Modern Languages
French

Glossaries and 3 Star Texts

Higher

6278


Autumn 1999

Modern Languages

French

Glossaries and 3 Star Texts

Higher

Support Materials

Support Materials – Supplement

This pack has been produced as a supplement to the main pack of support materials in order to give centres maximum flexibility in how they might use the support materials. The pack contains the following:

  • a glossary of difficult words for all the texts in the support materials to allow students to work more independently of the teacher/lecturer if appropriate
  • three texts (from each of the prescribed themes) which might be used as additional preparation for external assessment material for reading and translation.

1

Modern Languages Support Materials: French Glossaries and 3 Star Texts (Higher)

French - Higher: Education and Work

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

La discipline en France

le port / wearing
la cour / playground
le couloir / corridor
interdit / forbidden
géré / managed, organized
le surveillant / supervisor, invigilator: student employed to undertake supervisory duties such as study supervision and detention
le pion / (literally: pawn) slang for surveillant
notamment / particularly
une retenue / detention
une colle / slang for detention
surveiller / to watch, supervise
parfois / sometimes
comment dirais-je? / how should I put it?
méchant / nasty
uniquement / only
un renvoi / suspension

French - Higher: Education and Work

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

Rapports avec les professeurs

les rapports / relationships
d’un coté ... de l’autre coté / on the one hand ... on the other hand
le cours / lesson
du haut de / from way up there (old-style teachers’ desks were tall wooden desks, often standing on a raised platform in front of the class)
amical (plural: amicaux) / friendly
proche / close
confier / to confide
quand même / really
un enseignant / teacher
puisque / since, because
chaleureux / warm
instaurer / to establish, impose
envers / towards
rajouter / to add
vouloir dire / to mean
ce que tu veux dire / what you mean

French - Higher: Education and Work

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

Differences entre les lycées écossais et français

l’horaire (nm) / timetable
un petit pain / roll
reprendre / to start again, to go back in
c’est-â-dire / that is
ce qui fait que / which means that
profiter de / to take the opportunity of
tomber / to fall
évidemment / obviously
par contre / on the other hand
chaque / each
le trimestre / term
ne ... pas ... du tout / not any ... at all, no ... whatsoever
une exigence / demand, requirement, code
vestimentaire / sartorial, clothing, dress (adjective)
habillé de / dressed in
la mode / fashion
au niveau de / at the level of, at the stage of
la pensée / thought, reflection
qu’est-ce que tu en penses? / what do you think of them?
avoir lieu / to take place
se réunir / to meet

French - Higher: Education and Work

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

Une journée â l’école

touareg / nomadic tribe
autrefois / in the olden days
auprès de / with
mener / to lead
un éleveur / stockbreeder
un caravanier / caravaneer
le tifinar / touareg alphabet
se rendre compte / to realize
mettre â l’écart / to keep out of things
s’enfoncer / to sink
se sauver / to run away
un maître d’école / schoolmaster
en plus / also
un dortoir / dormitory, bedroom
étoilé / starry
une course / race
un chameau / camel
peu de / little
savoir lire / to be able to read
pour autant / for all that

French - Higher: Education and Work

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

Claudine â l’école

je mourrai (future tense: mourir)
s’exprimer / to express oneself, to put it
ça ne me dit rien du tout, ... / leave me absolutely cold
censé(e) / supposed to
un pré / meadow
au dessous de / below
un passage à niveau / level crossing
de quoi / enough
une patte / (bird’s / animal’s) foot / paw
un moineau / sparrow
à ma manière / as I see it
dégringoler / to tumble down
s’étager / to drop down in tiers, to rise in terraces
rebâtir / to rebuild
délabré / dilapidated
une averse / shower (of rain)
pourtant / still, yet
agacer / to irritate
ça a peur = elles ont peur / use of “ca” indicates contempt
se déchirer / to get scratched
une araignée / spider
la bruyère / heather
malsain(e) / unhealthy, insanitary
ne te feront pas oublier / won’t cause you to be forgotten
maussade / gloomy
incommode / uncomfortable, inconvenient
incroyables de laideur et de saleté / unbelievably ugly and dirty
à renverser / staggering
bourgeois(es) / middle class
en pension / to boarding school
le chef-lieu / county town
tout à ses travaux / buried / absorbed in his work
convenablement / suitably
un couvent / convent
un ... quelconque / some ... or other

