Student Zone · Érudits
Student Corner
Monthly exam tips, free practice and complete study packs with answers and model responses: clear, exam-focused French support for Year 11 and 12 ATAR students, and straight answers for the parents behind them.
Exam Tip of the Month · November 2026
Your 70 minutes of writing: a plan for Section Three
- Year 12 · exam this month
- Year 11 · end-of-year exams
Section Three is the part of the written exam you answer in French, and it is worth 40% of the paper: one stimulus response (Part A) and one extended response (Part B). Walk in with a time plan and you won’t run out of time for Part B or skip your final check.
Part A · Stimulus response
- Two French stimulus texts: answer one of two questions (set in French and English)
- About 150 words in French
- Refer explicitly to the stimulus text
- Suggested time: 30 minutes · 20% of the paper
Part B · Extended response
- Answer one of three questions (set in French and English)
- About 200 words in French
- Write for the text type, purpose and audience given
- Suggested time: 40 minutes · 20% of the paper
The planDecode, write, check
- Decode (about 5 minutes). Circle the text type, who you are writing to and why. Number every point the question asks for. For Part A, underline two or three details in the stimulus that you will use.
- Write (about 20 minutes for Part A, 28 for Part B). One paragraph per point. In Part A, name the stimulus as you use it: Dans l’article sur…, Comme l’explique Léa dans son courriel… Give opinions with reasons, and vary your tenses and linking words.
- Check (about 5 minutes for Part A, 7 for Part B). Use the checklist below, then move on. Both parts are worth 20%: don’t let Part A eat into Part B’s 40 minutes.
Your final checkBefore you put your pen down
- Every point in the question is answered: tick them off.
- The text-type conventions are there: for example a greeting and sign-off for an email or letter, a title for an article or blog post.
- Tu or vous suits your reader and stays consistent.
- Agreements: adjectives, past participles after être, and past participles after avoir when the direct object comes before the verb.
- Verb endings and accents, especially in the tenses you used most.
- Length close to the guide. Count the words in five lines and divide by five to get your average per line, then multiply by your number of lines.
Your dictionary is a checking tool. Use it to confirm a gender, a spelling or the meaning that fits your context, not to build sentences you have never used before. The French you know well is the French you will write accurately.
In Year 11? Your end-of-year exams are designed to reflect the Year 12 exam, so this plan works for you too. Try it on one practice Part A this week, timed.
Year 12: the SCSA timetable lists the French: Second Language written exam on Monday 16 November. Check your personalised timetable for your session. Bonne chance !
Based on the current French: Second Language ATAR syllabus and published examination information. This is Érudits advice, not official SCSA material: always follow the instructions on your exam paper and check with your teacher.
L’Essentiel du mois · novembre 2026
L’Essentiel de novembre
- Grammaire
- Expressions
- Culture
- Mot du mois
Five minutes, four things to learn this month: a structure that lifts your writing, six expressions for opinions, a French date with an Australian story, and a word for exam nerves.
GrammaireLe gérondif : en + participe présent
Use the gérondif to say how or while you do something. It is a compact way to add a more complex structure to your writing and speaking. Take the nous form of the present tense, drop -ons and add -ant: nous lisons → en lisant. Three exceptions: être → en étant, avoir → en ayant, savoir → en sachant. Both actions must have the same subject.
- En lisant des articles en français, j’ai enrichi mon vocabulaire.By reading articles in French, I expanded my vocabulary.
- Je fais mes fiches de révision en écoutant de la musique.I make my revision cards while listening to music.
- C’est en faisant des erreurs qu’on apprend.It’s by making mistakes that you learn.
Six expressionsTo structure an opinion
- Pour ma part, …
- For my part, … / Personally, …
- D’une part…, d’autre part…
- On the one hand…, on the other hand…
- En ce qui concerne…
- As far as … is concerned
- Il est indéniable que…
- It is undeniable that…
- Force est de constater que…
- One has to acknowledge that…
- En fin de compte, …
- In the end, … / Ultimately, …
Culture snapshotLe 11 novembre et Villers-Bretonneux
The armistice that ended the fighting of the First World War came into force at 11 am on 11 November 1918. In France, le 11 novembre is a public holiday (un jour férié); in Australia it is Remembrance Day, marked with a minute’s silence at 11 am.
