Course Outline

Elementary French I Honors:

Course Description:

The focus is on development of elementary proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in French, with an introduction to cultures related to the French language. This course is equivalent to two years of high school French.

Course Outline:

Module 1: Getting Acquainted

 

• Examine adjectives of nationalities (application of basic gender rules)

• Learnt he French alphabet (intonation/spelling marks/silent letters/final consonants)

• Study French names

• Count from 0 to 100

• Learn French family terms

• Learn different greetings (formal and informal)

• Explore La Martinique as a French-speaking community

 

Module 2: Everyday Life

 

• Learn thematic vocabulary of food and beverage

• Examine expression of time (use of military time, days of the week, months of the year)

• Learn the seasons/weather

• Study the European money: Euros

• Make comparison between American and French habits related to food

• Examine the intonation of requests

 

  

Module 3: What we like to do

 

• Describe everyday activities and chores, correctly using the verb faire

• Ask about what somebody likes to do, and give an answer to the same

• Ask and answer questions in the affirmative and the negative

• Talk about how often they and others do activities, and ask others the same

• Use avec with correct pronouns in offering and accepting or declining invitations

• Express what they want and do not want, using direct and polite forms of vouloir

• Conjugate –er verbs in the present tense, with personal pronouns (singular and plural)

• Describe where they live and ask somebody for the same information (using the verb habiter)

• Conjugate être (to be) in the singular and plural in the present tense

• Ask and answer questions with qui and qu’est-ce que

• Describe and ask about what they like and want to do, using vouloir and aimer, combining these with infinitive verb forms.

• Ask somebody where he or she is and where he or she is going using être and aller

 

Module 4: Personal and Family Life

 

• Describe and ask about colors and sizes, using grammatical agreement

• Describe their personalities and what they look like

• Describe their friends (physical and personality traits) and give their ages

• Describe and ask about nationalities and languages

• Talk about and ask about common object found in school and one’s roots

• Identify common animals

• Examine idiomatic expressions with the use of animal vocabulary in the language

• Examine The verb “avoir” and its use/conjugation and the preposition of sapce

• Examine Singular and plural nouns

• Explore definite/Indefinite articles and their use

• Examine formation and position of adjectives and “Il est” vs “c’est”

• Explore the country of Haiti

Understand writing conventions (How to write a letter in French)

Module 5: City life and urban activities

 

• Ask for and give directions using descriptions of proximity and directional vocabulary

• Identify common public buildings, places in town, and sections of town

• Describe rooms in a house or apartment

• Correctly use aller with à and a location to describe and ask where one is going

• Correctly combine à with definite articles

• Describe where they are using chez with correct syntax

• Ask somebody where they are coming from, and give an answer to the same, using the verb venir

• Correctly use emphatic pronouns

• Use the verb aller with infinitive verbs to talk about what they will do soon

• Correctly use possessive adjectives, in singular and plural

• Describe more family relations (e.g. “cousin”, “nephew”)

• Talk about friends and their families

• Explore French cities and comparison with American urban life

• Explore Paris and its different neighborhoods

• Explore the French family and its dynamic

• Understand the importance of pets in France

• Explore the country: “La Belgique”

 

Module 6: Shopping

 

• Describe a typical shopping experience at a clothing store, using the verb acheter correctly

• Ask and descirbe personal preferences using the verb préférer correctly

• Ask about and identify materials of which objects are made and brands, using demonstrative and relative pronouns correctly

• Name and describe the clothes they wear

• Talk about money and prices

• Describe how clothing fits and looks, using irregular adjectives nouveau, beau, and vieux

• Identify jewelry items and basic accessories

• Use –ir and –re verbs in their conjugations, and the imperative mood

• Identify similarities and differences in shopping between French and American stores, especially les soldes

• Examine the conjugation of verbs at the present tense such as “mettre”, “preferer”, “acheter” or “vendre” (with an emphasis on the conjugation of the verbs ending in “re” and “ir”)

• Examine use of irregular adjectives such as “beau/nouveau”

• The interrogative adjective “quel”

• Examine the use of the pronoun “on” and the formation of imperative

• Making comparisons and their use in creating sentences

• Explore French fashion

• Make comparison between how teenagers spend their money in France and in the US.