French - Higher: Education and Work

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

La derniére classe

un conte / tale, story
un Alsacien / person from Alsace in eastern France
avoir grand-peur / to be terrified
gronder / to scold
d’autant que / especially as
interroger / to test, ask questions
les participes / participles (in grammar)
en savoir le premier mot / to know the first thing about it
manquer / to miss, skip
prendre ma course / to start running
à travers / across
le champ / field
un merle / blackbird
siffler / to whistle
la lisière / edge
le pré / meadow
la scierie / sawmill
les Prussiens / Prussian soldiers
tenter / to tempt
la force / strength
du monde / a crowd
le grillage aux affiches / noticeboard
les mauvaises nouvelles / bad news
la réquisition / requisition (of supplies for the army)
la commandanture / Kommandantur, (Prussian) headquarters, command
qu’est-ce qu’il y a encore? / what now? what next?
le forgeron / blacksmith
un apprenti / apprentice
en train de / busy (doing something)
l’affiche (nf) / poster, notice
se moquer de / to laugh at
essoufflé / out of breath
d’ordinaire / usually
un tapage / row, noise, racket
un pupitre / desk
se boucher / to stop, block

Glossary page 3

tout ce train / all this activity
gagner / to reach
le banc / bench

1

Modern Languages Support Materials: French Glossaries and 3 Star Texts (Higher)

en fer / iron (adjective)
sans colère / without anger
enjamber / to climb over
remis (se remettre) / recovered
la frayeur / fear, apprehension
la redingote / frock coat
un jabot / neckcloth
plissé / folded, pleated
la calotte / skullcap
de soie / silk (adjective)
brodé(e) / embroidered
le tricorne / three-cornered hat
ancien (before the noun) / former
le maire / mayor
un abécédaire / beginners’ reading book
mangé / frayed
s’étonner de / to marvel at
la chaire / rostrum
la parole / (spoken) word
bouleverser / to overwhelm, knock sideways

Glossary page 4

à peine / scarcely
en vouloir à quelqu’un / to be annoyed at someone
(le temps) perdu / (the time) wasted
courir les nids / to go bird-nesting
une glissade / slide
mon histoire sainte / my RE book
faire de la peine à / to hurt, grieve
les coups de règle / beatings with a ruler
ses beaux habits du dimanche / his Sunday best
rendre leurs devoirs / to do their duty (in French this also means to hand in their homework, which fits in with the school context, and creates a play on words)
la patrie / country, Fatherland
le tour / turn
s’embrouiller / to get in a muddle
se balancer / to fidget from one foot to the other
le coeur gros / with a heavy heart
oser / to dare
arriver / to happen
le malheur / misfortune
remettre / to put off
être en droit de / to have the right to
prétendre / to claim
coupable / guilty
la part / share

1

Modern Languages Support Materials: French Glossaries and 3 Star Texts (Higher)

Glossary page 5

tenir à / to want to, to be keen to
à la terre / on the land
la filature / (spinning) mill
les sous / pennies
arroser / to water
au lieu de / instead of
pêcher / to fish
la truite / trout
se gêner pour / to mind, to worry about
le congé / leave, day off
se mettre à / to begin to
tomber esclave / to fall into slavery
tant que / as long as
autant de / as much
le savoir / knowledge
d’un seul coup / all at once, at one fell swoop
l’écriture / writing
neuf (neuve) / brand new
en ronde / in roundhand (handwriting)
un drapeau / flag
flotter / to flutter
la tringle / rod, rail
chacun / each one
s’applique / to apply oneself, to work hard
le grincement / squeaking
la plume / pen-nib
le hanneton / Maybug
le bâton / vertical line (handwriting)
la toiture / roof
roucouler / to coo

