Why is "Using the wrong gender for media nouns (le télévision, la journal)" a common mistake in News, media and current affairs?

Why it happens: English has no grammatical gender, and the word endings are not a reliable guide (*un journal*, *un site* are masculine despite no -e). How to avoid it: Learn every noun with its article: **la** télévision, **la** radio, **un** journal, **un** site web, **les** réseaux sociaux (m, pl). Drill them in short phrases, not as bare words. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Not agreeing the adjective (la publicité est ennuyeux; les infos sont fiable)" a common mistake in News, media and current affairs?

Why it happens: English adjectives never change, so learners forget the feminine -e/-euse and the plural -s. How to avoid it: Match the adjective to the noun's gender and number: *ennuyeux → ennuyeuse* (feminine), *fiable → fiables* (plural). Check every adjective against its noun before moving on. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Adding an extra word for 'to' after écouter (écouter à la radio)" a common mistake in News, media and current affairs?

Why it happens: English says 'listen TO', so learners insert *à*. But *écouter* already includes the 'to'. How to avoid it: Say *j'écoute la radio* (no *à*). Likewise *regarder* needs no 'at': *je regarde la télé*. The verb already carries the preposition's meaning. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4

Why is "Giving an opinion with no reason, or a one-word Speaking answer" a common mistake in News, media and current affairs?

Why it happens: Beginners answer the literal question (*Oui*) and stop, instead of developing it. How to avoid it: Always follow an opinion with **parce que** + a reason, and extend every Speaking reply: *Oui, … parce que …, mais …*. Examiners reward justified, developed answers. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)

Why is "Treating les infos / les réseaux sociaux as singular (les infos est…)" a common mistake in News, media and current affairs?

Why it happens: Learners forget these common nouns are plural and reach for *est* (is) instead of *sont* (are). How to avoid it: Remember *les informations* and *les réseaux sociaux* are plural → use *sont* and plural adjectives: *les infos sont fiables*, *les réseaux sociaux sont utiles*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Dropping accents on key media words (television, prefere, reseaux)" a common mistake in News, media and current affairs?

Why it happens: English has no accents, so they feel optional. How to avoid it: Accents are part of the spelling. Learn them in the high-frequency words: *télévision*, *je préfère*, *les réseaux*, *à mon avis*, *les actualités*. Check them in every written answer. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Topic Area 5 - The International WorldCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

News, media and current affairs

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News, media and current affairs in French — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A beginner-friendly toolkit of news and media vocabulary, key verbs, and ready-made opinion sentences so you can talk and write about TV, social media, newspapers and the wider world. Everything is glossed in English and built for the International World theme in Speaking and Writing.

At a glance

Core media nouns: les informations / les infos (the news), la télévision (television), un journal (a newspaper), les réseaux sociaux (social media), un site web (a website).
The single most useful verb here is regarder (to watch) — je regarde les infos (I watch the news). Add lire (to read), écouter (to listen to) and suivre (to follow).
Almost all of this vocabulary is cognate-rich: télévision, radio, internet, information, journaliste, média — you can recognise most of it on sight, which makes it perfect for early confidence.
Give opinions with je pense que (I think that), à mon avis (in my opinion) and je trouve que (I find that), then justify them with parce que (because).
Watch the gender traps: la télévision and la radio are feminine, but un journal (newspaper) and un site (website) are masculine.
Les réseaux sociaux (social media) is plural and masculine — say les réseaux sociaux sont (social media are), not est.
Useful connectives lift your level: par contre (on the other hand), cependant (however), de plus (moreover) and donc (so/therefore).
A reusable speaking frame: À mon avis, … parce que …, mais … (In my opinion, … because …, but …) lets you build a full opinion in one breath.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Recognise and use core French vocabulary for news, television, radio, newspapers, the internet and social media.
Use the key verbs regarder, lire, écouter and suivre correctly in the present tense to describe media habits.
Express opinions about the media using je pense que, à mon avis and je trouve que, justified with parce que.
Link ideas with connectives (mais, parce que, par contre, cependant, de plus, donc) to build longer answers.
Apply correct gender and agreement to media nouns and adjectives (la télévision, les réseaux sociaux).
Show simple cultural awareness of French-language media (e.g. Le Monde, TV5Monde, Radio France).
Answer and ask common Speaking/Writing questions about media habits using reusable question-and-answer frames.

