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Social Media and Technology

FoundationHigherAQA

Understand Social Media and Technology for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Theme 3 Topic 2 covers phones, social media, the internet and their advantages and risks.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

WorksheetFoundation · PDFMark SchemeFoundation · PDF

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

Technology and social media vocabulary appears constantly in reading and listening, and it lends itself to balanced argument.

The core nouns are le portable for mobile phone, l'ordinateur, l'écran, un réseau social, and le harcèlement en ligne for online bullying. Useful verbs are télécharger to download, partager to share, and surfer sur internet.

The arguments split cleanly. In favour: staying in touch, finding information quickly, and access to learning. Against: online bullying, too much screen time, and privacy risks. Presenting both with cependant or par contre is what lifts an answer into the higher bands, since the mark is for structure as much as content.

Revision notes

Core vocabulary

Le portable — mobile phone. L'ordinateur — computer. L'écran — screen.

Un réseau social — social network. Le harcèlement en ligne — online bullying. Un mot de passe — password.

Useful verbs

Télécharger — to download. Partager — to share. Surfer sur internet — to browse.

Envoyer un message, tchatter, poster une photo. These allow specific description rather than vague statements about technology in general.

Balanced arguments

In favour: rester en contact, trouver des informations rapidement, apprendre.

Against: le harcèlement en ligne, trop de temps devant l'écran, les risques pour la vie privée. Link them with cependant or par contre for a balanced answer.

Key points

  • Le portable means mobile phone.
  • Un réseau social means social network.
  • Le harcèlement en ligne means online bullying.
  • Télécharger means to download.
  • Partager means to share.
  • Balanced arguments earn higher marks.

Worked examples

Example 1

Translate: online bullying is a problem. [2 marks]

Working

Le harcèlement en ligne est un problèmeuse the noun phrase with être
Le harcèlement is masculine, so un problème followsexplain the agreement

Example 2

Give one advantage of social media in French. [2 marks]

Working

On peut rester en contact avec ses amisgive the advantage
It means you can stay in touch with your friendsgive the translation

Example 3

Explain how to structure a balanced argument. [2 marks]

Working

Give one side with a justification using parce questate the first step
then introduce the other side with cependant or par contrestate the second step

Common mistakes

  • Using le portable for a laptop.

    That is un ordinateur portable.

  • Giving only advantages.

    Balance earns higher marks.

  • Listing vocabulary without opinions.

    The marks are for justified views.

  • Forgetting connectives.

    Cependant and par contre structure the argument.

Exam tips

  • Learn specific verbs rather than general nouns.
  • Present both sides of every argument.
  • Use cependant to link opposing views.
  • Justify each point with parce que.

Key terms

Le portable
A mobile phone.
Un réseau social
A social network.
Télécharger
To download.
Cependant
However, linking opposing arguments.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.