For the Leaving Cert, French is one of the most popular subjects for students to choose. This isn't just because it's a beautiful language spoken by millions of people around the world, it's also because it's good for your career and university prospects.
French is also the third-most spoken language in Ireland, after English and Irish. This isn't as a native language, either, it's due to the number of Irish people learning French as a second language (commonly referred to as L2 French in linguistics).
The popularity of French for the Leaving Cert is due to the language itself and the aforementioned benefits. Students are wise to pick it whether or not they're interested in French-adjacent culture like theatre, fashion, cuisine, or dance.
Learning about French culture is part of the Leaving Cert, too, and you'll learn about it in addition to learning grammatical structures and vocabulary. You'll likely even be tested on your knowledge of French-speaking culture during your exams as it's part of the syllabus.
It's a good idea that you find out more about said syllabus before you start looking for resources so that you know which resources will help you the most.
In this article, we'll be looking at some of our favourite tools for preparing for Leaving Cert French.
Learn French with Duolingo
The Duolingo app (and website) now supports over 40 languages as well as music and maths. Over 300 million people use Duolingo to learn a language and those interested in studying Leaving Cert French could use it to complement their studies.
Like any of the resources that we recommend here, remember that they can't be used in isolation and while the rewarding pings of Duolingo will certainly encourage you to keep going, the app does have its limits.
That said, to grasp the basics of French, learn new vocabulary, and start developing an ear for a language, the Duolingo app is particularly useful and follows a course structure that lines up with the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR).
The best thing about the app is that it's free. This does mean that you have to watch ads between lessons, but if you find it useful, the premium version allows you to learn as much as you want without ads.
The main downside to the app is that it won't teach you enough to speak French well enough to pass the Leaving Cert French oral exam and you'll probably need to look elsewhere for speaking practice.
The topics and vocabulary that it covers like travel, family, hobbies, food, music, weather, nature, jobs, however, are all ones that could be part of your speaking exam.
Study and Revise Leaving Cert French with Studyclix
Almost every Leaving Cert student will probably be familiar with Studyclix. This is a website specifically designed to help students studying for their Junior Cert or Leaving Cert.
The site covers dozens of Leaving Cert and Junior Cert subjects. There are past papers, marking schemes, quizzes, and revision tools and resources for all the Leaving Cert French exams.
The free plan will give you a taste of what Studyclix has to offer including exam questions, quiz questions, and study advice, but the Plus and Premium options at €44.99 and €69.99 for the school year offer much more like mock exams, listening comprehension clips, which is great for the Leaving Cert French aural exam.
This resource is so comprehensive when it comes to the Leaving Cert that some teachers even use it to get resources like past papers and mock exams for their classes.
Students using Studyclix can share their notes. With opinion pieces being a common part of the Leaving Cert written exam, you can find plenty of notes, advice, and guides from your fellow students on the website.
Prepare for the Leaving Cert with 625points.com
This site is another that's dedicated specifically to the Irish Leaving Cert. In case you were wondering, the name refers to the maximum points a student can achieve for their Leaving Cert, provided that they include Higher Level Mathematics as part of their subject choices.
The website was created by former students who achieved the incredible feat of 625 in their Leaving Cert and the resources are created in conjunction with Leaving Cert examiners.
You can find Leaving Cert tips, study plans, and subject guides with some of the resources available for free. As for Leaving Cert French, the site includes H1 vocabulary and sample answers.
Test your French with Quizlet
The Quizlet website and app are a great resource for any student preparing for exams. You can use Quizlet to create your own flashcards or view other students' flashcards.
These flashcards cover a range of topics and levels from basic French to postgraduate studies. While not every set of French flashcards will be specific to the leaving cert, you can still use them to study certain topics and key vocabulary for each of your Leaving Cert French exams.
Given how important vocabulary and grammatical structures are in Leaving Cert French, finding effective ways to study them is essential. Add the Quizlet site to your favourites because you can also use it for other subjects.
Preparing for Leaving Cert French with Past Papers
Like with any exam or test, it's not really about how good you are at the subject, it's specifically about how good you are at the exam itself.
You could study a lot of French and learn to speak the language quite well, but still not get a great result on your Leaving Cert French simply because you weren't aware of the exam structure, what the examiners are looking for, and the topics specific to the exam.
Your Junior Cert or Leaving Cert teacher will likely recommend that you practise or revise for your exams with past papers and mock exams. You may even sit mock exams in exam conditions during your classes.
The best thing about past papers and mock exams is that you'll see the kinds of questions that are asked and you'll get used to the kinds of things that you get asked during each of the exams.
Most importantly, past papers and mock exams allow you to work on your time management. One of the quickest ways to lose marks in an exam is by running out of time, not answering all the questions, or simply spending too much time on certain sections when there are other sections with better opportunities for you to gain marks.
By regularly practising for Leaving Cert French with past papers, you'll have a better idea of how long each section takes, how much time you should dedicate to them, and the most effective way to maximise your marks.
Prepare for Leaving Cert French with Superprof
While all of these resources can be useful for Leaving Cert French, they all heavily rely on the student to remain focused to get the most out of them.
They also require the student to be able to work out their own strengths and weaknesses, know what to study, and be able to tell whether what they're doing is correct, which is much easier said than done.
Even if your teachers are very good, you can't guarantee that you're being taught as effectively as possible since they need to adapt their lessons for the good of the class as a whole rather than you as an individual.
Fortunately, private tutors can adapt each session to the individual. This allows them to focus on exactly what you need to know, the areas you struggle with, and the things you should be studying to get the best Leaving Cert results possible.
Finding a Leaving Cert French tutor is easy, too. You just need to search on the Superprof website and you can begin comparing all the different tutors on the platform, see how much they charge, and read the reviews left for them by their other students.
There are three main types of private tutoring: face-to-face, online, or group tutoring. Each comes with its pros and cons so it's up to you to work out which will help you do your best for your Leaving Cert French.
Face-to-face tutoring is the most effective type, but it's also usually the most expensive. This is because tutors often have to travel to their students or provide certain resources.
Online tutoring usually offers a cheaper alternative since there aren't as many travel costs to worry about and the tutor can usually schedule more sessions each week. However, some students find it harder to learn when the tutor isn't there in the room with them.
Last but not least, group tutoring is often much cheaper since the cost of the tutor's time is shared amongst every student in the session. While group tutoring is great for giving language students opportunities to practise with their peers, larger groups can run into the same problems that students encounter in the classroom.
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