French — Foreign Language 0520
Build vocabulary and grammar for everyday communication. Practise reading, listening, writing and speaking through familiar topics and original examples.
What you'll cover
- Topic areas
Published syllabus exam years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030. Confirm exam-series and centre availability with your school and Cambridge.
Cambridge IGCSE French - Foreign Language 0520 syllabus map
2025–2027 Version 2 and 2028–2030 syllabuses
5 of 5 sections have teaching and practice
Start the learning pathwayStudy options and assessment
14 original lessons map the five topic areas, grouped grammar pathways and published paper task formats for both syllabus cycles. Each lesson includes teaching, an explained example, self-checks and Guided, Independent and Transfer practice. All passages, prompts, listening scripts, model answers and practice tasks are original StudyForA materials, not Cambridge assessment content. Written answers are self-reviewed and not Cambridge-marked. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a particular accent, pace or pronunciation. Speaking rehearsal is not the supervised centre assessment, examiner interaction, moderation or an official mark. This is not a complete timed specimen paper or a 130-hour course. Both five-area topic maps and grouped grammar pathways are linked, but the 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet has not been mapped word by word, and grammar still needs item-by-item specialist review. A French-language specialist should review the original French examples before we describe this as publication-ready. Confirm the right syllabus version, entry option and exam series with your centre.
Use the 2025–2027 Version 2 route for those exams and the revised 2028–2030 route for later years. The 2025 syllabus update says there are no significant teaching changes. From 2028, Reading becomes entirely multiple-choice/matching; Writing changes from 45 to 40 marks and Speaking allows supervised preparation notes. Confirm the correct qualification and series with your centre.
Choose your paper route
- Exams in 2025–2027Papers 1–4 · Reading 45 marks · Writing 45 marks
Use the six-group Reading format with short answers in French, and the 5+12+28 Writing marks. The 2025–2027 Version 2 update reports no significant teaching changes.
- Exams in 2028–2030Papers 1–4 · Reading 40 marks · Writing 40 marks
Reading is fully multiple-choice/matching. Writing uses 5+10+25 marks. Candidates may make notes during supervised Speaking preparation and hand them in before the test.
Cambridge describes a target around CEFR A2 with some elements of B1. Its guidance is about 130 guided learning hours, but actual needs vary. The linked lessons are a growing pathway, not a complete 130-hour course.
View syllabus coverage
All candidates take four compulsory papers and each is 25%. Listening and Speaking are 40 marks in both cycles. Reading and Writing are 45 marks in 2025–2027, then 40 marks from 2028. The new Writing allocation is 5+10+25 rather than 5+12+28. No dictionary is allowed. All passages, prompts, listening scripts, model answers and practice tasks are original StudyForA materials, not Cambridge assessment content. Written answers are self-reviewed and not Cambridge-marked. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a particular accent, pace or pronunciation. Speaking rehearsal is not the supervised centre assessment, examiner interaction, moderation or an official mark. This is not a complete timed specimen paper or a 130-hour course. Both five-area topic maps and grouped grammar pathways are linked, but the 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet has not been mapped word by word, and grammar still needs item-by-item specialist review. A French-language specialist should review the original French examples before we describe this as publication-ready. Confirm the right syllabus version, entry option and exam series with your centre.
Topic areas
- Everyday activitiesA
- Personal and social lifeB
- The world around usC
- The world of workD
- The international worldE
Cross-paper grammar · official syllabus appendix
- Articles, nouns, adjectives and pronounsLANG-FORMS · Supplemental StudyForA practice, not a syllabus section
- Verbs and time framesLANG-VERBS · Supplemental StudyForA practice, not a syllabus section
- Questions, links, prepositions, quantities and timeLANG-SYNTAX · Supplemental StudyForA practice, not a syllabus section
Practice the papers
Practice the papers
- Listening · both cyclesPaper 1 · 1 lessons
About 50 minutes including six minutes' answer transfer · 37 multiple-choice/matching questions · 40 marks in both cycles · each recording is heard twice. Browser speech is not Cambridge audio.
- Reading · 45-mark formatPaper 2 · 2025–2027 · 1 lessons
One hour · 45 marks · six groups with multiple choice, matching and some short answers in French. Use for exams through 2027.
- Reading · updated 40-mark formatPaper 2 · 2028–2030 · 1 lessons
One hour · 40 marks · six groups, all multiple-choice/matching. Applies from March 2028 in India and June 2028 onward.
- Speaking · both cyclesPaper 3 · 1 lessons
About ten minutes: unassessed warm-up, five transactional role-play questions, then two topic conversations. Centre assessed and externally moderated. 2028–2030 allows supervised preparation notes; self-practice is not an official mark.
- Writing · 45-mark formatPaper 4 · 2025–2027 · 1 lessons
One hour · Q1 form 5 marks; Q2 about 80–90 words, 12 marks; Q3 about 130–140 words, 28 marks.
- Writing · updated 40-mark formatPaper 4 · 2028–2030 · 1 lessons
One hour · Q1 form 5 marks; Q2 about 80–90 words, 10 marks (5 task completion + 5 range/accuracy); Q3 about 130–140 words, 25 marks (9+9+7).
Lessons and worked examples
Choose where to begin
Choose a lesson, try the practice and explain the idea without your notes. Your study checks help you decide what to review.
- 01
Talk about routines, food, health and travel
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 02
Describe family, home, clothes and leisure
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 03
Navigate places, nature and technology
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 04
Discuss school, training and future work
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 05
Talk about places, languages and cultural life
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 06
Build French noun and adjective phrases
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 07
Use French verbs and time frames
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 08
Ask questions and connect French sentences
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 09
Listen for key details and speaker attitude
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 10
Read for detail in the 2025–2027 paper format
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 11
Use the 2028–2030 multiple-choice Reading paper
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 12
Practise role plays and topic conversations
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 13
Write for the 2025–2027 45-mark paper
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 14
Write for the updated 2028–2030 paper
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started
These checks record your study activity and self-assessment, not a mastery score. Check the course coverage map for available lessons and remaining topics.
Practise this subject
Topic tests: Easy, Normal and Difficult
Choose a topic, save your answers and compare your reasoning with worked models. See available tests and any coverage gaps.
Browse 5 topics →Written practice with explained models
Write your own answers before opening the models. These original practice lessons need teacher marking and do not provide an automatic grade.