JAMB Syllabus for French & Recommended Textbooks 2024/2025

The JAMB French syllabus is the topic you must study for the UTME examination.

Using the JAMB syllabus to study for your examination is the open secret to getting a high score.

The JAMB French syllabus also contains objectives for each topic. These objectives are what you must know for every topic you study.

This post contains the complete list of topics in the JAMB French syllabus.

Let me know in the comment section if you have any questions.

JAMB Syllabus for French

Culture and Civilization

Objectives

Candidates should be able to:

• Identify the characteristic features of the culture of Francophone Africa and France: greetings, dressing, food, leisure, marriage, festival, art, profession etc.
• Compare these features with those of the home country (where possible).
• Apply reasoning skills.

Content

Characteristics (aspects, similarities, and differences) of the educational system, socio-economic life, political organization, and culture life of Francophone Africa and France, with reference (where possible) to home country i.e. Nigeria.

Principles Governing the Structure and Use of Written French

Objectives

Candidates should be able to:

• Identify what constitutes the basic structures of written French.
• Use the principles governing the structure of written French to determine acceptability, e.g. to transform one form from one class to another.
• Apply the structure to convey diverse messages.
• Apply communicative skills.

Content

Identification of basic form classes:

• (a) Nouns – simple/compound, singular/plural, masculine/feminine.
• (b) Pronouns – personal, impersonal, demonstrative, possessive and relative.
• (c) Verbs – reflexive and non-reflexive, their moods and tenses.
• (d) Adjectives- qualifying possessive, interrogative, demonstrative, indefinite (e.g. Nul), numeral (e.g. Dix) and ordinal (e.g. DixieÌ€me).
• (e) Adverbs.

– Common forms.

i. With-ment (e.g. Lentement).

ii. With préposition + noun (e.g. Par avion, à cheval, en voiture, par bateau).

– Special forms (e.g. Bien, vite, mal, mieux, le mieux, pire, le pis, neÂ…que).

– Types.

– Manner (e.g. Debout, facilement).

– Purpose (e.g. Pour Infinitive, afin de + infinitive).

– Cause and consequence (e.g. Pour + infinitive perfect, aÌ€ cause de + noun).

– Concession (e.g. Malgré + Noun).

– Place (e.g. Y, en, ici, laÌ€ haut, partout).

– Time (e.g. Hier, aujourdÂ’hui, avant hier, hier, apreÌ€s, demain, laveille, le matin, dans un mois).

(f) Prépositions.

– Simple (e.g. AÌ€, de, avec, avant, sur, dans).

– Compound (e.g. AÌ€ coÌ‚té de, au milieu de).

(g) Conjunctions.

-of co-ordinatiion (e.g. Mais, ou, et, donc, car, cependant, neÂ…ni).

-of subordination (e.g. Afin que, quoique, à condition que, pour que, parce que).

(h) Articles.

i. Definite, indefinite and partitive.

ii. Assessment of vocabulary span (words in contemporary contexts, meaning, use, opposites, synonyms).

iii. Importance of word order in:

(a) Affirmative sentences.

(b) Interrogative sentences.

(c ) Imperative sentences.

(d) Passive voice formation.

iv. Identification and application of basic processes in language structure, e.g.

(a) Conjugation – in all tense except I’impartfait du subjonctif, le passé composé du subjonctif et……. Le plus que parfait du subjonctif.

(b) Negation (e.g. NeÂ…pas,neÂ…plus, neÂ…rien, nul ne, niÂ…ne, neÂ…personne, personneÂ…ne, aucunÂ….ne rien neÂ….etc).

(c ) Agreement (e.g. Les beaux arts, il les a vues les photos).

(d) Pluralisation (e.g. As in cheval/chevaux; beau/beaux).

(e ) Derivation.

-From adj, to adv – e.g. Lent-lentement.

-From adj. To adj. E.g. Un – premier.

-From adj. To noun – e.g. Bon-bonté, riche-richesse etc.

