GCSE French Writing Focus

AS French / A*ttitudes "Dissert" - DEMO

Free AS French / A*ttitudes unit - Voyages, transport et tourisme

Free Spanish unit: En la cafetería

Free French unit: Basic grammar, articles, negatives, etc.

Non-TaskMagic free French word docs

A completely free Windows desktop program with lots of interactive exercises and worksheets based on a sample GCSE French essay on the topic of "A bad school day".

The resource can be used with interactive whiteboards or with individual computers (Windows only) and can be installed on the school network.

The downloaded is actually a non-time-limited demo of a full resource containing 16 essays, with free access to 1 of those 16 essays. (A registration key is required to access the other 15 essays and associated resources.)

The 16 essays cover a range of topics and recycle language and structures which students can use in their own writing. Each essay contains a range of tenses and focuses on structures which should help students to get higher grades in their writing.

Each essay is split into 3 or 4 smaller parts / paragraphs so that you and your students can work on smaller chunks of text, as well as on the full essay. In the screen image above, you can see that the first three title links are to parts 1 to 3 of the first essay (1.1, 1.2 & 1.3), and the fourth title link (1) is to the full essay for "A bad school day".

Each of the links (69 in total) takes you to a new page with further links to 34 interactive exercises, which are listed in roughly ascending order of difficulty, with a mixture of whole-text and vocabulary activities for variety. (See the screenshot below.) The final 2 links for each title (numbers 35 & 36) provide access to further games and to a range of worksheets.

The 16 essays are broken down as follows.

Click here for details of how to register / buy the full version.

Download options for GCSE French Writing Focus:

1) Download a single exe installer

This is a single exe file. Choose to run it, or save it to your computer and run it once it is downloaded. This is ideal if you want to install it on your own computer, or on several individual computers, or directly to a network server (and you have permissions to do this).
The program is installed and can be accessed via the Start menu (on the installation machine) at:
Start > Programs > TaskMagic GCSE French Writing

2) Download a zipped msi installer

This allows you to install across a network. Please extract the contents of the zip file before attempting to install. See also the "Installation info.txt" file inside the zip folder. This is really the option for network managers.
The program is installed and can be accessed via the Start menu at:
Start > Programs > TaskMagic GCSE French Writing

3) Download the program as a zip file, with no installation

This option does NOT install anything to your computer. Simply follow the instructions below to run the program. No start menu link is created, and the program can be accessed each time by running the exe file in the location to which you have extracted the files.

1. Click on the link, choose "Save", and decide where to save the zip file.
2. Once it is downloaded "Open" the file. (If you are asked to confirm this, choose "Allow")
3. Then "Extract All the Files". Make sure the box to "Show extracted files" is ticked. This will make sure that the folder will open once the files are extracted.
4. Run the file TMFrGCSEWriting.exe (which is the one with the yellow smiley face, if you can't see file extensions).
   You can move these files to wherever you like, but keep the 3 elements (TMFrGCSEWriting.exe, TMFrGCSEWriting.exe.manifest, filesetc) together in the same folder.

Writing essays to order for an examination is a skill which is not easy to acquire within the short time available at AS level. A*ttitudes "Dissert" is designed to hone your students' essay writing skills from the word go in the AS year, giving them the systematic practice required to gain a high grade within two terms.

The TaskMagic A*ttitudes "Dissert" program is one component of the A*ttitudes "Dissert" resource and contains activities based on the 12 thematic units from the A*ttitudes course from www.alevelfrench.com, which are...

1. Voyages, vacances, tourisme
2. Les jeunes, la jeunesse
3. L'éducation
4. Le genre - les hommes et les femmes
5. La santé
6. Les traditions
7. Les loisirs
8. Les rapports entre les gens
9. Le monde du travail
10. L'environnement
11. Le sport
12. La publicité

Each unit contains three sample essays demonstrating different ways of approaching the same question. For each of the 36 sample essays, the TaskMagic resource provides interactive and print exercises which practise key vocabulary and phrases, text sequencing, gap-filling and text reconstruction in a variety of ways.

