CLASS DESCRIPTION
This class is a year long academic equivalent of the college preparatory level 1 French offered at Marshwood High School. It is designed for students who have very little knowledge of French. It builds the foundation of the vocabulary, structures and cultural understanding needed to listen, read, write, and speak about familiar, everyday contexts. Emphasis is put on communication, cultural knowledge and comparisons, real life connections and study skills. Students also enrich their knowledge of English, preparing them for general language learning and standardized testing (PSAT, SAT).
Oral participation is key, and using level-appropriate target language is expected. Assignments, evaluations, projects, and assessments help reinforce the material covered in class and determine quarterly grades.
Students commit to the class for the entire year. Upon earning a final grade of C or higher, they have the opportunity to move to the next level, starting their high school career in level 2. This allows them more flexibility in their schedule and gives them a heads up in fullfiling the language credits requirements of most post-secondary institutions.
Grading
25% Interpretive Language (INTP)
Assesses the learners’ ability to pull meaning out of the target language through reading or listening.
25% Presentational Language (PRES)
Assesses the learners’ ability to communicate formulated ideas in the target language, through planned
writing or rehearsed speech
25% Interpersonal Language (INPS)
Assesses the learners’ ability to spontaneously communicate ideas in the target language, through
responsive writing and conversational scenarios.
25% Cultural Knowledge (CULT)
Assesses the learners’ knowledge of the target language culture, through engagement with authentic
native practices, products, and perspectives.
Sample Curriculum
Unit I - ENCHANTÉ!
Introducing oneself / Meeting new people / French stereotypes/ Ratatouille
Unit II - AU LYCÉE
School life / Difference between the French and US school systems/ Le Petit Nicolas
Unit 3 - MES AMIS ET MOI!
Description of self and others / French ancestry in New England
Unit IV - MA FAMILLE & MES ACTIVITÉS
Family members and activities / Similarities & differences between family life in France and in the USA
Unit 5 - ORGANISONS UN ANNIVERSAIRE!
Shopping and Food / The importance of food / Luxury vs. artisan shopping / Martine fête son anniversaire
Unit 6 - AU QUOTIDIEN
Daily activities & health / Differences in attitudes towards health and well-being in France and the USA / The typical life of teenagers in France
Description ofFrench I / Unit IV - MA FAMILLE & MES ACTIVITÉS self and others
25% Cultural Knowledge (CULT)
Assesses the learners’ knowledge of the target language culture, through engagement with authentic
native practices, products, and perspectives.