AQA A Level French Paper 2 7652/2 - 19th June 2023 [Exam Chat]

Hiii
I've seen some conflicting information about this so I wanted to check here The spec says that students that keep to the 300 recommended word limit can access the full range of marks, so does that mean that it is best to not go over 300 or you can get lower marks?? Just checking because some people say that they end up going way over anyway and idk if it actually has an impact on your final mark 🤔

I've always done an intro, 3 main paras and then a conclusion, so 5

Absolutely not. 300 is ridiculous and will probably not be enough for good enough marks. My teacher said around 400 but me and my friends end up at 600-700+. Depending on the quality I'd say not to write under idk like 450 words?

Hiii
I've seen some conflicting information about this so I wanted to check here The spec says that students that keep to the 300 recommended word limit can access the full range of marks, so does that mean that it is best to not go over 300 or you can get lower marks?? Just checking because some people say that they end up going way over anyway and idk if it actually has an impact on your final mark 🤔

Absolutely not. 300 is ridiculous and will probably not be enough for good enough marks. My teacher said around 400 but me and my friends end up at 600-700+. Depending on the quality I'd say not to write under idk like 450 words?

Hiii
I've seen some conflicting information about this so I wanted to check here The spec says that students that keep to the 300 recommended word limit can access the full range of marks, so does that mean that it is best to not go over 300 or you can get lower marks?? Just checking because some people say that they end up going way over anyway and idk if it actually has an impact on your final mark 🤔

Most of the questions on Un sac de billes have been character-based so far, so I wonder if the questions this year are going to be more theme-based - maybe something on anti-semitism, occupied France, family, trust, journey, search for identity and independence, or innocence - or perhaps technique-based.
And then for La haine, they've asked a real range of question-types so far, including questions on themes, settings, techniques, based on a quote, director's intentions, but maybe not as many character-based one perhaps.

Here are all of the past paper questions:

Un sac de billes
2018
7.1) Analysez les effets de la guerre sur l’enfance des frères Joffo.
7.2) «Vous êtes juifs mais ne l’avouez jamais.» Analysez dans quelle mesure les conseils du père Joffo sont importants pour la survie des deux frères.

2019
7.1) Analysez les rapports entre Joseph et Maurice et comment leur relation change au cours de leurs aventures.
7.2) « A présent, nous sommes condamnés au mensonge. » Analysez l’importance du mensonge pour la survie des garçons.

2020
7.1) « Malgré sa situation difficile et parfois dangereuse, Jo connaît des moments de joie et de bonheur. » Dans quelle mesure ce jugement est-il justifié ?
7.2) Analysez l’effet des voyages et des aventures de Jo sur son caractère.

2021
7.1) « Sans l’aide de son frère Maurice, Jo n’aurait pas pu survivre. » Dans quelle mesure ce jugement est-il valable ?
7.2) Analysez comment les adultes sont présentés dans ce roman.

2022
7.1) la jeunesse de Jo
7.2) Les étrangers

La haine:
2018
13.1) Analysez la représentation de la banlieue et des banlieusards dans ce film et combien cette représentation est réaliste.
13.2) Analysez les moyens par lesquels Kassovitz présente le thème du conflit dans le film. Comment jugez-vous son traitement de ce thème ?

2019
13.1) Analysez dans quelle mesure la phrase « la haine attire la haine » résume tout ce qui se passe dans ce film.
13.2) Analysez les techniques que Kassovitz utilise dans sa représentation des scènes en banlieue et dans Paris.

2020
13.1) Dans quelle mesure est-ce que l’assertion « jusqu’ici tout va bien » est une phrase appropriée en considérant le déroulement du scénario de La haine ?
13.2) « Kassovitz présente une tragédie moderne des banlieues contemporaines. » Dans quelle mesure êtes-vous d’accord avec ce jugement de La haine ?

2021
13.1) Analysez comment Kassovitz présente la mort de Vinz comme le dénouement inévitable du film.
13.2) « La Haine est un film anti-autoritaire et non pas un film anti-flic. » Dans quelle mesure êtes-vous d’accord avec ce jugement ?

2022
13.1) cannot remember at all from my mock sorry
13.2) « La Haine est un film pessimiste et sans humour. » Dans quelle mesure êtes-vous d’accord avec ce jugement ?

You mention the theme of ‘family’ - I’ve never seen this discussed with USDB - what points would you analyse?

i have chapter summaries i made for usdb if anyone would find that helpful:

https://1drv.ms/w/s!AldFFLFFxuo1h4xUe5WWUKaQuSV2rg?e=CeZYRR

According to my french teacher, the best way to get high marks is to make six small points, and make sure you back each one up. Three strong points would be equally acceptable if you can't think of so many, as the person above said, but the short separate paras prevent you getting tangled up in too complex grammar when tying your points together.

You get an hour per essay (inc. choosing a question, planning and checking) so I recommend spending 5mins choosing your q and planning, then 40mins writing (5 mins for intro, 5mins per short para, 5 mins to conclude). That should leave you 15mins to check through each essay, so there's some spare time if you overrun on any paras.

Each para will probably look something like this:
- Topic sentence
- Expand on main idea
- Example from text/film
- Connect to essay title

Is there always one theme & one character question? I’ve only done themes essays for la haine rather than characters

I'd consider family to be one of the central themes tbh? I would talk about the roots of the Joffo family, which is explained through Papa and Maman Joffo, how they're proud to be of Russian and Jewish heritage, which is seen directly in Chapter 2 with how Papa Joffo proudly announces to the German soldiers that everyone here is Jewish too. In general, the parents are optimistic but also realist - Papa Joffo is the one who implores them to never admit to their Jewish identity when they start their journey, and when they reunite in Nice, it is he who always listens to the English radio and tells them that they have to go to Moisson Nouvelle because of the incoming German occupation after the Italians had left. I'd also mention how, whereas his advice was instrumental to the boys' journey, the revelation that he has died in the very last page of the novel shows not only the devastating effects of war, but also how Jo has grown into an independent being who no longer depends on his family for survival.

I'd talk about Jo's and Maurice's siblings as well - how meeting up with Henri & Albert in Menton, now continuing the family trade of working as a hairdresser, or Rosette in Montlucon, who actively helps other Jewish people in the community such as Mme Vouillard (Marthe Rosenberg) provide them with a temporary sanctuary from their otherwise dangerous journey. Henri in particular is really important in keeping the family together as he liberates their parents by going to Pau himself after their arrest.

If the question asked for the theme of family in general, and not just the Joffo family itself, I would also talk about the Mancelier family in Chapter 11 with how they help Jo by providing him with work and shelter despite being a family of petainistes themselves, allowing him to survive up until the very liberation of Paris. The fact that he feels integrated into a family of Collabos, even falling in love with the daughter, shows how family can overcome ideologies and religion. I would maybe also mention the other Jewish family in Chapter 5 trying to cross la Ligne de Demarcation, which shows how the Joffos are not the only family trying to escape Occupation, thus forming a wider Jewish community with a shared experience to the Joffos.