GCSE French
GCSE French makes few direct digital demands. The oracy NEA is audio recorded by the teacher, and the exams use texts in digital formats such as podcasts, e-mails and web pages, but dictionaries and reference materials are banned in every unit. The biggest thing KS3 can build is confident, regular recording and self-review of spoken French.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Level 1 and Level 2
- First taught
- September 2025
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Oracy: Non-examination assessment, speaking test 7 to 10 minutes plus 10 minutes preparation, 30%
- Unit 2: Reading and Writing: Non-examination assessment 1 hour, 15%
- Unit 3: Listening: Examination 45 minutes, 20%
- Unit 4: Reading and Writing: Examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 35%
Skills that use Digital rights, licensing and ownership
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Using online dictionaries and translation tools critically
The spec lists the use of dictionaries as a language learning skill to develop, but dictionaries are banned in every assessed unit. Pupils therefore need to use online dictionaries and translators well, judge their limits, and never pass off machine-translated work as their own.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Digital rights, licensing and ownership
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils look up five new words in an online bilingual dictionary such as WordReference, checking the gender and picking the right meaning from the list.
- Year 8
- Pupils put a short English paragraph through an online translator, then find and correct its French errors using the grammar they have been taught.
- Year 9
- Pupils discuss why handing in machine-translated or AI-written French counts as malpractice, then write a paragraph from memory and check it without a dictionary, as in the NEA.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Section 2, Opportunities for integration of learning experiences, page 20
“demonstrate language strategies and language learning skills, including the use of dictionaries”
Progression step 3
I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.
I can understand that copying the work of others and presenting it as my own is plagiarism.
Progression step 4
I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.
I can understand copyright and can explain the legal and ethical dimensions of respecting creative work, e.g. exploring the ethical and legal ramifications of piracy and plagiarism and know that they are irresponsible and disrespectful, and I can apply my understanding of the rules and regulations to different scenarios.
Progression step 5
I can consider the benefits and limitations of digital tools and information sources and of the results I produce and use these results to inform future judgements about the quality of my digital work.
I can understand and reflect on the differences between taking inspiration from the creative work of others and appropriating that work without permission.
Good to know
- Dictionaries are banned in every unit: "Learners are not permitted to use a dictionary in any part of the assessment." (Summary of assessment, page 5).
- Unit 1 oracy NEA allows only the learner's own notes: "or any other reference materials excluding the learner’s own notes." (Section 3.2, Unit 1, page 21).
- Unit 2 reading and writing NEA allows no reference materials, digital or otherwise. The spec does not say whether the response is handwritten or typed: "Learners are not permitted to use dictionaries in any part of the assessment, or any other reference materials." (Section 3.2, Unit 2, page 22).
- The oracy recording is made by the teacher, so learners do not handle recording technology in the assessment: "audio recorded and marked by external examiners" (Section 3.2, Unit 1, page 22).
- Use of digital technology is a learning experience only and is optional in delivery: "experiences will not be directly assessed" (Section 2, Opportunities for integration of learning experiences, page 20).
- The spec does not mention AI or translation tools, but the general malpractice rule applies: "Candidates must not take part in any unfair practice in the preparation of work for GCSE French." (Section 4 Malpractice, page 23).
Links with other qualifications
WJEC's Appendix C (page 96) ticks Digital Competence Citizenship for Unit 2, Interacting and Collaborating for Units 1, 3 and 4, Producing for Units 2 and 4, and nothing for Data and Computational Thinking. The same digital demands appear in GCSE French, German and Spanish, so one KS3 languages plan can serve all three.
Source: WJEC GCSE French specification, Teaching from 2025, For award from 2027, Version 3, June 2026.