French

FRENCH

Learning a second language helps students to appreciate and value heritage, culture and identity; both their own and that of other citizens of the world. It helps to diversify their thinking and open their eyes to different ways of communicating, reflecting, respecting others and acting on a world stage.

French is a world language, a language for the international job market, the language of culture, a language for travel, a language for higher education, the language of international relations, a language that opens up the world, a language that is fun to learn and a language for learning other languages.

The content of the French elective syllabus is organised into the following strands as illustrated in the diagram.

The Topics of study will include:

Interactions

• Initiating conversations o Describing friends and families o Asking and expanding questions • Sharing personal experiences and opinions and comparing lifestyles o Sport & leisure • Accepting and declining invitations o Making excuses and apologising o Interview skills (new job) • Negotiating and problem solving • Researching a French speaking overseas destination o Transport, travel, currency, museums, and climate

Communicating

• Obtain information from media texts and summarising it o Weather o French Music o French Films o Advertisements o Websites

Understanding

• Using tone and intonation to for emphasis and emotion • Language and grammatical forms

Through these topics students can expect to gain a basic understanding of spoken French, and the ability to read and write in French.

Contemporary research and practice have established a clear link between the learning of languages and improved literacy skills. Learning languages exercises students’ intellectual curiosity, increases metalinguistic awareness, strengthens intellectual, analytical, and reflective capabilities, and enhances creative and critical thinking.

The Stage 5 course of study in French assumes that the students have no prior knowledge of French but some existing transferable language skills. The course is offered in both Year 9 as a 100 hour course or Years 9 and 10 as a 200 hour course. Students must undertake French in Year 9 to study the course in Year 10.