Core media vocabulary — mostly cognates

Learn the main media nouns; most look like their English cousins, so they are quick wins.

The wonderful thing about this topic is how cognate-rich it is. A cognate is a word that looks and means almost the same in both languages — télévision really is "television". That means a lot of this vocabulary is recognisable on sight, so this is a confidence-building theme.

The only real work is learning each noun's gender (le/la) and its pronunciation. Use the table below as your core list.

French	Pronunciation	English
les informations / les infos (f, pl)	lay-zan-for-ma-SYON / lay-ZAN-fo	the news
les actualités (f, pl)	lay-zak-tü-a-lee-TAY	current affairs / the news
la télévision / la télé (f)	la tay-lay-vee-ZYON / la tay-LAY	television / TV
la radio (f)	la ra-DYO	the radio
un journal (m)	uhn zhoor-NAL	a newspaper
les journaux (m, pl)	lay zhoor-NO	newspapers
un magazine (m)	uhn ma-ga-ZEEN	a magazine
un article (m)	uhn ar-TEEKL	an article
les réseaux sociaux (m, pl)	lay ray-ZO so-SYO	social media
un site web (m)	uhn seet web	a website
internet (m)	an-tair-NET	the internet
une chaîne (f)	ün shen	a (TV) channel
une émission (f)	ün ay-mee-SYON	a (TV/radio) programme
une publicité / une pub (f)	ün pü-blee-see-TAY / ün püb	an advert
un journaliste / une journaliste	uhn/ün zhoor-na-LEEST	a journalist

Watch the genders. They do not follow a single rule, so learn them with each word: la télévision, la radio, la publicité are feminine, but un journal, un site, un magazine are masculine.

Worked mini-example. To say "I read a newspaper and I watch the news", you reach for two nouns and two verbs: Je lis un journal et je regarde les infos. (zhuh lee uhn zhoor-NAL ay zhuh ruh-GARD lay-ZAN-fo). Notice un journal (masculine) and les infos (feminine plural).

Most media nouns are cognates: télévision, radio, internet, magazine, article.
Feminine: la télévision, la radio, la publicité, une émission, une chaîne.
Masculine: un journal, un site web, un magazine, un article.
les réseaux sociaux (social media) is masculine plural; les infos / les informations is feminine plural.

The key verbs — regarder, lire, écouter, suivre

Four verbs let you describe almost any media habit; here are their present-tense forms.

Four key media verbs and the kind of media each one pairs with.

Four verbs carry most of this topic. Three are regular -er verbs (easy and predictable), and one, lire (to read), is irregular but very common.

regarder (to watch) — regular -er. This is the verb you use for TV and screens.

Person	Form	English
je	regarde	I watch
tu	regardes	you watch (informal)
il / elle	regarde	he / she watches
nous	regardons	we watch
vous	regardez	you watch (formal/plural)
ils / elles	regardent	they watch

écouter (to listen to) — regular -er. Used for radio, music, podcasts. Note there is no separate word for "to": j'écoute la radio = I listen to the radio. (And écouter begins with a vowel, so je elides: j'écoute.)

suivre (to follow) — irregular. Used for following news, accounts or events: je suis, tu suis, il suit, nous suivons, vous suivez, ils suivent. Careful: je suis also means "I am" (from être) — context tells them apart. Je suis les actualités = I follow the news.

lire (to read) — irregular. je lis, tu lis, il lit, nous lisons, vous lisez, ils lisent. Used for newspapers, articles, magazines: je lis un magazine (I read a magazine).

