French
FRENCH I: EXPERIENCE THIS! Experience new cultures and basic ways to greet one another, talk/sign and write about your day at school, your friends, family, communities, weather and food!
FR12 - 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
This course is for students beginning the study of French. Students will learn the basic vocabulary needed to have a conversation in French on a variety of topics including describing themselves, their likes and dislikes, their families and their classes. Students will work toward increasing proficiency in comprehension with short readings, and listening activities. Once students learn the basic grammar structures needed, they will start writing in French. Students will discover the importance of French culture in a variety of domains, such as food, fashion and film, and will learn about Paris and Quebec. Students can anticipate daily homework, regular quizzes and 1-2 exams per quarter as well as a mid term and a final exam.
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FRENCH II: GROW YOUR PROFICIENCY! Grow your proficiency with your new language, being able to talk/sign, read, and write about the places you live, things around town, clothing, things you did in the past and things you enjoy now!
A LEVEL
FR22 – 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation
This course is for students who have successfully completed French I. Students will further develop their skills in speaking through participating in a variety of communicative activities, such as skits, dialogues and partner and small group activities in French. Students continue to develop their writing skills, adding the near future to their thorough mastery of the present tense. Students learn about and compare French culture to their own with topics such as the home, shopping, and meals. Students explore Chartres, the Chateaux of the Loire Valley and Martinique. Students can anticipate daily homework, regular quizzes and an exam and a project per quarter as well as a mid term and a final exam.
HONORS
FR21 – 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation
This course is for highly motivated students who have the dedication and discipline to succeed in this fast paced Honors French class. The class is taught in French and the students are expected to use the French language in class as much as possible. Students are expected to participate in a variety of communicative based activities such as role play, dialogues, and oral presentations. The emphasis is on vocabulary building and language structures that advance competency in listening, reading, writing, and speaking. French readings and songs will be studied. There will be further exploration of cultural topics involving cross cultural comparisons especially with the wide variety of Francophone countries.
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FRENCH III: CONNECT MORE DEEPLY! Connect all of what you learned previously with the new experiences and being able to
understand and express what you will, would, or might do in different situations
A LEVEL
FR32 - 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisites: Recommend C minimum in French II
This course is for students who have successfully completed French II. This class is held in French and students are expected to use their French in class. Students continue to gain competency in all skills; reading, writing, speaking and listening. They solidify their knowledge of the present tense and near future and learn the past tense. Writing is lengthier and more creative. Students read short fiction stories and poems, and listen to contemporary French music. Topics of study include exercise and nutrition and childhood events. The region of Provence is studied in depth. Students can anticipate daily homework, regular quizzes and an exam and a project per quarter as well as a mid term and a final exam.
HONORS
FR31 - 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisites: Recommend B+ minimum in French II Honors
In French III Honors, students continue enhancing their listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, acquiring essential building blocks for mastery of the language. Extensive vocabulary development, advanced grammatical structures, and cultural topics will be explored throughout the year. Authentic materials such as brochures, podcasts, videos, recipes, and fables, are presented and studied in conjunction with thematic units. By the end of the year, students can understand a variety of authentic texts, communicate in several tenses at a higher level of proficiency, and can produce lengthier communications.
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FRENCH IV: NEW HORIZONS - DEEPER THINKING Experience some literature in your new language, hold deeper conversations, and write
in greater detail, connecting to other things important to global citizens
A LEVEL
FR42 - 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisite: Recommend C in French III
This course is for students who have successfully completed French III. This class is held in French and students are expected to use French in the classroom. Students learn the future tense, exploring themes such as career opportunities, the conditional, si clauses and the subjunctive and advance their competency in all skills; reading, writing and speaking. Students read short stories, poems and lyrics in French as well as some news articles. Students learn about environmental issues and climate change in French. Students learn about the different regions of France, including their culinary specialties. Some aspects of French history are discussed through readings and film. Students can anticipate daily homework, regular quizzes and an exam and a project per quarter as well as a mid term and a final exam.
HONORS
FR41 - 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisite: Recommended A- in French III Honors
French IV Honors is a prerequisite to French V AP. In other words, this course is Part I of the Advanced Placement Program. The class is conducted in French and students are expected to use only French. While grammar has been presented in previous years, students will review structures within the context of authentic texts throughout this year as well. Podcasts, literary works, articles, and music are integral parts of the curriculum. The level of listening and reading, as well as the requirement to use only French in multiple open-ended contexts, are challenging. With dedication and effort, students find this year a pivotal year in their level of overall competency. By the end of the year, students can understand and communicate at an intermediate level of proficiency, produce lengthier communications, and work more independently and more in-depth in all skill areas. Please consult AP French for possible thematic units studied this year.