Glossary page 6

de dessus / up from
fixer / to stare fixedly at
emporter / to carry away, to take away
pareil(le) / the same
frotté / rubbed smooth
l’usage (nm) / wear
le noyer / walnut tree
le houblon / hop (used to make beer)
enguirlander / to twine round
un crève-coeur / heartbreak
la malle / trunk
tout de même / all the same
jusqu’au bout / right to the end
épeler / to spell
drôle / comical, funny
pleurer / to cry, weep
se souvenir de / to remember

1

Modern Languages Support Materials: French Glossaries and 3 Star Texts (Higher)

une horloge / clock
l’Angélus / angelus prayer
éclater / to burst forth, to blare out
étouffer / to choke, suffocate
achever / to finish, complete
un morceau de craie / a piece of chalk
vive la France! / long live France!
appuyé / leaning, resting
faire signe / to wave

French - Higher: Education and Work

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

Punition

avoir hâte de faire qch / to be eager, anxious to do something, in a hurry
la permanence / study room
avoir un creux au ventre / to have an empty stomach
ronger / to gnaw, eat away at
un avertissement / warning
désaltérer / window
s’empresser de / to hasten to do ....

French - Higher: Education and Work:

Critique of Own School/College

Glossary

êtes - vous dans un bon lycée

le bahut / school
on est tous solidaires / we all stick together
disponible / available
le discours / conversation
rassurer quelqu’un / to put someone’s mind at ease/rest
former / to train
régler / to sort out
surveiller / to keep an eye on, supervise, watch
hurler / to yell, scream
la grille / railings
traîner / to hang about
le proviseur / Head (master), principal

French - Higher: Education and Work

Careers, Job Intentions and Employment Issues

Glossary

Eric et les matières qu’il a choisies

une section / course
une langue vivante / modern language
au départ / at the start
ça ne me disait trop rien / that didn’t appeal to me too much
essayer / to try, to have a go
quand même / anyway
particulier (-ère) / special, different
‘a l’écart de / separate from
bien vu(s) / approved of
enfin / well
avouer / to admit, confess
nul(le) / hopeless
au dernier rang / in the back row
une interrogation / test
la copie / (test) paper
faire des commentaires / to make comments, to pass remarks

French - Higher: Education and Work

Careers, Job Intentions and Employment Issues

Glossary

Etudes universitaires

en arriver à / to happen to, to come to
en Faculté de Droit / into the Law Faculty
il s’est avéré que / it turned out that, it became obvious that
en Fac / student slang for en Faculté
l’année suivante / the next year, the following year
bon / well
soit ... soit ... / either ... or ...
le plus possible / as much as possible
éventuellement / possibly
grâce à / thanks to
c’est tellement loin / it’s so far in the future
proche / close, near
s’intéresser à / to be interested in
parlant (present participle: parler) / speaking, who speaks

French - Higher: Education and Work

Careers, Job Intentions and Employment Issues

Glossary

Parlez-vous Européen?

soigner / look after, take care of
redemander / to ask for more
le bahut / school
le tiers Monde / the Third World
incontournable / cannot be bypassed
les affaires / business
appauvri / impoverished, weakened
remporter / to win
rapporter / to yield, bring in
le poids / weight
hormis / but, save
le débouché / prospect, opening
ne...... guère / scarcely
miser sur / to bet on
à effectifs réduits / with a reduced number of pupils
effectifs / pupil numbers
les racines / roots