Worked mini-example. "We watch TV and they read the news online." → Nous regardons la télé et ils lisent les infos en ligne. The nous form of a regular -er verb adds -ons (regardons); the ils form of lire is lisent. The phrase en ligne means "online".

regarder (watch) and écouter (listen to) are regular -er verbs: je regarde, j'écoute.
écouter needs no word for 'to': j'écoute la radio = I listen TO the radio.
lire (read) is irregular: je lis, il lit, nous lisons, ils lisent.
suivre (follow) is irregular: je suis, il suit, nous suivons; useful for suivre les actualités (follow the news).
en ligne = online; a handy add-on for almost any media verb.

Giving opinions with reasons

Use opinion openers plus parce que to say what you think and why.

Examiners want opinions with reasons, not just facts. Once you can attach a reason to an opinion, you unlock most of the marks in this theme.

Opinion openers (learn all of these):

French	Pronunciation	English
je pense que	zhuh pons kuh	I think that
à mon avis	a mon-na-VEE	in my opinion
je trouve que	zhuh troov kuh	I find that
je crois que	zhuh krwa kuh	I believe that
selon moi	suh-lon mwa	according to me

Reason words:

parce que (because) — …parce que c'est intéressant (…because it's interesting).
car (for/because, slightly more formal) — same job as parce que.

Opinion adjectives (the engine of your sentence):

French	English	French	English
intéressant(e)	interesting	ennuyeux / ennuyeuse	boring
utile	useful	inutile	useless
important(e)	important	dangereux / dangereuse	dangerous
amusant(e)	fun / amusing	fiable	reliable

Remember adjective agreement: with a feminine noun, add -e (or change the ending): la télé est intéressante; les infos sont utiles (plural -s).

Worked mini-example. Build a full opinion: À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont utiles mais dangereux, parce qu'on peut lire les actualités rapidement mais les informations ne sont pas toujours fiables. (In my opinion, social media is useful but dangerous, because you can read the news quickly but the information is not always reliable.) Note parce que + a vowel elides to parce qu'on.

Opinion openers: je pense que, à mon avis, je trouve que, je crois que, selon moi.
Give a reason with parce que (because) or car.
Useful adjectives: intéressant, ennuyeux, utile, dangereux, fiable (reliable).
Agree adjectives with the noun: la télé est intéressante; les infos sont fiables.
parce que + vowel elides: parce qu'on, parce qu'il.

Connectives that lift your level

Linking words turn short sentences into flowing, higher-band answers.

The fastest way to move from a basic answer to a strong one is to join your ideas. A list of disconnected sentences scores low; the same ideas linked with connectives score much higher for range.

French	Pronunciation	English	Job
et	ay	and	adds an idea
mais	meh	but	contrasts
parce que	parss kuh	because	gives a reason
donc	donk	so / therefore	shows a result
par contre	par kontr	on the other hand	strong contrast
cependant	suh-pon-DON	however	softer contrast
de plus	duh plü	moreover / what's more	adds emphasis
par exemple	par eg-ZONPL	for example	gives an example

Aim to use at least two different connectives in any extended answer. Notice how the contrast pair mais / par contre / cependant lets you show a balanced view — examiners love a two-sided opinion.

Worked mini-example. Compare the flat version with the linked version.

Flat: Je regarde la télé. C'est intéressant. Je préfère internet.
Linked: Je regarde la télé parce que c'est intéressant, mais je préfère internet car c'est plus rapide. (I watch TV because it's interesting, but I prefer the internet because it's faster.) The second version says the same things, yet it reads as fluent, connected French.

Add: et (and), de plus (moreover).
Contrast: mais (but), par contre (on the other hand), cependant (however).
Reason/result: parce que / car (because), donc (so/therefore).
Example: par exemple (for example).
Use at least two different connectives in any longer answer for higher range marks.

Cultural awareness and reusable question-answer frames

Know a few French-language media names and rehearse answer frames you can reuse.

A touch of cultural awareness makes your answers feel authentic. You do not need deep knowledge — just be able to name a French-language source or two.

French-language media you can mention:

Le Monde and Le Figaro — major French daily newspapers (des journaux français).
TV5Monde — an international French-language TV channel.
France Info / Radio France — French news radio.
Konbini / Brut — popular French online/social media news outlets aimed at young people.