• Explore the country: “Algerie”

 

Module 7: Free time

 

• Ask and answer questions about pastimes, identifying different common activities, such as sports and games

• Identify times of day (e.g., morning, afternoon)

• Ask others about playing instruments and sports using the verb jouer correctly, and answer the same questions posed to them

• Identify general geographical features in discussing basic plans for traveling, such as “campagne” and “montagne”

• Discuss travel plans using the verb voyager with the correct prepositions before the names of various countries or cities, and discuss modes of transportation

• Ask and answer questions about entertainment preferences, chores, and routines

• Ask somebody what he or she did in the recent past, using the passé composé of –er verbs correctly, and answering the same, in the affirmative and negative

• Identify and correctly form the past participle of –er verbs and of some basic irregular verbs, such as boire

• Form the passé composé where être is required, and correctly distinguish when it is required

• Use negation in the passé composé

• Correctly use general references such as quelqu’un or quelque chose and their opposites

• Generally, narrate what happened in the past

• Examine the use of the verb “faire” in idiomatic expressions such as “faire de” + sports

• Understand negation with “ne…jamais”

• Examine the verb “voir”

• Examine the past tense (“le passé-composé) of the verbs ending in “er/ir/re”, its formation with the auxiliary “avoir” and “être”

• Examine the expression with “quelqu’un/quelquechose” and their opposites

• Explore the country: “Le Maroc”

• Explore the French youth and the music

  

Module 8: Food and meals

 

• Discuss and identify meals at different times of day, and what they eat at each

• Identify basic fruits, vegetables, meats, bread, and beverages

• Make a grocery list and do grocery shopping

• Use pouvoir and devoir in the full present tense

• Use the verb prendre correctly to express what a person will “have” at a restaurant

• Identlfy and use direct object pronouns correctly

• Name the items in a table setting

• Use indirect pronouns correctly with imperative verb forms

• Correctly use vouloir in all its forms to ask about what people want, and express their own wants

• Correctly use the partitive article (du and de la) in questions, statement, and negation.

• Conjugate dire, boire, and écrire correctly

• Conjugate connaître correctly and differentiate meaning of “know” versus “be acquainted with” (savoir and connaître)

• Examine partitive articles (“du” et “de la”) and its use

• Examine the pronouns complements direct and indirect (“me/te/nous/vous/le/la/les/lui/leur”)

• Understand the importance of meals for French people

Discuss cafeteria in schools, French cuisine, and French recipes

Module 9: Who Am I?

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary on nationalities and professions

• Examine descriptive adjectives

• Examine idiomatic expressions with “faire/être/avoir”

• Explore use of “depuis” to express how long an action has been going on

• Examine appropriate use of “c’est” vs “il est”

• Examine the use of verbs “aller” and “venir de” + infinitive (to express intentions in near future and past actions)

• Explore the different holidays in France

 

Module 10: The weekend

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary on city and countryside

• Examine expression of time: present, past, and future

• Examine use of “il y a” in expression of time

• Conjugate verbs “mettre, permettre, avoir, sortir, partir and dormir”

• Use “passé-composé”and the auxiliary “avoir”

• Use the auxiliary “être” in the “passé-composé”

• Examine formation of the past participles

• Explore questions with the “passé-composé”

• Use impersonal expressions such as “quelqu’un, quelque chose, rien, personne” and their opposites

 

Module 11: Food and meals

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary on food, beverages, and meals

• Examine expression of quantities

• Conjugate the present tense and use of the verbs “boire, preferer, vouloir, payer, acheter” (Related to making purchases)

• Examine the partitive articles

• Explore expressions of quantity with “de”

• Examine construction of “il faut”

• Express abilities with the verbs “pouvoir/devoir”

• Explore cultural facts about where French people do their shopping

 

Module 12 Leisure time/Entertainment

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary on free time, entertainment/genre of movies

• Examine the pronoun’s complements and its use in imperative sentences

• Conjugate the verb “connaitre” in the present tense

• Examine agreement of the past participles with direct object pronouns

• Conjugate the verbs “dire, lire, ecrire” in the present tense and past tense

• Use indirect complement with verbs such as “ecrire a, acheter a”

• Examine the difference in the use of verbs “savoir” and “connaitre”

• Explore leisure activities of French youth

• Explore the French cinema and history of Quebec

• Explore La France d’Outre-mer

Module 13: Health and the Body

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary on sports, health, and the body

