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Montreal, Quebec and AEFE curricula

French Written Method: Tutoring in Montreal

In the French system, having the right answer is not enough. The write-up, the justification and the structure of the reasoning are assessed on the same footing as the result. It is the single point I work on most often with students in Montreal, and the one English-speaking families find hardest to believe.

AEFE curriculum The French method Justification and rigour Essay and literary analysis Secondary, CEGEP, lycee
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The right answer is not enough: what the French system actually demands

This is one of the most frequent problems I see with students at Lycee Marie de France and College Stanislas. A student finds the right result, writes it neatly, and scores zero. Not because the result is wrong. Because the path to it was not written down.

In the French system, marking a script does not start at the final answer. It starts at the method. The marker reads the reasoning step by step: does the student know what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how do they express it? A result that falls out of the sky, with no justification, proves nothing to a Baccalaureate marker.

This is not a pedagogical whim. It reflects a specific intellectual culture: in France, demonstrating counts for more than concluding. A student who writes well can lose very few marks even with an arithmetic slip at the end. A student who gives the right answer with no justification can lose everything.

It is a skill that is taught and trained. It is what I work on regularly with my students in Montreal.

What the writing sessions cover

Justification in mathematics and science

In mathematics, physics and chemistry, every step of an argument has to be justified. State the theorem used, explain why a law applies, give the units, conclude explicitly. I work on the student's own scripts to find where the justifications are missing and how to phrase them properly.

The structure of a written answer

A well structured answer follows a logical order: state the problem, announce the method, develop step by step, conclude. That structure applies as much to a mathematics exercise as to a question in SVT or physics. Many students skip steps because they seem obvious. What is obvious to them is not obvious to the marker.

Precise disciplinary vocabulary

The French system expects exact vocabulary. Writing "it goes up" instead of "the function is increasing on this interval" costs marks. Writing "the stuff reacts" instead of "the oxidising agent gains electrons" costs marks. I help students absorb the lexicon of each subject and use it without thinking.

The essay and literary analysis

For French itself, I work on the structure of the dissertation (introduction, dialectical or thematic plan, conclusion) and of text commentary (identifying devices, interpretation, wider perspective). These exercises have very precise conventions in the French system that differ from what Quebec and English-language schools teach.

Working on returned scripts and homework

Working directly on the scripts teachers have handed back is one of the most effective methods. I read the script as a marker would, identify precisely what is missing, and we rework the problem sections together. It is concrete, immediately applicable and tied to what the school actually expects.

Levels and curricula covered

AEFE college

Sixieme to Troisieme. Writing developed answers, structuring reasoning, preparing the Brevet in French and mathematics.

AEFE lycee

Seconde, Premiere, Terminale. Justification in mathematics and science, writing in French (essay, text commentary), preparation for the Baccalaureate papers.

Quebec secondary

Secondary 3, 4, 5. Writing argumentative texts, text structure, grammar, spelling, preparation for the Ministry examinations.

CEGEP

Help with written assignments, laboratory reports and essays. The structure of an argumentative text, clarity and coherence of ideas.

University

Writing reports and university assignments. Clarity of argument, structure, revision before submission.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my child lose marks even when the answers are right?

In the French system, the write-up is part of the assessment. A correct result with no justification can receive no marks. Markers assess the method as much as the final answer. This is one of the most disorienting features for students coming from the Quebec system or from an English-language school.

Does this apply in mathematics and science too?

Yes, across every subject. In mathematics, each step has to be justified. In physics, the units and the laws used must be stated. In SVT, answers must be written in structured paragraphs. It is not only a French-class skill.

Are writing sessions available online?

Yes, and they work very well through Microsoft Teams and OneNote. I annotate the student's script in real time, correct directly on the document and explain each change. Online is as effective as in person for this work.

Related subjects

Mathematics

Justifying reasoning, writing up solutions

Physics

Presenting calculations, laws and units

Chemistry

Writing mechanisms and reaction balances

SVT

Argued paragraphs, labelled diagrams

French

Grammar, literary analysis, French examinations

Looking for help with French written method in Montreal?

Get in touch for a first session. We start directly on the scripts or the homework in hand.

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