You might say: En France, beaucoup de gens lisent Le Monde ou regardent TV5Monde. (In France, many people read Le Monde or watch TV5Monde.)

Reusable question-answer frames. Rehearse these so you can answer instantly in the Speaking exam and reuse them in Writing.

Question (French)	English	Model answer frame
Est-ce que tu regardes les infos ?	Do you watch the news?	Oui, je regarde les infos … (souvent / le soir / avec ma famille).
Quel type de médias préfères-tu ?	What kind of media do you prefer?	Je préfère … parce que c'est …
Que penses-tu des réseaux sociaux ?	What do you think of social media?	À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont … mais …
Comment t'informes-tu ?	How do you get your news?	Je m'informe sur … (mon téléphone / internet / la télé).

Worked mini-example. Question: Que penses-tu des réseaux sociaux ? Reusable answer: À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont très utiles parce qu'on reste en contact avec ses amis, mais ils sont aussi dangereux car les fausses informations sont fréquentes. (In my opinion, social media is very useful because you stay in touch with your friends, but it's also dangerous because fake news is common.) The phrase les fausses informations means "fake news / false information".

Name a French source if you can: Le Monde, Le Figaro, TV5Monde, France Info, Brut.
Je m'informe sur … = I get my news from … (a high-value phrase).
les fausses informations / les fake news = fake news.
Rehearse answer frames for the four common questions above so you never freeze.
Build a balanced opinion: one positive point + mais + one negative point.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

les informations / les infos (f, pl) — the news.
la télévision / la télé (f) — television; la radio (f) — radio.
un journal (m), pl les journaux — newspaper(s).
les réseaux sociaux (m, pl) — social media; un site web (m) — website.
regarder la télé — to watch TV (je regarde, nous regardons).
écouter la radio — to listen to the radio (j'écoute).
lire un journal — to read a newspaper (je lis, il lit, nous lisons).
suivre les actualités — to follow the news (je suis, il suit).
je pense que / à mon avis / je trouve que — I think / in my opinion / I find.
parce que (because), car (because), donc (so), mais (but), par contre (on the other hand).
les fausses informations — fake news; je m'informe sur … — I get my news from …
fiable (reliable), utile (useful), ennuyeux/ennuyeuse (boring), dangereux/dangereuse (dangerous).

How it’s examined

News and media sits in Topic Area 5 – The International World and feeds the productive papers most heavily.

Paper 1 (Listening): You may hear short reports or conversations about TV habits, social media use or the news. Listen for opinion openers (je pense que, à mon avis) and connectives (mais, par contre) that flag whether a speaker is positive or negative.
Paper 2 (Reading): Cognate-rich texts (télévision, journaliste, publicité) make comprehension approachable, but watch for opinion + reason structures and the contrast word mais, which often signals the answer the question is looking for.
Paper 3 (Speaking): Expect role-play and conversation questions such as Que penses-tu des réseaux sociaux ? or Est-ce que tu regardes les infos ? Give an opinion + reason + connective, never a one-word reply.
Paper 4 (Writing): Media is a strong essay/blog topic. Higher bands need a balanced opinion (positive mais negative), accurate verbs, correct gender and adjective agreement, and a range of connectives. Spell accented words correctly: télévision, préfère, réseaux.

Examiner reports stress that the difference between a low and a high mark on this theme is usually justified opinions and connectives rather than more vocabulary.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 3 (Speaking) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

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Worked examples, formulae, definitions and the mistakes examiners flag — everything you need to push from a pass to an A*.