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FRENCH V: MAKING IT REAL Going to a rigorous ending of your high school World Language career, you will express yourself in the target language with greater fluidity, and will grow in understanding of the language expressed to you. This level connects you to other areas of study, including themes of being a global citizen, contemporary life, science and technology, and life experiences.
A LEVEL
FR52 - 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisite: Recommend C+ in French IV
This course is for students who have successfully completed French IV. This class is held in French and students are expected to speak French in the classroom. Building on the skills acquired in French IV students will do more research projects and presentations in this class, will read a greater variety of texts, will write lengthier passages and expand their cultural studies to include the francophone African countries, with an emphasis on the Maghreb and current events and issues facing France today. Students can anticipate daily homework, regular quizzes and an exam and a project per quarter as well as a mid term and a final exam.
HONORS
FR51 – 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation or B in French IV Honors
This course continues to focus in depth on the acquisition of the French language, which enables the student to converse, debate, compare and contrast real life situations. Throughout the school year in French V Honors, there will be continued intensive periods of preparation specifically for the AP exam. These sections of preparation will be woven into the established curriculum. Early in the academic year, all students are re-exposed to the format of the exam and the language processes required as presented in French IV Honors. French V Honor students will not take the AP exam. Although the class focuses on preparation for the exam, French V Honor students will use the AP practice as a method to perfect their language skills. Grades will be adjusted to reflect an Honors course.
AP FRENCH LANGUAGE and CULTURE: Enhanced connections to other areas of study
FR50 - 1 Elective Credit - Full Year
Prerequisite: Recommend B in French IV HONORS
AP French Language and Culture is a college-level course intended for students in their fourth year of study of French. The course is conducted exclusively in French and students are expected to communicate in French at all times in the classroom and during online activities and collaboration. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency by engaging in daily activities that require the three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational) as defined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. The course is designed around six themes (Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, and Beauty and Aesthetics) that provide a basis for an in-depth study of French language and its many cultures. Students use two primary textbooks to hone their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Authentic materials and resources will also be used on a daily basis to serve as a springboard for discussion of the six major themes and sub-themes.
All students enrolled are required to take the AP exam in May for which there is a fee of $98.00.
IB - GROUP 2 - French
IBFR30SL or IBFR30HL (Year 1, Grade 11)
IBFR30SL2 or IBFR30HL2 (Year 2, Grade 12)
IB Language French B is a two year course (for 11th and 12th graders only) designed to develop skills and intercultural understanding to communicate successfully in Spanish or French. There are two levels of this course: SL(Standard level) and HL (Higher level). SL and HL are distinguished by the level of competency the student is expected to develop. In HL, two literary works originally written in the target language are read.
In this course you will develop international-mindedness through the study of languages, cultures, and ideas and issues of global significance. Likewise, you will communicate in the language in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes, developing an awareness and appreciation of a variety of perspectives of people from diverse cultures.
You will have opportunities for intellectual engagement and the development of critical and creative thinking skills with instruction that fosters curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning. You will develop into successful, effective communicators through exposure to multiple texts and experiences with the following themes:
Identities Explore the nature of the self and what it is to be human.
• Lifestyles • Health and well-being • Beliefs and values • Subcultures • Language and identity • What constitutes an identity? • How do language and culture contribute in forming our identity?
Experiences Explore and tell the stories of the events, experiences and journeys that shape our lives.
• Leisure activities • Holidays and travel • Life stories • Rites of passage • Customs and traditions • Migration • How does our past shape our present and our future? • How and why do different cultures mark important moments in life?
Human ingenuity Explore the ways in which human creativity and innovation affect our world.
• Entertainment • Artistic expressions • Communication and media • Technology • Scientific innovation • What can we learn about a culture through its artistic expression? • How do the media change the way we relate to each other?
Social organization Explore the ways in which groups of people organize themselves, or are organized, through common systems or interests.
• Social relationships • Community • Social engagement • Education • The working world • Law and order • What is the individual’s role in the community? • What role do rules and regulations play in the formation of a society?
Sharing the planet Explore the challenges and opportunities faced by individuals and communities in the modern world.
• The environment and sustainability • Human rights • Peace and conflict • Equality • Globalization • Ethics • Urban and rural environments • What environmental and social issues present challenges to the world, and how can these challenges be overcome? • What challenges and benefits does globalization bring?
