Dictation
Hearing a sentence and writing it down in French, every word spelt right.
Learn
Dictation, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Know how the dictation is set and marked
Dictation is Section B of the listening paper with both boards. AQA's is 8 marks at Foundation, with at least 20 words in all, and 10 marks at Higher, with at least 30. You hear each sentence three times, once whole, once in short sections, then whole again, and it is marked across all the sentences for how well the meaning comes across (AO1) and how accurately the words and grammar are transcribed (AO3). Edexcel's is 10 marks at both tiers, given on a scale for the number of words you spell in a way that shows the French sound rules; its published examples are six short sentences, with the first few partly printed for you.
Know what each board credits
Edexcel's published marking accepts a spelling that still gives the right sound, even with a grammar slip you cannot hear, such as elles parle for elles parlent. It does not accept a spelling that changes the sound, such as ecole for école, or an accent written so that nobody can tell which it is. AQA marks grammatical accuracy as part of the transcription, so with AQA the silent endings matter too. Write every word as accurately as you can, whichever board you sit.
Use the three hearings for three different jobs
On the first hearing, listen for the meaning and jot only a skeleton if it helps. On the second, in short sections, write each section as it comes. On the third, check: add accents and silent endings, and any small word such as de, le, que or en that slipped past.
Spell from the French sound rules, not from English
French spelling follows set patterns, so you can write a word you have only heard. The sh sound is ch (chercher), a k sound is often qu (question), and the ny sound is gn (ligne). The sound of é can be spelt é, -er or -ez, and the nasal sound of enfant can be an, en, am or em.
Use the grammar for the endings you cannot hear
Many endings are silent, so the grammar has to tell you what to write. If the subject is elles, the verb ends in -ent and adjectives add -es: elles sont contentes. After les, des or mes, the noun takes its silent -s, and after être the participle agrees: elle est partie.
Tell apart words that sound the same
Pairs like a and à, et and est, ou and où, son and sont, or ces and ses sound alike but do different jobs. Ask what each one does in the sentence: il a is he has, while à Paris is in Paris.
Put in the accents, the cedilla and the apostrophes
Accents are part of the spelling and often change the sound: thé and mère have different vowels. A ç keeps a c soft before a, o or u, as in garçon. Write j'ai and l'école with a clear apostrophe between the two parts.
Have a go at words from outside the list
A dictation includes some words that are not on the vocabulary list: two with AQA, at both tiers. Write each one as it sounds, using the French sound rules. A sensible spelling keeps the meaning moving, so never leave a gap.
Dictation key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Dictation
- A listening task where you write down in French exactly what you hear. At GCSE it earns credit for accurate spelling.
- Communication of meaning
- The first thing an AQA dictation is marked for (AO1): whether what you wrote would let a reader understand what was said.
- Transcription
- Writing spoken words down in their written form. AQA marks it for accurate spelling and grammar (AO3).
- Silent letter
- A letter you write but do not hear, such as the s in trois or the t in chat. Grammar often decides whether one is needed.
- Homophone
- A word that sounds like another but is spelt differently, such as vert, verre and vers. The sentence tells you which one to write.
- Accent
- The mark over a vowel that is part of its spelling: the acute in été, the grave in mère and the circumflex in tête.
- Cedilla
- The little hook under ç, which keeps the c soft, like an s, before a, o or u: français, leçon.
- Agreement
- Making endings match, often in letters you cannot hear: a plural subject takes a plural verb, as in ils jouent, and adjectives match their noun.
Common mistakes in Dictation
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Spelling a French sound the English way, as in shien for chien or kand for quand.
Learn the French spelling of each sound: the sh sound is ch, and a k sound before a vowel is often qu. For words on the list, picture how you have seen them written.
Leaving off the silent endings, as in ils parle or les enfant.
Use the grammar to decide: a plural subject takes -ent on the verb, and a plural noun its -s: ils parlent, les enfants. AQA marks grammatical accuracy, so these endings count.
Writing the twin of a homophone, such as a for à or et for est.
Ask what the word does. A is has and à is to or at; et is and, est is is: elle est à la maison et elle a faim.
Leaving out accents and the cedilla, as in ecole or garcon.
An accent or a cedilla can change the sound, so the spelling without it is a different word. Use the last hearing to check each one: école, garçon.
Leaving a gap for a word you did not catch or do not know.
A sensible attempt can still carry the meaning, and a gap carries nothing. Write the word as it sounds using the sound rules, and fix it on the next hearing if you can.