Media and technology

FrenchAQAGCSEUnit: Theme 3: Communication and the World Around Us
Free taster
5 of 6 sections open
The basics

Media and Technology

📱 Media and Technology

Technology and social media vocabulary features prominently in AQA 8652 listening and reading texts, and in the photo card and role play speaking tasks. You must be able to discuss how you use devices and platforms, give balanced opinions about the benefits and drawbacks of technology, and compare the past with today — all of which demonstrates the tense range needed for higher marks.
Spotlight
Devices

J'utilise mon portable plusieurs heures par jour pour envoyer des messages et regarder des vidéos sur YouTube. Bien que ce soit pratique, je pense qu'on devrait limiter le temps d'écran.

Exam tip

Earn the mark scheme marks

💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors

  • Always use les réseaux sociaux (plural) — writing "le réseau social" for social media generally sounds wrong. The plural form is the standard.
  • For writing tasks, structure your answer: use → benefits → drawbacks → personal opinion with justification. This maps directly onto AO2 communication marks.
  • The imperfect vs perfect contrast is tested here: use imperfect for past habits ("avant, on regardait la télé") and perfect for specific completed past events ("j'ai regardé un film hier soir").
  • Include both avantages and inconvénients for higher-level answers — one-sided responses limit your AO2 mark ceiling.
  • Don't confuse envoyer un mail (to send an email) with envoyer un message (to send a text/message). Both are useful but distinct.

❌ Common error: J'ai perdu mon mobile.

✓ Correct: J'ai perdu mon portable.

Why it costs marks: English-speaking students write le mobile because "mobile" exists in English. In standard French, the correct everyday word for a mobile phone is un portable. While un mobile technically exists in French, it is rarely used for a phone and can confuse a French reader (it more often means "motive" or "mobile art"). Using le portable demonstrates authentic lexical knowledge.

❌ Common error: Je regarde les informations dans internet.

✓ Correct: Je regarde les informations sur internet.

Why it costs marks: The correct preposition with internet is sur (on/over): sur internet, surfer sur internet, trouver quelque chose sur internet. Using dans (in) is an anglicism based on "on the internet".

Now try it yourself

Quiz · Question 1 of 15

What does 'le portable' mean in French?

Tap an answer to check it

← Previous topic

Travel and tourism

Next topic →

The environment and where people live

Revise every French topic, free during alpha

Media and technology is one of 52 topics on PrepWise — all aligned to your exam board.

Start revising free →