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GCSE · French

FR.W8 Customs, Festivals and Celebrations in the French-Speaking World

AQA 8652 · Calculators not allowed · about 60 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Accents have been omitted for print compatibility; write accents correctly in your answers. Full sentences are required for translation and writing tasks. Time guidance: 60 minutes.

Translate into English: 'Le 14 juillet, nous assistons au feu d'artifice sur la place du village.' Context: describing Bastille Day celebrations in a small French town.

(Total for Question 1 is 2 marks)

Translate into English: 'A Noel, ma famille prepare une grosse dinde et des gateaux traditionnels.' Context: describing family Christmas food in a francophone household.

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

Translate into English: 'Quand j'etais petit, on decorait toujours le sapin ensemble.' Context: describing past family custom at Christmas using the imperfect tense.

(Total for Question 3 is 3 marks)

Translate into English: 'L'annee prochaine, nous allons visiter un carnaval francophone a la Reunion.' Context: planning to visit a francophone festival next year, using the near future.

(Total for Question 4 is 2 marks)

Translate into English: 'Pendant le Nouvel An, beaucoup de gens mangent des huitres ou des fruits de mer.' Context: New Year food traditions in francophone countries and communities.

(Total for Question 5 is 3 marks)

Translate into French: 'We celebrated Bastille Day with a big parade and music.' Context: writing about a past celebration using the perfect tense.

(Total for Question 6 is 3 marks)

Multiple choice: Which French word completes the sentence describing a repeated past action: 'Quand j'etais petit, nous ____ toujours des feux d'artifice le soir.' Options: A) avons vu B) voyions C) verrons D) voir. Context: choose the correct imperfect form.

A) avons vu
B) voyions
C) verrons
D) voir

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

Correct the mistake: 'Nous allons assister a la parade hier.' Context: student wrote a sentence mixing future structure with a past time expression.

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

Gap-fill grammar: Complete the sentence about a past family celebration, four blanks: 'L'annee derniere, ma famille et moi ____ (aller) au marche de Noel. Mon oncle ____ (acheter) du vin chaud et nous ____ (manger) des crepes. Tout le monde ____ (etre) tres content.' Context: use correct perfect or imperfect as appropriate for narration.

(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)

Translate this short French passage into English. Prompt: 'Pendant les vacances de l'ete dernier, ma famille et moi sommes alles a Nice pour voir un festival local. Il y avait des danses traditionnelles, des stands de nourriture et un grand concert le soir. J'ai aime la nourriture, surtout les socca, et nous avons regarde le feu d'artifice depuis la promenade.' Context: a student describing a past festival visit using the perfect and imperfect tenses.

(a)Pendant les vacances de l'ete dernier, ma famille et moi sommes alles a Nice pour voir un festival local.(2)

(b)Il y avait des danses traditionnelles, des stands de nourriture et un grand concert le soir.(3)

(c)J'ai aime la nourriture, surtout les socca, et nous avons regarde le feu d'artifice depuis la promenade.(3)

(Total for Question 10 is 8 marks)

Translate into French: 'Every year at New Year my grandparents invite the whole family and we eat special dishes, then we sing and dance.' Context: describing a habitual New Year tradition, present and near-present tenses acceptable.

(Total for Question 11 is 9 marks)

Foundation short writing task (photo-based): Look at the photo of a small local carnival (assume an image showing people in costume, food stalls, and families watching a parade). Write about the carnival in about 90 words in French. Include: 1) a description of what is happening in the photo; 2) what you and your family did there last year; 3) what you will do if you go next year. Context: use present, perfect and near-future tenses. Mark on content and accuracy.

(Total for Question 12 is 8 marks)

Higher structured writing task: You should write approximately 150 words in French. Use a range of tenses. Scenario: You have been asked to write an article for the school magazine about customs and festivals in French-speaking countries. Include: 1) describe a festival you visited recently and what happened there; 2) explain traditional food and family activities linked to that festival; 3) say how this festival compares with a similar celebration in Britain; 4) explain why these festivals are important to the community. Context: aim to include the perfect, imperfect and near future, and make a comparison with British traditions.

(Total for Question 13 is 10 marks)

Mark scheme · FR.W8 Customs, Festivals and Celebrations in the French-Speaking World

Question 1

M1 correct rendering of le 14 juillet as Bastille Day or the 14th July
A1 we watch/attend the fireworks on the village square, e.g. we watch the fireworks on the village square
Answer: On Bastille Day we watch the fireworks on the village square. (oe: On the 14th July we watch the fireworks on the village square.)

Question 2

M1 Christmas correctly rendered: at Christmas / for Christmas
A1 my family prepares a big turkey and traditional cakes or desserts
Answer: At Christmas my family prepares a big turkey and traditional cakes. (oe: For Christmas my family prepares a big turkey and traditional desserts.)

Question 3

M1 quand j'etais petit correctly rendered: when I was little
M1 imperfect decorait correctly rendered as used to decorate / always decorated
A1 the tree together correctly included: the Christmas tree together
Answer: When I was little, we always used to decorate the tree together.