French - Higher: Education and Work

Careers, Job Intentions and Employment Issues

Glossary

Institutrice à Hautecloque

panoui / radiant, beaming
la carrière / career
bien à elle / of her very own
un logement de fonction / house that goes with the job
l’école normale / teacher training college
propulsé(e) / propelled
titulaire mobile / supply teacher
sillonner les routes / to travel the length and breadth
en congé / on leave
la formation / training
répondre présent(e) / to turn up
sur-le-champ / immediately
au bout du virage / round the next corner
pédagogique / teaching (adjective)
pas évident / not easy
s’estimer / to consider oneself
un poste fixe / permanent post
accueillir / to welcome, to take in
un niveau / level
carré(e) / square
un préau / covered playground
tenir lieu de / to serve as
le siècle / century
tirer parti de / to make the best of, to take advantage of
la récupération / recycling
l’élevage (nm) / farm
un atelier / workshop
la menuiserie / woodwork, joinery, carpentry
un coup d’oeil / glance
tiens / my goodness
souffler / to take a breather, to have a break
émaillé(e) / punctuated
un souffre-douleur / underdog, scapegoat
il suffisait de mettre en valeur / only had to be brought out/shown to advantage
il m’arrive de / I find myself
une banderole / banner
une augmentation / rise, increase
soutenir / to maintain, support
augmenter / to raise

French - Higher: Education and Work

Careers, Job Intentions and Employment Issues

Glossary

“Catherine Lemoguen, infirmiere”

le biberon / baby’s bottle
le transat / baby chair
le périphérique / ring road
de pointe / ultra modern
un aide-soignant / nursing auxiliary
la veille / the day before
grignoter / to nibble
le pansement / dressing, bandage
le pouls / pulse
la sonnette / bell
tenir le coup / to last out, to hold on
épuisé / exhausted, worn out

French - Higher: Education and Work

Careers, Job Intentions and Employment Issues

Glossary

Parole aux Jeunes

un lecteur / reader
un domaine / domain, sphere, area
un McDo / McDonalds Fast Food
nul / terrible
hyperfatigant / really tiring
la galère / a real grind, chore
coupert / cut up
nettoyer / to clean
hyperstressé / really stressed out
un stage / work experience
le boulot / work (slang)
s’occuper de / to look after
vérifier / to check
tenir les comptes à jour / to keep the accounts up to date
une facture / bill, account
une livraison / delivery
mon truc / my favourite bit
la vente / sales, selling
à coeur joie / with great pleasure
débarquer / to turn up
un écolier / school pupil, school kid
une blanchisserie / laundry
sécher / to dry
un séchoir / dryer
soit ... soit ... / either ... or ...
plier / to fold
trier / to sort
un atelier / workroom
le repassage / ironing
le linge / linen
une serviette / towel
un drap / sheet
bloc opératoire / operating theatres
Pédiatrie / Paediatrics, children’s ward
à crever / killing
d’enfer / hellish
dire que ... ! / just imagine ... !
se marrer / to have a laugh
génial / great, fantastic
un stagiaire / person on work experience
suivre / to shadow, follow
les visites / ward rounds

1

Modern Languages Support Materials: French Glossaries and 3 Star Texts (Higher)

le chef de service / consultant
l’unité de soins / hospital unit
les nouveaux-nés / newborn babies
prendre des gardes / to be on duty
aux urgences / in casualty
soigner / to treat, look after
se servir de / to use
le traitement de texte / word-processing
en sténo / in shorthand
taper / to type
embaucher / to take on (staff)
un horaire fixe / regular working hours, a fixed timetable
prévoir / to plan in advance
faire des inventaires / to do stocktaking
installer ... en rayon / to put ... on the shelves
une horreur / awful
se retrouver / to find oneself
la caisse / cashdesk
pire / worse
infect(e) / obnoxious, horrible
tomber en panne / to break down
les codes-barres / barcodes
éviter de / to avoid

