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Looking for the right guide to aid you in your upcoming NECO French exam? Then you are in the right place. Here at syllabus.ng, we have provided you with the approved NECO syllabus that will also serve as your ticket to ace your French exam.
The goal of this syllabus is to give you the tools you need to crush your French exam. We are talking about mastering the four key language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Once you get a handle on those, you’ll be set for success not just in your exam, but in real-life situations where French comes in handy.
By following the outline of the syllabus below, you’re not just preparing for an exam, you are training yourself to communicate effectively in French.
Marking Guide & Sections
The French exam is divided into three broad sections: Papers 1, 2, and 3.
Paper 1
Paper 1 is the first part of the exam, it is divided into two sections, Sections A and B. You will be given 40 multiple-choice questions, the questions are designed to test your understanding of written French.
Section A: Comprehension (Multiple choice questions)
Section A is a comprehension passage that is designed to test your ability to read and understand standard written documents in French. You will be given two passages, each of about 150 words, will be provided and a total of five short questions will be set on each. The questions in this section will be multiple-choice questions only and will be required to answer all questions.
Section B: Structure (Short questions)
Section B is designed to test your ability to use inappropriate communicative words, French words, expressions and structural patterns. You will be given thirty short questions to answer and you will be required to attempt all of them. you’ll face 30 multiple-choice questions, designed to test your understanding of written French. You’ll have one hour to complete this section, aiming to earn 30 marks. Comprehension This is designed to test your ability to read and understand standard written documents in French.
Paper 2
Paper 2 is a bit more varied. It is split into two sections, essay and letter-writing tasks. This section will test your ability to write freely and correctly on topics of general interest, using the appropriate structures, registers and tenses. You will choose one question from each section, the expected length of each composition will be about 100 words. You are expected to craft your responses with care within a 1 hour and 15-minute timeframe, striving for another 40 marks.
Paper 3
This paper is divided into three segments, Listening comprehension, Reading and Conversion.
Listening Comprehension
In this part of the exam, you will listen to a passage read aloud by the examiner. The passage is around 200 words, and it’s about something interesting, like a current event or a general topic. The examiner will read it twice, so you have two chances to understand it. You will be given 3 minutes between reading to look over the questions you need to answer. After the second reading, you will be given 7 minutes to write your answers. There will be about 10 questions and they could be multiple-choice, open-ended questions, transformation or substitution.
Reading
The reading section checks how well you can read aloud in French with correct pronunciation and fluency. You will be given a simple passage of about 100 words, also about a topic of general interest. You will be asked to read it once, at a normal pace. This part is to assess how well you can pronounce words correctly and keep a smooth flow while reading.
Conversation
This is where you get to speak in French. The conversation section is about 10 minutes long, and you’ll be discussing topics that are pretty common, like sports, health, education, politics, or culture. There are two parts to this section: dialogue and exposition.
Dialogue: Here, you’ll engage in a dialogue, answering at least 10 questions. It’s a great chance to show how well you can respond in a conversational setting.
Exposition: In this part, you’ll be given a topic to speak about, and you’ll need to make at least 5 sentences in French. This will test your ability to express your thoughts freely on a given subject.
Paper 3 is all about showing that you can listen, read, and speak in French. It’s a mix of different skills, so the best approach is to practice listening to French, reading French texts, and engaging in conversations.
The NECO French Language Syllabus
| French | ||
| SN | TOPIC | OBJECTIVE |
| 1 | Parts of speech | -(Grammatical categories) |
| 2 | Verbs | (a) Types: regular and irregular (b) Common moods and tenses (c) Standard expressions such as – avoir + noun (e.g. avoir faim) – venir de + infinitive. |
| 3 | Articles | – definite, indefinite, partitive. (Gender and number where applicable). |
| 4 | Nouns | -complements, gender, number |
| 5 | Pronouns | personal, possessive, indefinite, demonstrative, relative, impersonal, (number and gender where applicable). |
| 6 | Adjectives | – possessive, demonstrative, indefinite interrogative, (agreement and position) |
| 7 | Adverbs | – formation and position, special adverbs: mal, vite, fort, tout, etc. |
| 8 | Negatives | -negative expressions (ne…pas, ne…rien, ne… jamais, etc.) |
| 9 | Conjunctions in common use | et, mais, donc, , ou, parce que, etc |
| 10 | Preposition | -à, de, sur, en, devant, etc |
| 11 | Sentence patterns | -declarative, interrogative, exclamative, etc |
| 12 | Voice | – active/passive |
| 13 | Direct speech/reported speech | |
| 14 | Compound and complex sentences | – |
| 15 | Idiomatic expressions& proverbs | – |
| 16 | Common figures of speech | -similes, metaphors, hyperbole |
Recommended Texts For NECO French Language Exam
- De Grandsaigne, J: – France-Afrique 4, Lagos, Macmillan.
- Plaisant, Chantal, et al: -Trans Afrique 3, Lagos, Macmillan.
- Ajiboye, Tunde et al: – Nouvel Horizon 4, Ibadan, Bounty Press Ltd.
- Mazauric, Catherine et al: – On y va 3, Ibadan, Spectrum Books.
- Berard, Evelyne et al: – Tempo 1 & 2, Didier, Hatier.
- Task Force (MEST): – – Et en français 1 – 3, Freetown.
- Girardet J. &Pécheir J: – écho junior A2 méthode de français, Paris : CLÉ Internationale.
- General Grammar Books
- Ajiboye, T.: – Companion to French Grammar, Ilorin, Info-Links Publishers.
- Ferrar H. A: – French Reference Grammar, OxfordUniversity Press.
- Dangnaud-Macé, P &Sylès, G. LeFrançais sans faute, Paris, Hatier.
- Le Nouveau Bescherelle: – La grammaire pour tous, Paris: Hatier.
- Soyoye, F. A: – Manuel de conjugaison de verbes, Sophire Ed. Resources.
- Ajiboye, T: – An Introduction to Practice in Oral French, Revised edition, Ibadan, Bounty Press Ltd.
- Grandsaigne, J: – France Afrique 5, Lagos, Macmillan.
- Adegbilero, L. M – Teaching Yourself French (with cassette/CD) Revised edition, Ibadan, Bounty Press Ltd.
- Chamberlain, Alan & Steele Ross Guide pratique de la communication, Paris, Didier
- Any useful French dictionary e.g. – Micro Robert/Petit Robert – Petit Larousse – Dictionnaire du français fondamental pour l’Afrique.
- Any useful French–English/English-French dictionary e.g. – Shorter Harraps – Collins – Cassell’s
- Any useful French glossary e.g. Français Fondamental for West Africa, WAEC, Accra, Black Mask Ltd
Frequently Asked Questions About the NECO French Language Exams
The exam consists of 3 papers; Objective, Theory and Oral sections.
Yes, the exam will include an oral section where you will be tested on your speaking and listening skills.
Practice regularly with past questions, read the recommended textbooks and engage in conversations in French with your peers.
Yes, there are several textbooks and resources recommended by teachers, such as “La France en Direct” and “A Vous La France.” A full list can be seen above.
Practice writing essays on various topics, focus on sentence structure, and use a wide range of vocabulary and expressions.
Studying French can open up careers in translation, interpretation, international relations, tourism, teaching, and multinational companies.