Question 4

M1 next year correctly rendered: next year
A1 we are going to visit a Francophone carnival in Reunion
Answer: Next year, we are going to visit a Francophone carnival in Reunion. (oe: We will go to a Francophone carnival in Reunion next year.)

Question 5

M1 pendant le Nouvel An correctly rendered: during New Year / at New Year
M1 beaucoup de gens correctly rendered: many people
A1 mangent des huitres ou des fruits de mer correctly rendered: eat oysters or seafood
Answer: At New Year, many people eat oysters or seafood.

Question 6

M1 perfect tense formation with avoir: nous avons celebre or nous avons fete
M1 correct noun phrase for 'a big parade': un grand defile or un gros defile
A1 music correctly included: et de la musique / avec de la musique
Answer: Nous avons fete le 14 juillet avec un grand defile et de la musique. (oe: Nous avons celebre le 14 juillet avec un defile important et de la musique.)

Question 7

B1 choice B, voyions, the imperfect of voir to indicate repeated past action
Answer: B

Question 8

B1 correct version using past tense: Nous avons assiste a la parade hier. or Hier, nous avons assiste a la parade.
Answer: Nous avons assiste a la parade hier. (oe: Hier, nous avons assiste a la parade.)

Question 9

M1 correct form for aller in perfect: nous sommes alles or nous sommes alles (agree gender oe)
M1 acheter in perfect: mon oncle a achete
M1 manger in perfect: nous avons mange
M1 etre in imperfect to describe atmosphere: etait
Answer: Nous sommes alles (or Nous sommes alles) au marche de Noel. Mon oncle a achete du vin chaud et nous avons mange des crepes. Tout le monde etait tres content.

Question 10

(a) B1 Last summer / During the summer holidays last year correctly rendered for Pendant les vacances de l'ete dernier
(a) B1 my family and I went to Nice to see a local festival
(a) Answer: Last summer my family and I went to Nice to see a local festival.
(b) B1 There were traditional dances
(b) B1 food stalls
(b) B1 and a big concert in the evening / at night
(b) Answer: There were traditional dances, food stalls and a big concert in the evening.
(c) B1 I liked the food, especially the socca
(c) B1 and we watched the fireworks
(c) B1 from the promenade / from the seafront correctly included
(c) Answer: I liked the food, especially the socca, and we watched the fireworks from the promenade.

Question 11

M1 Every year at New Year correctly rendered: Chaque annee / Tous les ans a la Saint-Sylvestre / A la nouvelle annee
M1 my grandparents invite the whole family: mes grands-parents invitent toute la famille / invitent toute la famille chez eux
M1 we eat special dishes: nous mangeons des plats speciales / des plats traditionnels
M1 then correctly rendered: puis / ensuite
M1 we sing: nous chantons
M1 and dance: et nous dansons
M1 agreement and word order correct for plural subjects (grands-parents, nous)
M1 reasonable alternative phrasing credited, e.g. 'a la nouvelle annee mes grands-parents invitent toute la famille et on chante et danse'
A1 accurate spelling and verb forms throughout
Answer: Chaque annee a la nouvelle annee, mes grands-parents invitent toute la famille et nous mangeons des plats traditionnels, puis nous chantons et dansons.

Question 12

M1 Content point: description of the photo (who and what is happening) included
M1 Content point: reference to costumes or parade
M1 Content point: mention of food stalls or traditional food
M1 Content point: what you and your family did last year (past tense)
M1 Content point: a future plan if you go next year (futur proche)
M1 Language accuracy: mostly correct verbs in present, perfect and near future (basic agreement and tense)
M1 Language accuracy: vocabulary and simple connectives correct
M1 Language accuracy: spelling and sentence structure mostly correct for Foundation level

Question 13

Level 1 (1-3): Limited content, basic vocabulary and simple sentences. Errors often impede communication.
Level 2 (4-6): Some relevant content with basic organisation. Some variety of tense but limited control. Errors present but message mostly clear.
Level 3 (7-8): Good content and clear organisation. A range of tenses and structures attempted, generally accurate. Occasional errors do not hinder communication.
Level 4 (9-10): Excellent, detailed content and fluent organisation. Wide range of tenses and vocabulary used accurately. Comparisons and opinions developed effectively.
Indicative content:
- Description of a recent festival visit with specific details of events, atmosphere and participants
- Use of perfect (je suis alle, nous avons regarde), imperfect (il y avait, c'etait) and near future (nous allons participer) appropriately
- Discussion of traditional foods and family customs, for example communal meals, special dishes, or rituals
- Clear comparison with a British celebration, noting similarities and differences in activities, food, scale or community feeling
- Commentary on the social and cultural importance of festivals, such as preserving tradition, bringing families together and promoting local identity
- Evidence of varied vocabulary, complex sentences and opinions justified with reasons

Customs, Festivals and Celebrations in the French-Speaking World - Worksheets, Questions and Revision