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  • Cambridge IGCSE French - First Language (0501)

Cambridge IGCSE French - First Language (0501)

Syllabus overview

Available in Administrative zones 3 and 4 only

Cambridge IGCSE First Language French is designed for learners whose first language is French. The syllabus develops learners' ability to communicate clearly, accurately and effectively. They learn how to employ a wide-ranging vocabulary, use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation, and develop a personal style and awareness of the audience being addressed.

Learners are also encouraged to read widely, both for their own enjoyment and to develop an appreciation of how writers achieve their effects. The syllabus also complements other areas of study by encouraging skills of more general application.

Syllabuses

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

  • 2023-2025 Syllabus (PDF, 264KB)

Syllabus updates

  • Summary of the changes
    • We revise our qualifications regularly to make sure that they continue to meet the needs of learners, schools and higher education institutions around the world and reflect current thinking.  Please see the 2023-2025 syllabus document for full details on the changes.

      What are the main changes to the syllabus?

      To support teachers and learners, we have:
      • updated the subject content, aims and assessment objectives to make them easier to understand. Although the subject content looks different, the teaching content remains largely the same
      • increased the number of assessment objectives from four to five.

      What are the main changes to the assessment?

      • In Paper 1 (now called ‘Reading and Directed Writing’), we have replaced the summary task with a directed writing task and increased the number of reading texts from two to three (one fiction, two non-fiction).
      • In Paper 2, we have reduced the number of questions available to learners for clarity and to encourage breadth of study. Students now choose from four questions rather than eight.
      • We have updated the format and layout of the mark schemes on both papers. The level descriptors are now clearer and reflect the changes in assessment structure.

      When do these changes take place?

      The updated syllabus is for examination from June 2023 onwards. Please see the 2023-2025 syllabus for full details.

  • Teaching and learning resources
    • Support

      Visit the School Support Hub for a wide range of teaching and learning resources for the 2023-2025 syllabus.

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Important notices

  • Grade descriptions
    • For some subjects, the syllabus states that Grade Descriptions will be made available after first assessment in 2020, 2021 or 2022.

      Publication of grade descriptions was paused in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary changes to the grading standard that have been in place for 2020, 2021 and 2022. We are currently working on producing these grade descriptions. This work will make sure that grade descriptions reflect examination outcomes appropriately and are based on the more stable grading standard that we expect to have in place for June 2023 onwards.

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We provide a wide range of support so that teachers can give their learners the best possible preparation for Cambridge programmes and qualifications. For teachers at registered Cambridge schools, support materials for specific syllabuses are available from the School Support Hub (username and password required).

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