This demo contains interactive exercises and worksheets based on just one of the 36 sample essays which make up the full resource, listed in roughly increasing order of difficulty.

Email Steve Glover at alevelfrench@gmail.com to find out more about the A*ttitudes course and the "Dissert" resource.

Download the "Dissert" DEMO as a zip file

1. Click on the link, choose "Save", and decide where to save the zip file.
2. Once it is downloaded "Open" the file. (If you are asked to confirm this, choose "Allow")
3. Then "Extract All the Files". Make sure the box to "Show extracted files" is ticked. This will make sure that the folder will open once the files are extracted.
4. Run the file attitudesdissertdemo.exe (which is the one with the yellow smiley face, if you can't see file extensions).

You can move these files to wherever you like, but keep the 3 elements (attitudesdissertdemo.exe, attitudesdissertdemo.exe.manifest, filesetc) together in the same folder.

This free program (see below) contains a sample of 10 files based on unit 1 of the new A*ttitudes AS French course from www.alevelfrench.com

The activities in the standalone program are just a handful of the TaskMagic3 files which accompany the Voyages, transport et tourisme unit at www.alevelfrench.com

A*ttitudes is a new, innovative AS level course. 12 topics are covered in all with intensive, integrated practice of all skills:
Les voyages, le tourisme; La jeunesse; L'éducation; Le genre; La santé; Les traditions; Les loisirs; Les rapports; Le monde du travail; L'environnement; Le sport; La publicité.

You just have to see the course to appreciate how comprehensive and pedagogically sound it is. Email Steve Glover at alevelfrench@gmail.com to find out more about this exciting new approach to teaching AS and A2 French, and to try out the course for yourself.

(TaskMagic3 files are available to accompany every unit of the A*ttitudes AS French course.)

Each of the 10 TaskMagic3 files in the download contains a variety of exercises, games and activities which can be used on individual computers or on an interactive whiteboard. In total the downloaded program contains over 150 interactive exercises and over 50 worksheets based on the 10 TaskMagic3 files.

The download is completely free and not time limited. It does NOT require you to have TaskMagic.

It is intended to give you an idea of the kinds of things that can be done easily in TaskMagic3, using your own content (your coursebook, schemes of work etc), as well as to give you a taster of the way TaskMagic3 files work along with the A*ttitudes AS French course.

Download the TaskMagic A*ttitudes sample as a zip file

1. Click on the link, choose "Save", and decide where to save the zip file.
2. Once it is downloaded "Open" the file. (If you are asked to confirm this, choose "Allow")
3. Then "Extract All the Files". Make sure the box to "Show extracted files" is ticked. This will make sure that the folder will open once the files are extracted.
4. Run the file TMAttitudes1Sample.exe (which is the one with the yellow smiley face, if you can't see file extensions).

You can move these files to wherever you like, but keep the 3 elements (TMAttitudes1Sample.exe, TMAttitudes1Sample.exe.manifest, filesetc) together in the same folder.

Below you will find a link to download a free standalone TaskMagic program containing a unit of work in Spanish on ordering food and drink in a cafeteria. The level is ideal for older primary school children, but it will also work well with older children working at a fairly low level or in need of revision. There is a fairly wide range of difficulty within the various exercises in the unit.

The download contains 16 TaskMagic3 files, which are accessed via a simple menu screen. Each of the 16 TaskMagic3 files contains a variety of exercises, games and activities which can be used on individual computers or on an interactive whiteboard. In total there are over 270 interactive exercises and over 60 worksheets based on the 16 files.

The download is completely free and not time limited.

It is intended to give you an idea of the kinds of things that can be done easily in TaskMagic3, using your own content (your coursebook, schemes of work etc).

