Subject Group: Humanities
These subjects explore the ways in which humans live and communicate in the world. Human life is examined by looking at our past, our present and into our future. These subjects help people to express themselves clearly and develop their reasoning ability.
Why study Languages? Watch this Video to find out.
What is French?
French as a Leaving Cert subject aims to bring students closer to fluency in the French language, as well as developing a good knowledge of literature, culture, geography, and national history to provide a context for communication.
What kind of student might French suit?
Anyone with an interest in French culture, history, and language.
Students who are considering working in France, Canada, or international relations in the future.
Students who can already speak French and want easy points.
Third Level Entry Requirements
This subject is a requirement for entry into a number of third level courses. Click on the link below to view courses that definitly requires, or may require this subject for entry:
Note: Click on course titles to view the exact requirements for each course listed.
Subject Content
Modern languages require students to be proficient in the following skills
* Oral/speaking * Written * Aural/listening * Reading
A wide variety of themes are covered, for example
* Family * School * Hobbies * Sport * Current affairs
Grammar and Cultural Awareness are essential elements of these courses.
Exam Structure
Mark Allocation for L.C. French Section Higher Level Ordinary Level Speaking 25% 20% Listening Comprehension 20% 25% Reading Comprehension 30% 40% Writing 25% 15%
Leaving Certificate Exam Tips:
the key to doing well is practice and individuality. The more reaction essays you write and the comprehension you read the easier it becomes.
try to get your hands on as many past mock comprehensions as well as doing all the past papers so you are well trained in the format and question types.
after each comprehension make sure it is correct using the marking scheme
any vocabulary you don't undertsand should be noted and learned as you will most likely see it again or you will be able to use it in your written work.
you should be able to express yourself and talk about different topics so a rich vocabulary is key.
learn five new words every night going to bed and try to recall them in the morning
an extensive knowledge of of the different tenses will be needed for all aspects of the French exam.
some people find downloading french cd's onto their ipod and listening to it regularly is very helpful.
when preparing for the aural exam, write out answers to common questions, learn these answers and practise saying them aloud so it comes across as natural as possible.
The Oral Exam
This takes place in March/April of 6th year. 13 mins - French
French Interview with examiner; students may prepare a document
Aural/Listening Exam (40 mins) This exam takes place after the written examination in June. It involves listening to a variety of dialogues and news items in the target language and then answering in English.
Written Exam (2 ½ hours)
Reading Comprehension is worth 30% of total exam at Higher Level and 40% at Ordinary Level. There are literary and journalistic passages. For Higher Level the written section involves formal and informal letters, diary entry, message/fax/email, expressing an opinion, and personalised writing.
Comment
It is highly advisable that students spend some time in a country where the target language is spoken.
Students who have shown an aptitude in French at Junior Certificate Level are encouraged to continue with it in Leaving Cert.
Video - French Exam [comedy - 3:07]
Data Sources: The information on these pages has been compiled from a variety of sources including the NCCA, Newbridge College / Brian Howard, Dept. of Education & Skills, and student interviews. Information in the 'People who took this subject' section reflects the views of those people interviewed on this website and is offered as informal and potentially useful information only.
While CareersPortal.ie attempts to keep this information as up to date and accurate as possible, we do not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of this information or decisions made on the basis of this information. Students should always discuss subject options with parents / guardians / guidance counsellors..
I took Irish, English, Maths, French, Biology, Chemistry and Accounting for Leaving Cert (all at Honours level). When choosing my subjects, I maintained a mix of business and science as I wasn't sure what career I wanted to pursue. I had no regrets about the subjects I chose.
If pursuing a career in tax or accounting, doing Accounting for the Leaving Cert is helpful. It teaches you the absolute basics early on.
For my leaving Cert I studied, English, Irish, Maths, Geography, French, Biology and History. A formal education is not required to apply for the post of Clerical Officer in the Civil Service.
I studied a combination of business and science subjects at school and took Accounting, Biology, French and Classical studies for my Leaving Cert as well as Irish, English and Maths. I had a natural aptitude for maths and accounting at school which led me to consider a career in accountancy. I completed a 3 year degree in Accounting and Finance at DCU and subsequently spent a further year at DCU completing a Masters in Accounting. Although this was hard work, it entitled me to exemptions up to and including Part 3 in respect of the professional Chartered Accountancy exams.
Irish, English, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry. For third level I had to chose between a degree in English and a degree in Science and I chose the B.Sc.
I did the following subjects for my Leaving Cert: Irish, English, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry, Accounting and Applied Maths.
When choosing my subjects in 5th year in School I deliberately ensured that I did at least one business and one science subject because this gave me more flexibility in my choice of courses. I would recommend this strategy - particularly for those who aren't sure what they wish to study in college.
My Leaving Cert subjects were Irish, English, Maths, French, Chemistry, Biology and Business Organisation. My main interest was science so I chose two science subjects and one business related subject to keep things interesting.
My subjects were appropriate for my University course except I was required to take Physics in the first year. This was quite challenging not having taken Physics to Leaving Cert but not impossible. I don't think I would do anything differently if I had to repeat the process.
In school there was very poor attention given to, or ‘guidance’ towards suitable careers. I was lucky I knew what I wanted to do. This, looking back was disappointing because I had no drive to go to third level college. I knew all I needed to be a Paramedic was the Leaving Cert.
In the Leaving Cert I took English, Irish, Maths, French, Biology, Chemistry and History pretty much the standard, they didn’t really have much influence on my career choice. That said, Biology and Chemistry are a great foundation for studying medicine as a Paramedic.
For my Leaving Cert I studied Biology, Chemistry, Economics and French along with the other core subjects. Biology and English had the most relevance to my future studies.
For my Leaving Certificate I studied the three compulsory subjects: English, Irish and Maths. I had a great interest in science so I chose to do two science subjects - Biology and Chemistry. I wanted to keep as many options open as possible as I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to do on leaving school so I chose one business subject - Economics and I chose a language - French, in order to keep all the universities open also.
In hindsight I think this was a good selection of subjects as it kept a lot of doors open while also allowing me to chose subjects I liked and did well in. I eventually went on to do a science degree so my 2 Leaving Certificate science subjects came in handy. Once I had my degree this allowed me to teach and subsequently do my postgraduate in Guidance Counselling.
English, Irish, Maths,
French,
Business,
Chemistry,
Physics.
As I was quiet good at chemistry and physics I researched some courses in college that included such subjects. I thought about choosing something like chemistry or biochemistry but decided I wanted something more practical and after a bit of research I choose chemical and process engineering. This course had the chemistry and physics but also alot more. Also I enjoyed business in school and the course I choose had several modules in marketing and finance throughout the four years.
These qualifications then lead me to an engineering role in Medite who are part of coillte panel products because they are continually trying to improve and add to their engineering resources.
