QCAA French Extension study plan
QCAA French Extension · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Comprehending and analysing French texts & Knowledge and understanding of French-speaking cultures
Annotate two authentic French opinion articles (400-500 words each) to label thesis, argument structure, and register
Compile a personal glossary of 40 connectives and discourse markers, each with a model sentence
Paraphrase five complex sentences from the articles into simpler French without losing meaning
Summarise one article in 120 French words, then check it against the original for omitted nuance
Your checkpoint
A two-column analysis table plus a 120-word French summary of one article, self-marked against a checklist
Comprehending and analysing French texts & Knowledge and understanding of French-speaking cultures
Identify tone and implied stance in three recorded French audio or video extracts and justify each judgement in French
Distinguish fact, opinion, and assumption across two texts on the same issue
Build a timeline of key events in one French-speaking society relevant to your texts
Explain in French how cultural context shapes the vocabulary choices in one text
Your checkpoint
A 250-word French analytical commentary on one audio extract, citing at least four textual or lexical features
Comprehending and analysing French texts & Producing extended written French
Deconstruct a model extended response to map its introduction, argument sequence, and conclusion
Draft a 300-word French response using three discourse markers correctly per paragraph
Revise your draft to eliminate anglicisms and calques, logging each correction
Test your draft against a cohesion checklist covering pronoun reference and tense consistency
Your checkpoint
One polished 300-word French argumentative paragraph with an annotated revision log of at least ten changes
Producing extended written French & Critical and creative thinking in French
Write a 500-word French essay defending a position on a cultural or social issue
Generate counter-arguments in French and rebut two of them within the essay
Vary sentence structures by converting five simple sentences into complex ones with subordinate clauses
Self-assess the essay against an accuracy and range rubric, recording a score and two targets
Your checkpoint
A 500-word French essay plus a completed self-assessment rubric with written targets
Producing extended written French & Critical and creative thinking in French
Produce a creative French text (letter, blog post, or monologue) of 400 words in a specified register
Adapt the same content into a formal and an informal register, listing the lexical and syntactic shifts
Experiment with rhetorical devices such as irony, rhetorical questions, and triads in French
Peer-review or self-review the creative text for register consistency
Your checkpoint
One 400-word creative French text and a side-by-side register comparison table
Knowledge and understanding of French-speaking cultures & Intercultural understanding and reflection
Compare two French-speaking communities' perspectives on one shared issue, citing concrete examples
Articulate in French how your own cultural assumptions shape your reading of a French text
Interview or research one francophone source and summarise its viewpoint in 150 French words
Map similarities and differences between your culture and a francophone culture on a chosen theme
Your checkpoint
A 350-word French reflective comparison with a culture map and three cited examples
Critical and creative thinking in French & Intercultural understanding and reflection & Comprehending and analysing French texts
Synthesise three sources into a 400-word French critical response weighing competing viewpoints
Evaluate the reliability of each source and state your criteria in French
Reflect in French on how your intercultural stance has shifted since week one
Refine your thesis statement until it is arguable, specific, and defensible
Your checkpoint
A 400-word French synthesis with an explicit evaluation of source reliability
Comprehending and analysing French texts & Producing extended written French & Knowledge and understanding of French-speaking cultures & Intercultural understanding and reflection
Complete a timed 90-minute mock paper covering comprehension, analysis, and extended writing
Mark the mock against criteria and identify the three highest-impact weaknesses
Rewrite the weakest extended-response section to raise accuracy and range
Consolidate a one-page French revision sheet of recurring errors and preferred structures
Your checkpoint
A marked full mock paper with a written error analysis and one rewritten section
Milestones
Week 2: Analyse an unseen 400-word French text and correctly identify thesis, tone, and three discourse markers in under 30 minutes
Week 4: Score at least 70% on your own rubric for a 500-word French essay, with fewer than five recurring grammar errors
Week 6: Deliver a 350-word French intercultural reflection that cites three concrete examples and names your own assumptions
Week 8: Complete the timed mock with all sections attempted, then show measurable improvement in the rewritten section