• Examine adverbs of frequency

• Examine reflexive verbs in the present and past tense related to daily routine

• Explore the pronouns “y” and “en”

• Examine imperative form of reflexive verbs

• Conjugate the verb “courir” in the present tense

• Explore expression related to health/aches

 

Module 14: Chez nous

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary (house/furnishing)

• The conjugation of the verb “ouvrir” in the present tense

• Use of the relative pronoun’s “que” and “qui”

• The formation of the imperfect tense and its difference with the “passé-composé”

• The use of the imperfect in the narration of habitual events

• Time expressions

 

  

Module 15: Fashion

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary on stores, fashion, and clothes

• Examine descriptive adjectives (size, color)

• Explore numbers from 100 to 1,000,000 and write them using the French system

• Understand adverbs and adjectives

• Examine irregular adjectives

• Examine comparatives such as “moins, plus, aussi”

• Explore superlative forms

• Use interrogative pronouns like “lequel”

• Use demonstrative pronouns such as “celui/celle/celles/ceux”

• Explore typical French, French youth and fashion

• Examine French size system and comparison to the American system

 

Module 16: Travel

 

• Explore thematic vocabulary on lodging, summer activities, travel arrangement, countries

• Examine prepositions used with countries

• Examine use of conditional in making polite requests

• Explore construction of verb +a +infinitive and verb + de + infinitive

• Conjugate the present tense and past tenses of the verbs, “recevoir” and “aperçevoir”.

• Use future tenses in discussing vacation plans

• Explore cultural facts about French people and holidays

 

Elementary French II Honors:

Course Description:

Continuation of Elementary French I Honors, with further development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing proficiency, and additional exploration of cultures related to the French language. This course is equivalent to three years of high school French.

Course Outline:

Elementary French II Honors course helps students:

• Engage in language learning

• Review and expand upon a wide range of grammar patterns

• Participate in detailed conversations and respond appropriately to a variety of conversational prompts

• Generate language incorporating advanced vocabulary and grammar patterns

• Read, write, speak, and listen for meaning using advanced French

• Analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various French-speaking countries

• Regularly assess progress in proficiency through quizzes, tests, and speaking/writing submissions

Vocabulary Theme

• Each unit covers a new set of vocabulary words pertaining to a theme. Vocabulary is first introduced in context through an interpretive listening or reading activity. Students then focus on selected words and work through several activities to learn the meaning of each word. Finally, students are presented with the complete passage again where they are then asked interpretive questions verifying their understanding of the passage. A printable vocabulary list is also provided.

Grammar Concept

• Each unit introduces a new grammar pattern. The concept is first introduced in a contextualized situation and then presented in a multimedia grammar animation. The concept is then further practiced in several interactive activities throughout the unit. A printable explanation of the pattern is also provided.

Presentation of Culture through Culture Videos

• In each unit students learn about various cultural aspects (e.g. practices, products, and perspectives) of a French-speaking country through short video presentations. These videos are presented in French.

Speaking and Writing

• Students complete speaking and writing activities in each unit. These activities give students a chance to become more familiar with the speaking and writing patterns of French by applying them in communicative situations.

Assessments

• Listening and reading comprehension quizzes verify that students comprehend the main ideas and/or significant details of target language passages or conversations.

• Culture comprehension quizzes verify that students have understood important concepts presented in the culture presentations.

• Unit tests assess students' mastery of the vocabulary words and grammar concepts presented that unit. Each unit test also includes reading and listening comprehension questions and an oral or written assessment.

• Midterm and Semester Exams are comprehensive in nature. Not only do they assess students' knowledge of the language, but they also assess students’ ability to produce the language in a communicative way. Midterms and Semester Exams include both oral and written assessments.

"Life-long Learner" Assignments

• Each semester students are required to create a plan for incorporating French into their daily lives. They accomplish this by outlining the long-term benefits of learning French, by making goals for what they want to accomplish with their mastery of the language, and by creating a plan for accomplishing their goals.

"Explore" Activities

• Students are provided a link to an article or audio source on the Internet where they can begin to explore the unit's topic. They are then asked to provide their opinions about the information presented to them.

Discussion Board Activities

• There are two discussion board activities in each semester. These activities provide opportunities for students to interact with other students and practice their language.

Journal

• Journal assignments allow students to make cultural comparisons, reinforce new vocabulary and grammar patterns, and practice communicating in the language. Many of the journal assignments have the students first interacting with authentic language sources from the Internet before they write or speak about the prompt provided in the assignment.

