Customs and traditions

    AQA
    GCSE

    Critical analysis of the evolution, preservation, and sociological significance of customs and traditions in the Francophone world. This study examines the tension between maintaining 'le patrimoine immatériel' (intangible heritage) and the pressures of modernization, secularism (laïcité), and globalization. Candidates must evaluate the role of festivals, gastronomy, and regional practices in defining national and regional identities.

    0
    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for the accurate manipulation of three time frames (past, present, future) when describing festival experiences.
    • Credit the use of complex structures such as 'avant de' + infinitive or 'après avoir' + past participle to sequence events.
    • Candidates must justify opinions regarding customs using connectives beyond 'parce que' (e.g., 'puisque', 'étant donné que').
    • Ensure adjective agreement is accurate, particularly with feminine nouns like 'la fête', 'la tradition', or 'la coutume'.

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You used the perfect tense, but check your auxiliary verb choice for movement verbs."
    • "Expand your answer by adding a future intention: 'L'année prochaine, je vais...'."
    • "Include a negative structure to show grammatical range, e.g., 'Je n'aime pas...'."
    • "Replace basic adjectives like 'bon' with more sophisticated alternatives like 'délicieux' or 'incontournable'."

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for the accurate manipulation of three time frames (past, present, future) when describing festival experiences.
    • Credit the use of complex structures such as 'avant de' + infinitive or 'après avoir' + past participle to sequence events.
    • Candidates must justify opinions regarding customs using connectives beyond 'parce que' (e.g., 'puisque', 'étant donné que').
    • Ensure adjective agreement is accurate, particularly with feminine nouns like 'la fête', 'la tradition', or 'la coutume'.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In the 90-word task, address every bullet point explicitly to avoid a cap on Content marks.
    • 💡Use 'il y a' structures to describe atmosphere, not just actions (e.g., 'il y avait beaucoup de monde').
    • 💡Memorise idiomatic phrases for festivals, such as 'se déguiser' for Mardi Gras or 'offrir des cadeaux' for Noël.
    • 💡Check gender of key vocabulary: 'le cadeau' (masc), 'la surprise' (fem), 'le feu d'artifice' (masc).

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Using 'être' instead of 'avoir' for the perfect tense of reflexive verbs (e.g., writing 'j'ai levé' instead of 'je me suis levé').
    • Confusion between 'le jour de l'an' (New Year's Day) and 'l'anniversaire' (birthday).
    • Failure to conjugate verbs in the 'nous' form when describing group activities during festivals (e.g., 'nous mangeons').

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Décris
    Écris
    Mentionne
    Explique
    Traduis
    Justifie

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