French Foundations

In Foundations of French, students will continue to develop their language skills through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Vocabulary will be taught through stories and accessible texts chosen around the themes of each one-term class. The class will be driven by comprehensible input; in other words, listening and reading that is understandable. Through readings and research students will also expand their cultural understanding of France and the Francophone world. Students completing this class will be able to comfortably use verbs in the passé composé and imperfect, direct and indirect pronouns, reflexive verbs, some relative pronouns and negative expressions. Students will show the language that they can produce creatively through writing assignments, videos and projects.

Prerequisites: French 1 or equivalent and Departmental Recommendation Required.

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Cuisine & Culture: Students will learn vocabulary related to groceries, ingredients and the kitchen. They will learn different expressions as well as units of measurement used in Francophone countries. They will also learn about the typical gastronomy of different countries.

The Francophone World: Students will be exposed to the many identities, traditions, and cultures of the Francophone world. With a heavy focus on Québec and Acadie, as well as Maghreb, students will explore the cultural tensions and histories of these regions through literature and authentic resources.

Human Interactions: Students will study vocabulary related to how people interact. Beginning with discussing their own family, friends and social life, students will build their communication skills as they tell stories and practice more in-depth conversations about their backgrounds and interests. They will then be able to discuss interactions in the Spanish-Speaking world and the difficulties that can arise in different cultures and contexts.

• Interests: Business
• Grades: 10th, 11th, 12th, 9th
• Subjects: Modern Languages