This course is offered to students who have completed their study of the major grammatical concepts of the French language and are looking to improve their written and spoken expression of French without intense grammar review. This course will examine identity development from the perspective of people from many different francophone backgrounds while comparing them to our own cultural and personal identity development. A variety of authentic French texts will be used in this course including short stories, film, poetry, blogs, books and music. Lessons require such higher level thinking skills as expressing opinion, analyzing, predicting, and comparing and contrasting in the target language. Individual and group project work and presentations are emphasized. Language use becomes more natural because students are required to speak only in French and are asked to participate in a variety of oral exercises to increase fluency and spontaneous speech.
Prerequisites: For honors: ▪Successful completion of French IV; or
▪Completion of French Cinema (level 4); and/or
▪Teacher recommendation.
For high honors:
▪Completion of French IV or French Cinema (level 4)
; or
▪Completion of French Cinema (level 5); and/or
▪Teacher recommendation.
I. Learning objectives (A statement of learning objectives is a statement of changes to take place in students.)
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
• Understand, and interpret selections of film, music and artwork.
• Discuss and write about plot, characters, culture history and themes found in French texts.
• To express complex opinions, ideas and personal feelings in oral and written form.
• Write a structured 5-paragraph essay in French supporting a thesis.
• Analyze film and text in terms of cultural context.
• Interpret authentic conversational French.
II. Learning Experiences (A learning experience is the interaction between the learner and the external conditions in the environment to which he/she can react.)
• Upon completion of this course students will have participated in the following activities:
• Discuss personal opinions about themes in texts.
• Share stories and experiences.
• Analyze, texts, articles, songs, film and other media for cultural, historic and interpersonal themes.
• Present and discuss analysis of various topics.
• Write compositions based on themes discussed in class.
• Debate issues pertinent to topics studied in texts.
• Listen and respond to authentic French conversation.
III. Course Outline (A brief outline of the major topics and units which are central to this course: the sequence of topics and units may be altered by the teacher based on the needs of students):
The effects of identity on perceptions
Colonization
How immigration has influenced society in France
The impact that Francophone culture has had on North America
Discrimination in Modern France
Parisian culture
Geography of Paris, France and certain Francophone countries
Francophone countries and cultures around the world by region
The following list represents the major texts and/or resources used in French cinema.
Teachers also use additional supplementary texts: articles, materials and curriculum documents which they have gathered or prepared themselves and which they believe enrich and extend student learning.
Films: Entre les murs François Bégaudeau 2008
La haine Matieu Kassovitz 1995
Supplementary Texts: Excerpts from: L’histoire de la France dès 1940
Tahar Ben Jelloun, Le racisme expliqué à ma fille editions seuil 1999
La guide lyéen contre la discrimination
Chahdortt Djavann, Bas les voiles! Editions Gallimard
Imaginez, Vista higher learning 2007