Free resources

Everything here is free. No account, no email address, nothing to buy. These are the guides and courses I use with my own students, published openly because most of what is available online is either too vague to act on or written for the wrong exam board.

French

French Level Test, a free self-marking placement test covering A1 to C2, with an instant score and an explanation for every answer.

For parents

• GCSE French: A Guide for Parents, on whether it is graded harshly, whether your child should take it now the EBacc is going, how to help at home without speaking French, and what tutoring costs.

GCSE and IGCSE

• GCSE French: The Complete Guide, the whole qualification in one place: all four papers, how they are marked, and what changed in the reformed specifications.
• GCSE French by Board, what actually differs between AQA, Edexcel, WJEC and CCEA, paper by paper, and what happened to Eduqas.
• The GCSE French Vocabulary List, how the prescribed lists are built, what the 2% rule allows, the trap in Edexcel's verb tables, and where to download the official lists.
• GCSE French Grammar by Tier, exactly what Foundation and Higher require on each board, and the tenses the reformed specifications dropped entirely.
• GCSE French Speaking: What Examiners Actually Reward, how the speaking test is built and marked on each board, with the task formats and mark splits.
• GCSE French Listening: Practice, Technique and the New Dictation, how to work the dictation task the reformed specifications introduced, and why blank lines are the most expensive habit in the paper.
• GCSE French Reading: Comprehension, Translation and Word Families, including the one paper that expects you to work out words you were never taught.
• GCSE French Writing: The Word Counts, the Bullets and the Translation, what the bullet points are really for, and where marks are quietly lost.
• Edexcel International GCSE French (4FR1): A Complete Breakdown, all three papers, the picture-task rules, and the mistake that scores zero.
• French GCSE past papers, AQA and Edexcel papers by series.

A Level and IAL

• A Level French: The Complete Guide, every board compared, the translation and works papers, and how the independent research project actually works.
• A Level French Translation: Practice Passages and Model Answers, six original passages in both directions, with model versions and a commentary on what each one tests.
• AQA A Level French Speaking Cards, what is printed on the card, how to use the five minutes, the two questions you must ask, and why describing the photograph scores nothing.
• The Independent Research Project, choosing a topic, the record form, the two-minute presentation and the ten-minute discussion.
• A Level French Vocabulary Crosswords, 29 interactive crosswords, one per A level subtopic, 30 key words each, with a full vocabulary list and French definitions under each puzzle.
• French A Level past papers, Edexcel papers by series.
• French A Level mini exams, shorter practice papers.

Beginner reference

• French A1 Vocabulary, core beginner vocabulary organised by topic.
• French A1 Grammar, the grammar a beginner actually needs first, in the order it is useful.

French exams: DELF, TCF and TEF

• DELF in the UK: Centres, Fees and Recognition, what the French government's language diploma involves, where to sit it in the UK, what each level costs, and what it is and is not worth here.
• What DELF Level Should a GCSE or A Level Student Take?, Ofqual's research on what GCSE grades are actually worth on the Common European Framework, and why your weakest skill decides which level you can pass.
• DELF, TCF or TEF: Which French Exam Do You Need?, what separates a diploma you keep for life from a test that expires after two years, how each is marked, and who accepts which.
• TCF and TEF in the UK: Centres, Versions and Fees, where to sit the two tests in the UK, which versions each centre runs, current fees, and what the papers consist of.
• Applying to a French University from the UK, the application route, why an A Level does not exempt you from the language test, the level required, and the deadlines.
• French Language Levels for Citizenship and Residency, the published levels for naturalisation and residence permits, which certificates the official lists name, and what each level means.
• TCF Canada and TEF Canada: Scores and NCLC Levels, the conversion tables for both tests, which figures IRCC actually uses for Express Entry, the citizenship threshold, Québec's own scale and requirements, and where to sit each test in Mauritius and the UK.

All French lessons and resources

English and 11+

• 11+ English and Verbal Reasoning: The Complete Guide, who sets the tests now, what is in the papers, regional variation, and the registration deadlines.
• 11+ Information, all the 11+ guides in one place.
• 11+ English: Key Areas to Focus On
• Verbal Reasoning for 11+ Exams, common question types and how to solve them.
• How to Create an Effective 11+ Study Schedule, balancing school and preparation.
• 11+ Word Games, vocabulary and verbal reasoning practice.

All English and 11+ lessons and resources

Morisien (Mauritian Creole)

There is very little structured material in Morisien anywhere. These guides were written from scratch.

• Kreol: History and Evolution, where the language came from and how it formed.
• Kreol: Syntax, how sentences are built, and how that differs from French.
• Kreol: Pronunciation, a phonetic guide.
• Kreol: To or Ou?, the polite form of "you", and when each one is expected.

All Morisien lessons and resources

Free courses

Full self-paced courses, also free, in the course library:

• French A-Level Grammar, a free taster covering the tenses and structures the writing and speaking exams ask for.
• Edexcel A Level: Reading and Listening for Speaking, authentic texts and audio for each Edexcel theme, with the topic vocabulary needed in the speaking exam.
• Morisien Taster, a short introduction to everyday Morisien for absolute beginners.

Not sure where to start?

If you are not certain which of these is relevant to your exam or your level, book a free 15-minute call. Add it to your basket and check out, the total is £0, and you will receive an email with the link to book a time.