personality: Justify with an example from the text:)
- Il est sportif : Justification : Il joue au football avec ses amis après l'école. (He plays football with his friends after school.)
- Il est compétitif : Justification : Parfois, je gagne, parfois c'est lui qui gagne. Nous sommes très compétitifs. (Sometimes I win, sometimes he wins. We are very competitive.)
La personnalité de Sarah : Justifie avec un exemple du texte : (Sarah's personality: Justify with an example from the text:)
- Elle est créative : Justification : Après l'école, je prends mes crayons de couleur et mes pinceaux et je crée des dessins.(After school, I take my colored pencils and paintbrushes and create drawings.)
- Elle est introspective : Justification : J'adore la magie et les créatures fantastiques (I love magic and fantastic creatures.)
Quelle est la différence entre les activités sportives de Paul et les activités sportives de Sarah? (What is the difference between Paul's and Sarah's sporting activities?)
- Paul's sporting activities, such as football and tennis are competitive and team-oriented, while Sarah's activities like cycling is recreational and family-oriented.
Quelle est la différence entre les activités à la maison de Paul et activités à la maison de Sarah? (What is the difference between Paul's and Sarah's at-home activities?)
- Paul plays video games and listens to music at home, focusing on entertainment and energy.
- Sarah reads, draws, and cooks, emphasizing creativity, relaxation, and family connection.
Quel loisir de Sarah trouves-tu le plus intéressant ? pourquoi ? (Which of Sarah's hobbies do you find most interesting? why?)
*The answer to this question is subjective and depends on personal preferences. For example: "I find Sarah’s reading hobby most interesting because I enjoy getting lost in the stories and adventures of books."
Quels sont tes loisirs préférés ? et pourquoi tu aimes ces loisirs ? (What are your favorite hobbies? And why do you like these hobbies?)
*The answer to this question is subjective and depends on personal preferences.
Compare tes loisirs avec les loisirs de Paul ou Sarah. Te sens-tu plus proche de (do you feel closer to) Paul ou de Sarah ? Explique pourquoi. (Compare your hobbies with Paul or Sarah's hobbies. Do you feel closer to Paul or Sarah? Explain why.)
The answer to this question is subjective and depends on personal preferences.