In northern France, the town of Villers-Bretonneux has a special link with Australia. Australian soldiers helped retake it in April 1918, and after the war its school was rebuilt with money donated from Victoria, much of it raised by schoolchildren. A sign in its classrooms reads « N’oublions jamais l’Australie » (Let us never forget Australia), and the Australian National Memorial stands just outside the town.
Le mot du mois
le trac
nom masculin · avoir le trac: to feel nervous, to have stage fright
J’avais le trac avant mon oral, mais j’ai respiré à fond et tout s’est bien passé.
I was nervous before my oral, but I took a deep breath and it all went well.
Feeling nervous before an exam is normal: le trac is a sign you care. A slow breath and a good plan go a long way.
Free for every student · Years 7–12
Free practice
No account, no sign-up: open a tool and start. Ten minutes a day adds up quickly.
Free listening: La technologie et moi
Year 12 · Unit 3. A podcast by Léa, a fictional French teenager (text-to-speech audio), with ATAR-style questions (28 marks), audio at normal and slower speed, and the answers.
Practice Quizzes
Self-marking, exam-style quizzes with instant feedback on grammar and vocabulary.
Idiom of the Week
One authentic French idiom every week, explained and put in context, with a Listen button. Ready to lift your writing and speaking.
Parlez Mieux !
Pronunciation practice you can repeat as often as you like: rhythm, vowels, nasal sounds, liaison and intonation.
L’alphabet & les sons
Tap or click any letter or sound to hear it, then test yourself. Perfect for Years 7–10 and a quick refresher for seniors.
Student editions
Study packs for students
Érudits study packs written so you can study on your own and check your work yourself.
Every student edition includes
- The student booklets, with answers and model responses to check your work (see each card)
- In most packs, a two-page guide to studying on your own
- MP3 text-to-speech audio where listed on the card
- Print-ready PDFs (A4) in one instant download (no Word files)
- The same price as the teacher edition
- A personal licence for one student
Which one do I need?
- Studying one unit this term
- Choose that Unit Pack.
- Want the whole year covered
- Choose the Year 11 or Year 12 Student Pack.
- Writing is your weak spot
- The Writing Pack (Years 11–12) or the Writing Masterclass (Year 12).
- The oral is coming up
- The Final Oral Examination Preparation Pack.
- More reading and listening
- The Bilingual Mini Books.
- Between Year 11 and Year 12
- ATAR Head Start.
Year 11
Units 1 and 2 · C’est la vie ! and Voyages
Units 1 and 2
Year 11 ATAR French Student Pack
Both Year 11 units in one download: study booklets, audio, transcripts and every answer.
Year 11 · Unit 1
C’est la vie !
Daily routine, sport and leisure, and a healthy lifestyle: vocabulary, ATAR-format practice and grammar in context.
Year 11 · Unit 2
Voyages
Travel tales and plans, Australia as a destination and travel in a modern world, with full practice and answers.
Year 11 · Unit 1
Bilingual Mini Book · C’est la vie !
Read, listen and learn: « Un trimestre à Annecy », a short story in French and English with activities for the Unit 1 topics.
Year 11 · Unit 2
Bilingual Mini Book · Voyages
Read, listen and learn: « Un été au Québec », a short story in French and English with activities for the Unit 2 topics.
Year 12
Units 3 and 4 · Les médias and Le monde qui nous entoure
Units 3 and 4
Year 12 ATAR French Student Pack
Both Year 12 units in one download: study booklets, audio, transcripts and every answer.
Year 12 · Unit 3
Les médias
Technology and me, film and music, and the media: vocabulary, ATAR-format practice and grammar in context.
Year 12 · Unit 4
Le monde qui nous entoure
Planning my future, migrant experiences and youth issues, with full practice and answers.
Year 12 · Units 3 and 4
Final Oral Examination Preparation Pack
Prepare for the oral topic by topic: vocabulary, stimulus practice, conversation questions and model responses for all six topics.
Year 12
ATAR French Writing Masterclass
One repeatable process for every Year 12 writing task, practised step by step, with timed tasks and annotated models.
Year 12 · Unit 4
Expériences migratoires
The texts, facts and structures you need to write and speak with confidence about migrant experiences.
Year 12 · Unit 3
Bilingual Mini Book · Les médias
Read, listen and learn: « Deux voix, une langue », a short story in French and English with activities for the Unit 3 topics.