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Step-by-step worked examples — News, media and current affairs

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on news, media and current affairs, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Build a sentence about your media habits
Getting started
Question
Say in French: I watch the news on TV every evening. Use the verb regarder (to watch) and the nouns les infos (the news) and la télé (TV).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Pick the subject and verb. 'I watch' = je + the je form of regarder. Regular -er verbs take -e for je: je regarde.
2. Step 2
  Add the object. 'the news' = les infos (feminine plural). So far: je regarde les infos.
3. Step 3
  Add where. 'on TV' = à la télé. French uses à la (at/on the) here, with la because télé is feminine.
4. Step 4
  Add when. 'every evening' = tous les soirs (literally 'all the evenings'). Time phrases usually go at the start or end.
Answer
Je regarde les infos à la télé tous les soirs. (I watch the news on TV every evening.)
Examiner tip
A clean beginner sentence: correct -er ending (regarde), correct gender (la télé), plus a time phrase that adds detail. In Paper 3, finish with parce que c'est important (because it's important) to turn it into an opinion and earn more.
2Make the adjective agree with the noun
Building confidence
Question
Complete with the correct form of the adjective in brackets: La publicité est ______ (ennuyeux). Les informations sont ______ (utile). (Adverts are boring. The news is useful.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Check the gender of the first noun. la publicité is feminine singular, so ennuyeux must become feminine. This adjective changes -eux → -euse: ennuyeuse.
2. Step 2
  Check the second noun. les informations is feminine plural. utile already ends in -e (no change for feminine), but plural adds -s: utiles.
3. Step 3
  Re-read for the verb agreement too. La publicité is singular → est; les informations is plural → sont. Both are already correct in the prompt.
Answer
La publicité est ennuyeuse. Les informations sont utiles. (-eux → -euse for feminine; +s for plural.)
Examiner tip
Adjective agreement is one of the most frequently penalised accuracy points in Paper 4. The pattern -eux → -euse (ennuyeux → ennuyeuse, dangereux → dangereuse) is worth memorising, as is the rule that an adjective already ending in -e only adds -s for the plural.
3Give a balanced opinion with a connective
Building confidence
Question
Answer in French: Que penses-tu des réseaux sociaux ? (What do you think of social media?) Give one positive and one negative point, linked by a connective.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Open with an opinion phrase. À mon avis (in my opinion) or Je pense que (I think that). Use À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont …
2. Step 2
  Give the positive + reason. …utiles parce qu'on reste en contact avec ses amis (useful because you stay in touch with your friends). Note the elision parce qu'on.
3. Step 3
  Add the contrast with a connective. Use mais (but) or par contre (on the other hand) to introduce the negative: …mais ils sont aussi dangereux…
4. Step 4
  Finish the negative + reason. …car les fausses informations sont fréquentes (because fake news is common). car = because.
Answer
À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont utiles parce qu'on reste en contact avec ses amis, mais ils sont aussi dangereux car les fausses informations sont fréquentes. (In my opinion, social media is useful because you stay in touch with friends, but it's also dangerous because fake news is common.)
Examiner tip
This is a model higher-band answer: opinion opener + two contrasting points + two reasons + the connective mais. Note les réseaux sociaux is masculine plural, so the adjectives are utiles and dangereux and the pronoun is ils.
4Answer a Speaking question without freezing
Stretch
Question
The examiner asks: Comment t'informes-tu sur l'actualité ? (How do you get your news?) You're not sure of the verb. Build a full answer anyway.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Reuse the question's verb. The question uses s'informer (to get informed). Turn it into the je form: Je m'informe… (I get my news / I inform myself).
2. Step 2
  Say the source with sur. Je m'informe sur internet / sur mon téléphone (I get my news on the internet / on my phone).
3. Step 3
  Add a second activity with a connective: et je suis les actualités sur les réseaux sociaux (and I follow the news on social media). suivre → je suis.
4. Step 4
  Justify it. parce que c'est rapide et pratique (because it's quick and convenient) — opinion + reason always wins marks.
Answer
Je m'informe sur internet et je suis les actualités sur les réseaux sociaux, parce que c'est rapide et pratique. (I get my news on the internet and I follow the news on social media, because it's quick and convenient.)
Examiner tip
Reusing the verb from the question (s'informer → je m'informe) is a powerful exam tactic that avoids freezing. The answer also reaches the higher bands by combining two clauses with et and adding a justified reason with parce que.

