French I

French I

Grades Offered: 7-12

Credit: 1/2 to 1

State Code: 3041

MNPS Course Code: FLA1140

Course Description

French I is a course of study for students beginning the process of learning to understand, speak, read and write French. A foundation of these skills is provided within the context of grammar and culture concepts and thematic vocabulary that students learn to address topics concerning them, their needs and their wants. Skills taught in French I are in alignment with the ACTFL guidelines and the objectives/skills mandated by the state of Tennessee. Exposure to the French-speaking world and literature integrates itself into the beginning lessons of culture, sound recognition and reproduction, grammar, vocabulary and proper usage.

Course of Study

Objectives: Using the French language, students in French I will be expected to:

demonstrate accurate pronunciation of the French language
acquire listening comprehension skills with vocabulary introduced
respond orally in interview situations
speak correctly on prepared topics
ask for and understand instructions, directions and other basic needs information
apply correct grammatical usage in speaking and writing situations
comprehend with understanding reading selections provided in the text
execute French written proficiency with provided prompts
develop global awareness and tolerance of the diversity of French speaking cultures

Thematic Vocabulary: Students will learn . . .

to greet people and address them appropriately
to introduce themselves and to say where they are from
to count to 100 and above
to spell in French and understand French spellings and accent marks
to tell time
to identify friends, family, and relatives
to say how old they are and find out someone's age
to talk about birthdays and holidays
to give the date and the day of the week
to order some common foods and beverages in a café
to ask friends to give or lend them something
to identify and learn the value of the Euro
to talk about the weather
to name the seasons
to describe some of their daily activities
to say what they like and do not like to do
to ask and answer questions about where others are and what they are doing
to invite friends to do things with them
to politely accept or turn down an invitation
to talk about themselves: their personality and what they look like
to describe others especially their friends and families
to describe their room and home
to talk about every day objects that they own or use
to describe these objects, especially their sizes and colors
to express their opinions about what they see or hear
to identify colors
to describe their city, its public buildings, and places of interest
to ask, understand and give directions
to talk about the various places they are going to and coming from
to discuss their future plans and say what they're going to do
to identify things as belonging to them or someone else
to talk about their friends and their families
to talk about music, games and sports

Grammatical Concepts: Students will learn usage of . . .

the "to be" verb
masculine/feminine "a, an, one, any"
masculine/feminine/plural forms of "the"
"my" and "your"
correct order for writing the date
est-ce que with questions
ne . . . pas in negative statements
verbs that end in er
conjugated verbs plus the infinitive
question words
qu'est-ce que with questions
the "to do/to make" verb
the "to have" verb
pronouns replacing nouns
il y a plus other expressions
masculine/feminine/plural adjectives
placement of adjectives/colors
c'est plus expressions
the "to go" verb
prepositions with definite articles
chez plus other expressions
aller plus infinitive (immediate future)
the "to come" verb
the prepositions à and de plus definite articles
stress pronouns
possession with de
possessive adjectives mon, ton, son, notre, votre, leur, etc.
ordinal numbers
idiomatic expressions and to be aware of problems in translating

Culture and Reading topics: Students will read and study about the following:

French poetry and poets
French holidays and traditions
Formal and informal address
French speaking cities

Assessments: Students will be evaluated by means of the following:

dictations and descriptions in French
following oral commands in French
selecting appropriate listening rejoinders to pre-recorded prompts
speaking, reading and writing quizzes on thematic vocabulary
projects requiring the application of knowledge, listening, speaking, reading, writing, research and creativity skills
paired, group and individual presentations
oral interviews conducted by the teacher
oral readings and recitations
written compositions, dialogues, poetry. etc. to various writing prompts
writing to French-speakers via school mail or electronic mail
standardized tests generated from the text
exercises to show correct application of grammar and culture concepts

Standards

Standards are based on the American Council of Teachers of French (AATF) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards.

ACTFL: http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3392#standards

Tennessee Standards: http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/ciforeignlang/ciflmodern1.htm

Textbook

Valette, Jean-Paul and Rebecca. Discovering French Nouveau, Bleu, Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2004

Resources

All McDougal Littell ancillary materials are available with the basal text: Images textbook, Resource manuals, Test Generator, CD listening materials, E-Edition, Take Home Tutor, teachers' manuals, DVD listening and watching materials, crossword puzzles, Easy Planner, overhead transparencies, activity workbooks, Français pour Hispanophones and Total Physical Response Storytelling guide.