Year 12 · Unit 4
Bilingual Mini Book · Le monde qui nous entoure
Read, listen and learn: « Entre Dakar et Montréal », a short story in French and English with activities for the Unit 4 topics.
Year 12 · Unit 4 · Youth issues
Les jeunes face aux défis
Stress, alcohol and drugs: texts, language and practice to discuss the Youth issues topic with accuracy and maturity.
Both years
For Year 11 and Year 12, and the summer in between
Years 11–12
ATAR French Writing Pack
Ten key ATAR text types, 16 exam tasks, a marking rubric and 12 annotated model answers to check your work against.
Years 11–12 · one story per unit
Bilingual Mini Books · Set of 4
Four short stories in French and English, one for each ATAR unit, with audio at two speeds and every answer.
Year 11 to Year 12
ATAR Head Start
A four-week holiday program to consolidate Year 11 and start Year 12 with confidence.
For parents
How student editions work
You don’t need to speak French to help. Every pack includes answers or model responses so your child can check their own work, and most open with a guide to studying on their own.
A personal licence for one student
Each student edition is for the personal use of the student it was bought for. Brothers, sisters or friends need their own copy.
Instant download
After checkout you receive a download link for one zip file: print-ready A4 PDFs and, where included, MP3 audio. Download it straight away, as the link can expire. Print it or work from a tablet or laptop.
Made for students working alone
The student booklets, with answers and model responses written for students (and audio where the pack includes it), as print-ready PDFs plus MP3s where included. No Word files. Most packs add a two-page guide to studying alone.
Aligned to the current ATAR course
Written for Year 11 and Year 12 French: Second Language in Western Australia, unit by unit and topic by topic.
Independent, not official
Érudits is an independent publisher. Our resources are not official SCSA material and are not endorsed by SCSA.
Questions parents ask
Which pack suits which year?
- Year 11: Unit 1 C’est la vie ! and Unit 2 Voyages, or the Year 11 Student Pack for both.
- Year 12: Unit 3 Les médias and Unit 4 Le monde qui nous entoure, or the Year 12 Student Pack for both. For the exams, add the Final Oral Examination Preparation Pack or the Writing Masterclass.
- Either year: the Writing Pack (Years 11–12) and the Bilingual Mini Books.
- Between Year 11 and Year 12: ATAR Head Start, a four-week summer program.
Not sure? Ask which unit the class is studying this term, or email info@erudits.com and we will help you choose.
Can a study pack replace a tutor?
Honestly, no, and we won’t pretend it can. A pack can’t listen to your child speak or give feedback on their own writing.
What it does give is structured practice with answers, model responses to compare with and a clear guide to checking their own work, so they can study independently between lessons. It works best alongside their teacher’s feedback, and alongside a tutor if they have one.
Is audio included?
Yes, in most packs, as MP3 files in the download: the Unit Packs (six tracks each, with transcripts), the Year 11 and Year 12 Student Packs (12 tracks), the Bilingual Mini Books (every chapter at normal and slower speed), the Writing Masterclass (three recordings), ATAR Head Start (two tracks) and the Final Oral Examination Preparation Pack (six audio model responses). All the audio is text-to-speech audio.
The Writing Pack and Expériences migratoires are workbooks without audio. Each pack’s page lists exactly what is included.
How do we download it?
After payment, you receive a download link with your order confirmation. Download the zip file and save it to a computer or device straight away: the link stops working 24 hours after your first download. Then unzip it (double-click on a Mac; right-click and choose “Extract All” on Windows; tap the file in the Files app on an iPad). The PDFs open in any PDF reader and the MP3s play on any device.
If a link doesn’t work or has expired, email info@erudits.com with your order number and we will sort it out.
Are these the same as the resources teachers buy?
Not exactly. A student edition contains the student booklets with answers and model responses written for students (and audio where the pack includes it), as print-ready PDFs plus MP3s where included. Teacher-only material and editable Word files are not included, and most packs add a two-page guide to studying on your own. It costs the same as the teacher edition and is licensed for one student rather than a class.
We’re a school. Can we buy a licence for a class?
Yes: teacher editions come with a classroom licence. Email info@erudits.com for school licences and we will point you to the right resources.
All Érudits student editions are aligned to the current ATAR course (French: Second Language, Years 11 and 12). Érudits is an independent publisher: our resources are not official SCSA material.
Questions about a pack or a school licence? Email info@erudits.com.