French - Higher: Education and Work

Careers, Job Intentions and Employment

Glossary

Travailler en Afrique

souhaiter / to wish
s’expatrier / to leave one’s own country
au sein de / at the heart of
en plein essor / booming, in full expansion
un défi / challenge
réputé / well-known, well-respected
se déplacer / to move about
une succursale / branch (office)
implanté / established
francophone / French-speaking
occidental(e) / west
afin de / in order to
promouvoir / to promote
la marque / brand
un cadre / executive
faire preuve de / to show evidence of
l’occasion (nf) / opportunity
une formation / training
accéder à / to rise to
titulaire de / entitled to, holder of
maîtriser / to have a command of
mondialement / throughout the world
témoigner de / to show
à travers / through
une manifestation / event
un événement / event
un stage / work experience
une entreprise / business, firm
la maîtrise / expertise, experience
l’outil informatique / computing
un outil / tool
d’embauche / sign-on
ultérieur / later, subsequent
faire parvenir / to send
une lettre de motivation / letter in support of an application
le cachet de la poste faisant foi / postmark must be dated no later than

Glossary pages 3 and 4

faire part / to inform
un poste à pourvoir / vacant post
la force / strength
effectuer / to do (a job), to carry out

1

Modern Languages Support Materials: French Glossaries and 3 Star Texts (Higher)

actuellement / at present
un produit alimentaire / food product
envisager / to plan, intend
désormais / in future, from now on
faire ses preuves / to show one’s ability
important / big
disposer de / to possess
par ailleurs / furthermore
faire face à / to face up to, cope with
diriger / to direct, lead
une lutte / fight, struggle
ancien (before the noun) / former, old
collectif / group (adjective)
veuillez trouver ci-joint / please find attached
dans l’attente de votre courrier / I hope to hear from you (soon)
je vous prie de recevoir l’expression
de mes salutations distinguées / yours faithfully
achever / to complete
interpeller / to attract, appeal to
un quotidien / daily paper
le goût / taste
à savoir / that is, i.e.
un cursus universitaire / University course
recréer / to renew
l’intégralité (nf) / the whole
ainsi que / as well as
bénévole / voluntary
défavorisé(e) / disadvantaged
oser / to dare
un parcours / career
rassembler / to bring together
un atout / quality, asset, trump, ace
veuillez recevoir l’expression de mes sentiments dévous / yours faithfully

French - Higher: The Wider World

Holidays and Travel

Glossary

Vacances avec les parents

Text A: Marie-Hélène

malgré / in spite of
encore / again
une dixaine d’ / about ten
j’amènerais (amener) / I would take, bring
pour changer d’air / for a change of air
un petit peu / a little bit
emmener / to take (a person)
meilleur(e) (adj) / best
étant (être) / being
toutes les quatre / all four of us
faire la fête / to have a good time
également / as well, too
décalé / out of phase with
ce qui fait que / with the result that
profiter de / to take advantage of
rayon de soleil (nm) / sunbeam
créait (créer) / caused
querelle (nf) / quarrel, disagreement
sans compter que / especially since, not to mention that
grand-chose / much, a lot
dehors / outside
soit ...... ou ...... / either ...... or ......
à faire la bronzette / getting a tan
comme on dit / as we say
“le farniente” (from Italian) / lazing about
allongé / lying, stretched out
de sortie / out
en train de + infinitive / while ...... -ing
siroter / to sip, drink
grenadine (nf) / pomegranate fruit squash
je n’attends qu’une chose, c’est
de ...... / I (just) can’t wait to

French - Higher: The Wider World

Holidays and Travel

Glossary

Vacances avec les parents

Text B: Pascal

de toute façon / in any case, anyway
blairer * / to stand, to bear
je n’ai jamais blairé * / I’ve never been able to stand them
il y a ...... en arrière / ...... ago
louer / to rent
à part + infinitive / apart from ...... -ing, except for ...... -ing
on devait / we were supposed to
changement (nm) / difference
par rapport à / in comparison with
donc / (and) so
plutôt / rather, quite, fairly, pretty*
surtout que / particularly because
j’avais pas pu = je n’avais pas pu / I hadn’t been able to
emmener / to take (a person)
place (nf) / room, space
il fallait que je ...... / I had to ......
et autre / and so on, etc
en solitaire / alone
comme on veut / as you like
soit ...... soit ...... / either ...... or ......
plus de / more than

* indicates a familiar or slang expression