MATSEC SEC French flashcards
MATSEC SEC French · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Listening paper played twice
- The recording is heard two times. Use the first listening for overall meaning and speaker attitude, and the second for precise details, numbers and spellings.
- Order of listening questions
- Questions follow the sequence of the recording. Use the pause before each section to predict vocabulary and locate the next answer.
- Distractor numbers in listening
- Prices, times and dates are often corrected within the same turn. The first number heard may be replaced by a later one, so wait for the final figure.
- Register clue: vous versus tu
- Use of 'vous' signals a formal or unknown-addressee situation such as a shop or office. 'Tu' signals friends, family or peers, helping identify the relationship.
- Discourse markers in listening
- Words like 'd'abord', 'ensuite', 'par contre' and 'donc' signal sequence, contrast and conclusion. They mark where the speaker is going next.
- Answer language in listening
- Write answers in French unless the rubric states otherwise. A correct idea expressed in English earns no mark in the French paper.
- Accents count in written answers
- Accents and the cedilla are part of French spelling. Writing 'ecole' instead of 'école' or 'francais' instead of 'français' can lose marks.
- True/false with justification
- For true/false items, state the choice and support it with a short quotation from the recording or text. The justification is marked separately.
- Oral structure
- The speaking test usually has a monologue or picture description followed by an interaction with the examiner, often including a role-play situation.
- Self-presentation content
- A 60–90 second presentation covers name, age, family, school subjects, hobbies and future plans, using present, perfect and near-future tenses.
- Address form with examiner
- Use 'vous' with the examiner throughout. Switch to 'tu' only inside a role-play where the character is a peer or friend.
- Picture description structure
- Describe what you see (people, place), what they are doing in the present tense, then give a personal reaction or inference about the scene.
- Repair phrases for speaking
- Phrases such as 'Pardon, pouvez-vous répéter ?' and 'Comment dit-on ... en français ?' keep the exchange going when you do not understand.
- French pronunciation targets
- Focus on silent final consonants, liaison between words, nasal vowels in 'on', 'an' and 'in', and the contrast between 'u' and 'ou'.
- Fluency over perfection
- Oral marks reward communication and fluency. Self-correcting a tense error demonstrates control and is better than stopping.
- Role-play functions
- Role-play cards test functional language: asking for information, making a request, complaining politely, or negotiating a solution with the other character.
- Skim questions before reading
- Read the questions first, then scan the text for the relevant paragraph. Answers normally follow the order of the text.
- French false friends
- 'Actuellement' means currently, 'éventuellement' means possibly, and 'assister à' means to attend. These look like English words but differ in meaning.
- Justify true/false in reading
- Support each true/false choice with a short quotation from the text. The justification is a separate mark from the true/false decision.
- Text type from layout
- An informal email uses 'tu' and contractions; a public notice uses infinitives and imperatives; a formal letter uses 'vous' and set formulas.
- Tense recognition in reading
- Passé composé marks completed events, imparfait gives background description, and futur simple expresses plans. Tense guides the meaning of a sentence.
- Guessing unknown words
- Use context, word families such as 'développement' from 'développer', and common prefixes and suffixes before guessing the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
- Answer in own words
- Rewrite answers in your own words unless the rubric says 'citez le texte'. Copying whole sentences may not earn the comprehension mark.
- Negation and restriction
- 'Ne ... que' means only, and 'ne ... plus' means no longer. Both reverse the expected answer, so read the whole sentence before deciding.
- Reading answer order
- Questions follow the order of the text. If you cannot find an answer, move on and return, rather than searching the whole passage again.
- Two writing tasks
- The writing paper usually has a short functional message of 60–80 words and a longer piece of 120–150 words such as an article or letter.
- Planning writing
- Spend about five minutes listing four to six content points and mapping them to paragraphs before writing the full response.
- Cover all bullet points
- Each bullet point in the prompt must be addressed. An omitted point loses content marks even if the French is accurate.
- Linking words for writing
- Use 'd'abord', 'cependant', 'en effet', 'par conséquent' and 'enfin' to connect ideas and vary sentence openings in the longer task.
- Agreement chains to check
- Check subject–verb agreement, article–noun gender, adjective–noun agreement, and past participle agreement with 'être' verbs before submitting.
- Accents that change meaning
- 'A' means has while 'à' means to; 'ou' means or while 'où' means where; 'sur' means on while 'sûr' means sure.
- Proofreading time
- Reserve about five minutes to check tense consistency, accents, and register. Formal letters require 'vous' throughout.