Download the TaskMagic Spanish sample as a zip file

1. Click on the link, choose "Save", and decide where to save the zip file.
2. Once it is downloaded "Open" the file. (If you are asked to confirm this, choose "Allow")
3. Then "Extract All the Files". Make sure the box to "Show extracted files" is ticked. This will make sure that the folder will open once the files are extracted.
4. Run the file TMSpCafeteria.exe (which is the one with the yellow smiley face, if you can't see file extensions).

You can move these files to wherever you like, but keep the 3 elements (TMSpCafeteria.exe, TMSpCafeteria.exe.manifest, filesetc) together in the same folder.

Below you will find a link to download a free standalone TaskMagic program (which does NOT require TaskMagic) which provides a step-by-step introduction and practice of some French basics.

This unit is ideal for beginners at primary or secondary school level. It covers a lot of high frequency expressions & concepts in a short space of time.

The content of the unit is:

• classroom / schoolbag items
• c'est / ce sont
• indefinite articles: un, une, des
• negatives: ne ... pas
• asking yes / no questions: e.g. c'est...? ce n'est pas...?
• oui / non / si
• yes / no; or; open questions
• the use of est-ce que...? and qu'est-ce que...?
• definite articles: le, la, les
• simple imperative: passe-moi...

The download contains 15 TaskMagic3 files, which are accessed via a simple menu screen. Each of the 15 TaskMagic3 files contains a variety of exercises, games and activities which can be used on individual computers or on an interactive whiteboard. In total there are over 250 interactive exercises and over 60 worksheets based on the 15 files.

The download is completely free and not time limited.

It is intended to give you an idea of the kinds of things that can be done easily in TaskMagic3, using your own content (your coursebook, schemes of work etc).

Download the TaskMagic French sample as a zip file

1. Click on the link, choose "Save", and decide where to save the zip file.
2. Once it is downloaded "Open" the file. (If you are asked to confirm this, choose "Allow")
3. Then "Extract All the Files". Make sure the box to "Show extracted files" is ticked. This will make sure that the folder will open once the files are extracted.
4. Run the file TMFrBasic1.exe (which is the one with the yellow smiley face, if you can't see file extensions).

You can move these files to wherever you like, but keep the 3 elements (TMFrBasic1.exe, TMFrBasic1.exe.manifest, filesetc) together in the same folder.

The files below have been on our website for ages, and since people are still downloading them, we thought we may as well include them again. Somebody is obviously finding them useful.

Fr_Verb_Tables.doc - One A4 page: A brief summary of the 3 main regular verb groups as well as some of the most common irregular verbs. Listings of the six parts of the present tense and past participles. Subject and Reflexive Pronouns. Step-by-step instructions on how to form the Perfect Tense.

Fr_Perf_Imperf.doc - One A4 page: Comparison, use and formation of the Perfect and Imperfect Tenses.

Fr_Simplification.doc - Two A4 pages: Simplified aid to recognition and construction of Present, Perfect, Imperfect, Pluperfect, Future, Simple Future and Conditional Tenses.

FrenchFunctions.doc - Two A4 pages: Simple language functions broken down and translated into French.

Fr_Indic_Prons.doc - One A4 page: Grid of articles and possessive adjectives etc. Subject, Direct Object and Indirect Object Pronouns.

GCSE_Vocab_Booklet.pdf GCSE_Vocab_Booklet.doc - A 20 page booklet containing all of the above as well as vocabulary sections aimed at helping students to write about events in the past. Particularly useful for preparing for coursework on past holidays etc. Vocab lists contain information about verb types and auxiliaries.

fl_characters.doc - One A4 page: A list of Keyboard Shortcuts for all of the letters and symbols required for French, Spanish, German, and probably more besides.

FrenchConv.doc - 6 pages: This is a protected word document (forms protected: password = mflteacher). I have chosen to leave it protected so that students cannot inadvertently delete questions etc. The document contains questions broken down into six conversation themes.

FrenchConvQuestionList.doc - One A4 page: This contains all of the questions from the document above on one page so that teachers can use these questions for the speaking exam. I'm not sure how useful this will be for the new format GCSEs, but still...

FrenchDocs.zip - All of the above as one zip file.