Pronunciation

• Pronunciation lessons are presented in short animation videos. These videos focus on the unique sounds of the language. Follow-up activities throughout the unit provide additional practices for students to improve their pronunciation skills.

Interpretive Communication Activities

• In each unit students are presented with both print and audio sources to practice the interpretive mode of communication. Subsequent quizzes assess students' understanding of these passages. These activities are in preparation for those found on the AP test.

Interpersonal Communication Activities

• In each unit students work through activities which allow them to practice their interpersonal communication skills in both speaking and writing. These activities are in preparation for those found on the AP test.

Presentational Communication Activities

• In each unit students are presented print and audio sources from which they must synthesize information from both sources to answer specific questions. Students are asked to submit both speaking presentations and formal written essays. These activities are in preparation for those found on the AP test.

Semester 1

• Vocabulary

• Grammar

• Culture

• Pronunciation

Unit 1

• Love and Friendship

• The modern family

• Present regular and irregular

• Possessive adjectives and pronouns

• Marriage in France

• Liaison, stress, and information

Unit 2

• Physical appearance

• Personality

• Adjectives

• Asking Questions

• Importance of fashion in France

• Final consonants + H aspiré (when to pronounce them)

Unit 3

• Life in High School

• In class

• Imperfect

• Passé composé

• High School System (comparison)

• La révolution française

• ə/ identification ə/ when to drop them and

• /e/ vs /ɛ/

Unit 4

• After school activities

• Vacations

• Passé composé negation

• Expressions of time

• Summer & language camps

• S vs. ss

• Midterm Review and Test

Unit 5

• Public and Private space

• House chores

• Passé composé vs. Imperfect

• Plural of composite nouns + prepositions

• Public & private space in homes (comparison between U.S, & France)

•  /u/ vs /y/ and /w/ and /ɥ/

Unit 6

• Relationship with food & Regional cuisine

• Articles Adverbs

• Plus-que-parfait / indirect discourse

• Meal rituals in French-speaking countries

• History : Napolean

• Open and closed vowel : /o/ vs /ɔ/ Open and closed ʺeuʺ

Unit 7

• Public space

• Transportation

• Direct and indirect object pronouns

• y/en disjunctive pronouns + order of pronouns

• The Paris subway

• Nasal vowels: /ɑ̃/ vs. /ɔ̃/ vs. /œ̃/ + denasalisation

Unit 8

• Project Unit

• Travels

• Study abroad

• Geographical prepositions

• Imperative

• Final Review and Test

Semester 2

• Vocabulary

• Grammar

• Culture

• Pronunciation

Unit 9

• The Arts-different styles and movements

• Architecture

• Savoir vs. Connailtre

• Comparatives/superlatives

• Architecture styles of French houses

• Plus, and plus (when to pronounce the final s)

Unit 10

• Modern technology and internet

• The internet, the law, and our rights

• Relative pronouns

• Tout and its various forms

• Media and social networks

• Difficult letters x, y, & z

Unit 11

• The written press

• Audio/visual

• The passive voice

• Present and past conditional

• + hypothesis

• History: WW2

• La chanson de Roland (Epic poem)

• Spelling & pronunciation differences

Unit 12

• The medical system in France

• At the doctor’s office

• Present participles and Gerund

• Cardinal and ordinal numbers

• Health in France

• Numbers 5, 6, 8 and 10 pronunciation rules

• Midterm Review and Test

Unit 13

• The protection of our environment

• Pollution

• Subjunctive: what is it + how to form it

• Subjunctive with irregular verbs

• Trash separation and disposal

• S sounds in -tion, -sion, -ssion, -xion, and sc words

Unit 14

• Social challenges

• Immigration and racism

• When to use the subjunctive +

• Past subjunctive

• Impersonal expressions

• Colonialism and its consequences in modern life

• K, ck, ch words

Unit 15

• The importance of learning a foreign language

• Expressions that indicate the future tense + near future

• Infinitives preceded by à, de or nothing + the past infinitive

• History: May 1968

• Les Grandes Ecoles (Ivy league and specialized schools)

• French & francophone accents

Unit 16

• Project Unit

• Looking for a job

• Jobs of the future

• Nouns that change in masc. & fem.

• Simple future + anterior future

• Final Review and Test