Advice to Non-Native Students Studying French A-Level
Studying A-Level French as a non-native speaker can sometimes feel intimidating, particularly if you are in a class with native French speakers.
Around 50% of my A-Level French class were native speakers, which made for some tough competition. Of course, this varies from school to school, but every year there are thousands of students who take an A-Level in a language they speak at home.
There is nothing wrong with that, but it can sometimes make the experience feel more challenging for non-native speakers.
The good news is that non-native students have some advantages too.
Use your knowledge of grammar and spelling
One of the biggest advantages non-native speakers can have is a more conscious understanding of French grammar and spelling.
As a learner, you have probably had to sit down and learn the rules behind the language. You have learned how verbs are conjugated, how adjectives agree with nouns and which grammatical structures require particular spellings.
Native speakers may have developed much of this knowledge naturally through speaking the language, rather than learning every rule explicitly.
Take the verb pouvoir, meaning "to be able to":
Je peux
Tu peux
Il / elle / on peut
Nous pouvons
Vous pouvez
Ils / elles peuvent
As a non-native speaker, you have hopefully spent time learning these forms and understanding when to use them.
This is something you can use to your advantage.
Make common verbs and grammatical structures so familiar that you do not have to stop and think about them during an exam.
Apps such as Quizlet and Anki can be useful for this, but you can also use a notebook and practice by hand. Regularly revisiting common verbs, adjective agreements and other grammatical structures can help make accurate writing much more automatic.
Don't be afraid of making mistakes
The biggest difference between native and non-native students is often speaking ability.
In my experience tutoring French GCSE and A-Level students, speaking is one of the areas where non-native students often feel least confident.
The most important thing you can do is stop being afraid of mistakes.
Take risks in the classroom. Try using more ambitious sentences, even if you are not completely sure that your grammar is correct.
If you make a mistake, your teacher can correct you.
Write those corrections down. I recommend keeping a separate notebook or document where you record mistakes and corrections so you can refer back to them later.
It may sound obvious, but mistakes are part of how you improve.
If you keep making the same mistake, writing down the correct version gives you something concrete to revisit and practice.
Speak more, even when it feels uncomfortable
If you are nervous about speaking French, there is unfortunately only one real solution: speak more.
You don't need to have a French-speaking friend available every time you want to practice.
Of course, speaking regularly with a French friend, teammate or family member can be incredibly useful. But you can also practise by yourself.
Read something aloud. Describe what you are doing in French. Explain a topic to yourself. Practice answering potential A-Level questions out loud.
You can even talk to your dog or cat.
If you're worried about making mistakes, your pet certainly isn't going to correct your grammar.
The point is to get comfortable producing French without stopping to worry about whether every sentence is perfect.
Speaking is partly about building familiarity and muscle memory. The more often you use French aloud, the more natural it becomes.
Focus on your strengths while working on your weaknesses
Being a non-native speaker does not automatically put you at a disadvantage.
You may have to work harder on speaking confidence and spontaneous conversation, but you may also have a stronger conscious understanding of grammar, spelling and sentence structure.
Use that to your advantage.
Learn your grammar thoroughly. Make common verbs automatic. Keep track of your mistakes. Most importantly, keep speaking, even when you know you might get something wrong.
You do not need perfect French before you start speaking confidently.
You improve by using the language, making mistakes and learning from them.
Final takeaway
If you are a non-native speaker studying A-Level French, don't compare yourself too closely with the native speakers in your class.
Work out where your strengths are, identify the areas where you need more practice and build your preparation around both.
With consistent practice, the things that feel difficult now can become much more natural by the time you sit your exams.
