Junior Cycle French: Question on Down Syndrome causes controversy

Students and teachers have had a largely positive reaction to the Junior Cycle French exam, but a question on Down syndrome has caused some controversy.

“While it is good to see inclusion front and centre stage, to do so in a Junior Cycle modern foreign language paper is problematic,” said Ann Brudell, ASTI spokesperson on French and chair of the French Teachers’ Association of Ireland.

“In 2022 classes, including language classes, are more inclusive. It is very likely that some students with Down syndrome or other specific learning difficulties were sitting today’s exam. It is hard to see how these students would react to being a discussion point on an exam paper that they are sitting with their classmates.

“From a pragmatic point of view, although most students will have heard of Down syndrome, many will not know exactly what it is.”

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Ms Brudell said that there was some trepidation and uncertainty as this was the first examination of the new Junior Cycle French specification.

“The paper, however, was quite fair and in line with what students and teachers would have been expecting from the official sample paper issued by the Department of Education and Skills,” Ms Brudell said.

Liz Lyne, founder of FrenchNotes.ie, a teacher at Coláiste Mhichíl in Limerick and author of French textbook Bonne Chance, said the paper was largely “a dream.”

“Everything I predicted with my students came up, including a blog,” she said. “Students were examined on food, family and school, all of which are very approachable topics and would be well covered.”

Ms Lyne said students would have needed to know all their tenses and have a decent grasp of adjectives, particularly in a question where they wrote about a trip to Bordeaux.

Ms Brudell said that the clarity, pace and questions in the listening section were very fair.

“The written section was in line with what students were expecting and allowed more able students to push themselves further.

“Most of the questions in the reading section were fair and of an appropriate level of difficulty,” Ms Brudell said.

Ms Lyne said there were no major complaints in the listening section, although some students may have struggled to understand the French term for “sparkling water.” Jobs, directions, transport, food and weather were among the other topics on the paper.

Ms Lyne said that the new common paper has been made more accessible for stronger students but that it has been made difficult for candidates who may previously have sat the ordinary level paper.

“In future years, there should be a choice for students between answering some of the questions in French or in English,” Ms Lyne said.

Try this one at home:

Junior Cycle French, common level

Imagine that you are on the exchange programme in Bordeaux. You are asked to write a blog in French about your experience for your school website.

In your blog, write about each of the following:

ton voyage à Bordeaux la semaine dernière

la personnalité de ton correspondant / ta correspondante

la maison de ton correspondant / ta correspondante

L’école en France

les activités que tu fais

tes projets pour le weekend prochain

Try this one at home:

Junior Cycle French