Model Answers — News, media and current affairs

High-scoring sample answers for news, media and current affairs on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Est-ce que tu regardes la télévision ? Qu'est-ce que tu regardes ? (Do you watch television? What do you watch?)
Model answer
Oui, je regarde la télévision tous les soirs, surtout les infos et les documentaires. (Yes, I watch TV every evening, especially the news and documentaries.)

Je trouve que les documentaires sont intéressants parce qu'on apprend beaucoup de choses. Par contre, je regarde rarement la publicité — c'est ennuyeux ! (I find documentaries interesting because you learn a lot of things. On the other hand, I rarely watch the adverts — it's boring!)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Extended answer (never one word), a justified opinion (je trouve que … parce que …), a contrast connective (par contre), a frequency adverb (rarement) and correct gender (la publicité … c'est ennuyeux). This is solid upper-band Speaking work.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Write 2-3 sentences for a blog: Les réseaux sociaux sont-ils une bonne chose ? (Are social media a good thing?)
Model answer
À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux ont des avantages et des inconvénients. (In my opinion, social media has advantages and disadvantages.)

D'un côté, ils sont très utiles car on peut communiquer avec ses amis et lire les actualités rapidement. (On the one hand, they are very useful because you can communicate with friends and read the news quickly.)

Cependant, à mon avis ils sont aussi dangereux, parce qu'il y a beaucoup de fausses informations. (However, in my opinion they are also dangerous, because there is a lot of fake news.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. A clear two-sided structure (d'un côté … cependant …), accurate verbs (on peut communiquer, il y a), correct masculine-plural agreement (ils sont utiles / dangereux) and a range of connectives. Accents are correct throughout (à, côté, cependant, fausses).
Question 3
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Comment est-ce que tu t'informes sur l'actualité ? (How do you keep up with the news?)
Model answer
Je m'informe surtout sur mon téléphone : je lis des articles en ligne et je suis des comptes d'actualité sur les réseaux sociaux. (I get my news mainly on my phone: I read articles online and I follow news accounts on social media.)

Je ne regarde pas souvent le journal télévisé, parce que je trouve qu'internet est plus rapide. (I don't often watch the TV news, because I find the internet faster.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Two media verbs handled correctly (je lis, je suis), the high-value phrase je m'informe, a negative structure (je ne regarde pas) and a comparative (plus rapide — faster). Naming le journal télévisé (the TV news bulletin) shows precise topic vocabulary.

Key Definitions and Keywords — News, media and current affairs

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for news, media and current affairs answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

les informations / les infos
Examiner keyword
Feminine plural noun meaning 'the news'. les infos is the everyday short form; take the verb sont (are), as it is plural.
Example
Je regarde les infos à la télé. (I watch the news on TV.)
Related: les actualités, le journal télévisé
les réseaux sociaux
Examiner keyword
Masculine plural noun meaning 'social media'. Adjectives and the pronoun must be masculine plural (ils sont utiles).
Example
Les réseaux sociaux sont populaires chez les jeunes. (Social media is popular among young people.)
regarder
Examiner keyword
Regular -er verb meaning 'to watch / to look at'. Used for TV and screens. je regarde, tu regardes, il regarde, nous regardons, vous regardez, ils regardent.
Example
Nous regardons un documentaire. (We are watching a documentary.)
lire
Examiner keyword
Irregular verb meaning 'to read'. je lis, tu lis, il lit, nous lisons, vous lisez, ils lisent. Used for newspapers, articles and magazines.
Example
Je lis un journal le matin. (I read a newspaper in the morning.)
suivre
Irregular verb meaning 'to follow'. je suis, tu suis, il suit, nous suivons, vous suivez, ils suivent. Used for following the news or accounts. (Note: je suis can also mean 'I am'.)
Example
Je suis les actualités sur mon téléphone. (I follow the news on my phone.)
à mon avis
Examiner keyword
Opinion phrase meaning 'in my opinion'. A reliable way to open any opinion sentence; followed by a full clause with a verb.
Example
À mon avis, la publicité est ennuyeuse. (In my opinion, advertising is boring.)
parce que
Examiner keyword
Connective meaning 'because'. Introduces a reason after an opinion. Elides to parce qu' before a vowel (parce qu'on, parce qu'il).
Example
C'est utile parce qu'on apprend beaucoup. (It's useful because you learn a lot.)
par contre
Connective meaning 'on the other hand'. Introduces a contrasting idea and is ideal for balanced opinions.
Example
La télé est divertissante ; par contre, elle peut être inutile. (TV is entertaining; on the other hand, it can be useless.)
fiable
Adjective meaning 'reliable / trustworthy'. Useful for judging news sources; same form for masculine and feminine, adds -s for plural.
Example
Les informations ne sont pas toujours fiables. (The information is not always reliable.)
les fausses informations
Examiner keyword
Phrase meaning 'fake news / false information'. fausses is the feminine plural of faux (false), agreeing with informations.
Example
Il y a beaucoup de fausses informations en ligne. (There is a lot of fake news online.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — News, media and current affairs

