Literature
There are no more specific language classes in the two final years of the section, all English hours are devoted to the study of set works. After a first year of initiation into literature, the students begin the programme proper for the BFI. During years 12 and 13, the students prepare a written and an oral exam in Language and Literature and the same in History / Geography, starting from the exam session 2024, students will prepare for a third oral exam on ‘Global Issues’.
The pie charts below show the breakdown in points (‘coefficients’, as they’re officially called) for each bac subject. The green section represents the tronc commun – basic bac subjects that everyone must cover. The orange section represents the student’s specialty subjects. The blue section represents the subjects taught in the foreign section – which amount to 40% under the BFI. https://www.bficentral.org/
For more info on the BFI in English, try EDUSCOL.
The texts on the curriculum change regularly. Below are the texts for 2023 and 2024:
| Oral exam | Written exam |
| 20 minutes preparation + 15 minutes exam | 4 hours |
| Synoptic Topic: Gothic Writing – Dracula – Bram Stoker – 6 Gothic poems – A Sicilian Romance – Ann Radcliffe | Poetry: Darling – Jackie Kay Drama: Absurd Person Singular – Alan Ayckbourne Shakespeare: Othello |
| – The Bloody Chamber – Angela Carter – 6 Gothic poems – Dracula – Bram Stoker | Poetry: Darling – Jackie Kay Drama: Happy Days – Samuel Beckett Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra |
History and Geography
The BFI History-Geography programme is bilingual and bicultural and therefore taught in partnership between French and British Section teachers.
The History-Geography exam assesses the student’s ability to: analyse documents from different sources, understand, analyse, and compare different historical and geographical interpretations in a bilingual and bicultural context, summarise documents, think across topics and develop reasoned arguments.
For the BFI in Terminale, the History syllabus covers the period of the 20th Century ranging from the end of World War I to the beginning of the 21st century with a focus on great ideologies that shaped this period. British history from 1945 to 1990 is also developed, from the advent of the Welfare State by Labour to the end of the mandate of Margaret Thatcher.
In Geography, globalisation is analysed through maritime areas but also inequalities of development at a global but also European scale. Case studies are an important part of the syllabus, as is the capacity to defend a viewpoint, argue and debate for the oral examination.
Global Issues
The principal aim is to develop research, study and communication skills, whilst developing the student’s awareness of aspects of the cultural characteristics of their section. Students take this module for 2 hours a week in years 12 and 13.
Students undertake a research project, on a subject of their choice, which involves an international partner developed from one of three paths of reflection.
- Thinking about society
- Living in the world
- Building a common future
To find out more about Global Issues try here.