-From one degree of comparison to another (using plusÂ…que, moinsÂ….que, aussiÂ….que e.g. Plus grand queue).

NB – special forms – (e.g. Bon, meilleur, le meilleur la meilleure, mauvais, pire, le pire).

(v) Use of French in set expressions such as in proverbs, idioms and convention structures as provided for in common speech acts:

i. Proverbs (e.g. Tel pèretel fils, petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid).

ii. Idioms (e.g. Avoir un faim de loup, crier sur le toit, mourir de peur).

iii. Conventional stretches (e.g. Enchanté, c’est dommage, formidable, stationnement interdit etc).

iv. Speech acts (e.g.Proposer, conseiller, regretter, admirer espérer, interroger, reprocher, s’accorder etc).

Workings of French Sounds

Objectives

Candidates should be able to:

i. discriminate between French sounds.

ii. deduce meanings out of sound combinations.

iii. use the above to enhance effective communication.

iv. assess sound groupings in terms of how they are affected by such features as syllabification, liaison, e-caduc; pause, intonation, etc.

Content

(a) Sound discrimination (e.g. tout/tu), (fais/fée.).

(b) Letter-sound correspondence (e.g. ai-/e/, eau/o/.).

(c) Syllabification (e.g. con/tente/ment.).

(d) Liaison (e.g. trois animaux, des enfants.).

(e ) Sense groups in reading e.g. J’ai mal à la tête. J’ai mal/pas à la tête/mais au dos/. Comment vas-tu, Carol?/Comment vas-tu demain?.

(f) Faux amis (e.g. librairie/library, rester/to rest, blesser/to bless.).

(g) Identification of sounds to determine similarity (e.g. maison/saison, dents/don, fond/fonde).

Written Comprehension in French

Objectives

Candidates should be able to:

i. deduce answers to questions on the content, intent and style of proposed texts.

ii. apply reasoning skills.

Content

Topics of general and emergent Interest e.g. love, life death, politics Marriage, HIV/AIDS, Communication, child trafficking, Cultism, travel, corruption, money laundering etc.

JAMB Recommended Textbooks for French

A.i.Written Language

• Ajiboye, T. (2014) Companion to French Grammar (4th Edition) : Ibadan: Cleavoketa Books.
• Ajiboye, T. (2012) Nouvel Horizon, Book 4, New Revised Edition, Ibadan: Bounty Press.
• Byrne and Churchill (1980) A Comprehensive French Grammar.
• Hatier (1980) Le Nouveau Bescherelle: LÂ’Art de Conjuguer, Ibadan: Spectrum Book Ltd.
• Maice, G et Merlo, G : (1998): Grammaire progressive du français ( Niveau, Paris: Clé intermediaire) International.
• Mazauric,. C, et Sirejols, E(2006) : On y va! Book 3, Ibadan : Spectrun Books Ltd.
• Ojo, S. A.(2000) A Comprehensive Revision Handbook of French Grammar, Ibadan: Agoro Publishing Company.
• Any other relevant materials on French Grammar.

A. ii. Oral

• Ajiboye, T. (2010) An Introduction to Practice in Oral French, Ibadan: Bount Press.
• Leon, M. (1978) Initiation aÌ€ la Prononciation du Français Standard.
• Any other materials that emphasise oral practice.

B. Culture of Francophone Countries

• Girod R and Grand-Clement, F. (1979) Comment vivent les Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Mbuko, L. (2000) French Essays on Culture and Civilisation for Schools and Colleges, Ibadan: Bounty Press.
• Any other relevant materials, e.g. French newspapers, magazines, journals, and documents on Francophone life.

C. Dictionary

Any good French/English or French dictionary.

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• Tales from the Den
• JAMB Recommended Textbooks for Art & Commercial Students
• UNIZIK Postgraduate Admission Form
• JAMB Recommended Textbooks for Science Students
• JAMB Syllabus for CRS

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