The traps other students keep falling into on news, media and current affairs questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Using the wrong gender for media nouns (le télévision, la journal)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English has no grammatical gender, and the word endings are not a reliable guide (un journal, un site are masculine despite no -e).
How to avoid it
Learn every noun with its article: la télévision, la radio, un journal, un site web, les réseaux sociaux (m, pl). Drill them in short phrases, not as bare words.
✕Not agreeing the adjective (la publicité est ennuyeux; les infos sont fiable)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
English adjectives never change, so learners forget the feminine -e/-euse and the plural -s.
How to avoid it
Match the adjective to the noun's gender and number: ennuyeux → ennuyeuse (feminine), fiable → fiables (plural). Check every adjective against its noun before moving on.
✕Adding an extra word for 'to' after écouter (écouter à la radio)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4
Why it happens
English says 'listen TO', so learners insert à. But écouter already includes the 'to'.
How to avoid it
Say j'écoute la radio (no à). Likewise regarder needs no 'at': je regarde la télé. The verb already carries the preposition's meaning.
✕Giving an opinion with no reason, or a one-word Speaking answer
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)
Why it happens
Beginners answer the literal question (Oui) and stop, instead of developing it.
How to avoid it
Always follow an opinion with parce que + a reason, and extend every Speaking reply: Oui, … parce que …, mais …. Examiners reward justified, developed answers.
✕Treating les infos / les réseaux sociaux as singular (les infos est…)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners forget these common nouns are plural and reach for est (is) instead of sont (are).
How to avoid it
Remember les informations and les réseaux sociaux are plural → use sont and plural adjectives: les infos sont fiables, les réseaux sociaux sont utiles.
✕Dropping accents on key media words (television, prefere, reseaux)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English has no accents, so they feel optional.
How to avoid it
Accents are part of the spelling. Learn them in the high-frequency words: télévision, je préfère, les réseaux, à mon avis, les actualités. Check them in every written answer.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

French

Pronunciation

English

les informations / les infos (f, pl)

lay-zan-for-ma-SYON / lay-ZAN-fo

the news

les actualités (f, pl)

lay-zak-tü-a-lee-TAY

current affairs / the news

la télévision / la télé (f)

la tay-lay-vee-ZYON / la tay-LAY

television / TV

la radio (f)

la ra-DYO

the radio

un journal (m)

uhn zhoor-NAL

a newspaper

les journaux (m, pl)

lay zhoor-NO

newspapers

un magazine (m)

uhn ma-ga-ZEEN

a magazine

un article (m)

uhn ar-TEEKL

an article

les réseaux sociaux (m, pl)

lay ray-ZO so-SYO

social media

un site web (m)

uhn seet web

a website

internet (m)

an-tair-NET

the internet

une chaîne (f)

ün shen

a (TV) channel

une émission (f)

ün ay-mee-SYON

a (TV/radio) programme

une publicité / une pub (f)

