AP French

AP French follows the guidelines laid out by the College Board's AP French Language and Culture curriculum. The course is equivalent to an intermediate level college course in which students acquire proficiencies to cultivate their cognitive, analytical, and communicative skills. AP French prepares students to take the AP French exam given every year by the College Board.

AP French provides an immersive experience, meaning the course is conducted almost entirely in French. The course encourages a deeper understanding of French language and culture by focusing on the three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational) and applying them to real-life situations. AP French teaches language structures in context and focuses on the developing fluency to convey meaning. It is not aimed at focusing on grammatical accuracy to the detriment of communication.

The course is based on six pre-determined themes that integrate language, content, and culture. AP French Language and Culture encourages students to explore francophone cultures in both contemporary and historical contexts. It nurtures an appreciation and awareness of cultural practices, perspectives, and products.

Overarching Themes:

The six themes required by the College Board include:

  1. Families and Communities

  2. Science and Technology

  3. Beauty and Aesthetics

  4. Contemporary Life

  5. Global Challenges

  6. Personal and Public Identities

Course Skills:

The College Board identifies eight skills that students will practice and develop throughout the course:

  1. Comprehend written, audio, audiovisual, and visual texts.

  2. Make interdisciplinary and cultural connections.

  3. Interpret the content of written and audio text.

  4. Make meanings from words and expressions.

  5. Communicate interpersonally by speaking with others.

  6. Communicate interpersonally by writing to others.

  7. Communicate through spoken presentations.

  8. Communicate through written presentations.

  9. Use the target language in real-life situations.

Prerequisites

AP French is a college level course, and the intensity, quality, and quantity of work can be compared to a third-year college course. There are no prerequisites, however, students are generally in their fourth year of high school French.