House of Languages — GCSE French Revision Note · house-of-languages.com
Paper 1: Listening & dictation
How the new-spec French listening paper works, including dictation and comprehension strategy.
What the paper contains
- Section A: comprehension questions in English (multiple choice, gap-fill, short answers).
- Section B: dictation — you hear short sentences and write exactly what you hear.
- Every recording is played twice. Use the first listen for gist, the second to check details.
Dictation rules
Almost every word comes from the specification vocabulary list. Only around two words per dictation are unfamiliar — for those, use sound–spelling rules to write a sensible spelling.
| Sound | Usual spelling | Example |
|---|---|---|
| /o/ | eau, au, o | beau, chaud |
| /ɛ̃/ | in, ain, ein | vin, pain |
| /ʒ/ | j, ge, gi | jeune, manger |
| /wa/ | oi | moi, voiture |
| Silent end | -s, -t, -ent | ils parlent |
Examiner tip
Check verb endings and agreements last — the sound of ‘parle’, ‘parles’ and ‘parlent’ is identical, so the subject tells you the spelling.
Common mistake
Writing down the first word you recognise. Distractors are common: listen for negatives (ne…pas / nicht, kein) and time phrases that change the answer.
Test yourself
1. How many times is each listening recording played?
2. What should you do with an unfamiliar word in dictation?
Put it into practice
Use what you have just revised in a real exam-style task.