ün pü-blee-see-TAY / ün püb

an advert

un journaliste / une journaliste

uhn/ün zhoor-na-LEEST

a journalist

Person

Form

English

regarde

I watch

regardes

you watch (informal)

il / elle

regarde

he / she watches

nous

regardons

we watch

vous

regardez

you watch (formal/plural)

ils / elles

regardent

they watch

French

Pronunciation

English

je pense que

zhuh pons kuh

I think that

à mon avis

a mon-na-VEE

in my opinion

je trouve que

zhuh troov kuh

I find that

je crois que

zhuh krwa kuh

I believe that

selon moi

suh-lon mwa

according to me

French

English

French

English

intéressant(e)

interesting

ennuyeux / ennuyeuse

boring

utile

useful

inutile

useless

important(e)

important

dangereux / dangereuse

dangerous

amusant(e)

fun / amusing

fiable

reliable

French

Pronunciation

English

Job

and

adds an idea

mais

meh

but

contrasts

parce que

parss kuh

because

gives a reason

donc

donk

so / therefore

shows a result

par contre

par kontr

on the other hand

strong contrast

cependant

suh-pon-DON

however

softer contrast

de plus

duh plü

moreover / what's more

adds emphasis

par exemple

par eg-ZONPL

for example

gives an example

Question (French)

English

Model answer frame

Est-ce que tu regardes les infos ?

Do you watch the news?

Oui, je regarde les infos … (souvent / le soir / avec ma famille).

Quel type de médias préfères-tu ?

What kind of media do you prefer?

Je préfère … parce que c'est …

Que penses-tu des réseaux sociaux ?

What do you think of social media?

À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont … mais …

Comment t'informes-tu ?

How do you get your news?

Je m'informe sur … (mon téléphone / internet / la télé).

News and media sits in Topic Area 5 – The International World and feeds the productive papers most heavily.

Paper 1 (Listening): You may hear short reports or conversations about TV habits, social media use or the news. Listen for opinion openers (je pense que, à mon avis) and connectives (mais, par contre) that flag whether a speaker is positive or negative.
Paper 2 (Reading): Cognate-rich texts (télévision, journaliste, publicité) make comprehension approachable, but watch for opinion + reason structures and the contrast word mais, which often signals the answer the question is looking for.
Paper 3 (Speaking): Expect role-play and conversation questions such as Que penses-tu des réseaux sociaux ? or Est-ce que tu regardes les infos ? Give an opinion + reason + connective, never a one-word reply.
Paper 4 (Writing): Media is a strong essay/blog topic. Higher bands need a balanced opinion (positive mais negative), accurate verbs, correct gender and adjective agreement, and a range of connectives. Spell accented words correctly: télévision, préfère, réseaux.

Examiner reports stress that the difference between a low and a high mark on this theme is usually justified opinions and connectives rather than more vocabulary.

News, media and current affairs

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Build a sentence about your media habits

2Make the adjective agree with the noun

3Give a balanced opinion with a connective

4Answer a Speaking question without freezing

les informations / les infos

les réseaux sociaux

regarder

lire

suivre

à mon avis

parce que

par contre

fiable

les fausses informations

✕Using the wrong gender for media nouns (le télévision, la journal)

✕Not agreeing the adjective (la publicité est ennuyeux; les infos sont fiable)

✕Adding an extra word for 'to' after écouter (écouter à la radio)

✕Giving an opinion with no reason, or a one-word Speaking answer

✕Treating les infos / les réseaux sociaux as singular (les infos est…)

✕Dropping accents on key media words (television, prefere, reseaux)

Past paper style quiz

News, media and current affairs

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Build a sentence about your media habits

2Make the adjective agree with the noun

3Give a balanced opinion with a connective

4Answer a Speaking question without freezing

les informations / les infos

les réseaux sociaux

regarder

lire

suivre

à mon avis

parce que

par contre

fiable

les fausses informations

✕Using the wrong gender for media nouns (le télévision, la journal)

✕Not agreeing the adjective (la publicité est ennuyeux; les infos sont fiable)

✕Adding an extra word for 'to' after écouter (écouter à la radio)

✕Giving an opinion with no reason, or a one-word Speaking answer

✕Treating les infos / les réseaux sociaux as singular (les infos est…)

✕Dropping accents on key media words (television, prefere, reseaux)

Past paper style quiz