French AP Syllabus
2015-2016
I. Course Overview
Learning French can help you be a more successful student. You’ll improve your memory, enhance verbal and problem-solving skills, and develop cultural sensitivity. You’ll obtain cultural knowledge about important historical French contributions in the sciences, mathematics, literature, exploration, philosophy, music, fashion, art, and medicine. When you know French, not only will you be better able to understand the English language, you will be able to communicate with more than 125 million French speaking people worldwide. French is a major language of power and business worldwide, opening doors to you in a wide range of interesting careers and making you more competitive in an international job market.
Students will obtain a higher level of French proficiency in conversational and communication skills through cultural contexts such as dining out, leisure activities, daily life, and Paris and the French speaking world. It is essential to study aloud and to write every day. This will help you to memorize the material and to feel more comfortable in class when you speak. The AP French class will be conducted almost exclusively in French by both the teacher and the students.
Students enrolling in AP French are in their sixth semester of language study. The students are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum.
II. Course Content
In AP French, students will further develop their French language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and strengthen their cultural understanding of francophone cultures. Through the use of online francophone publications, literature, poetry, and music, students will be actively engaged in their language development. All instruction will be given in the target language. Students are expected to speak only in the target language during classroom time.
III. Course Materials
The textbook series that will be used in this course is En Bonne Forme by Simone Renaud and Dominique van Hoff, ISBN number 978-0-618-66583-9. In addition, we will use AP French test resources as well as literature, grammar exercises, proficiency activities, and internet resources. We will pay close attention to the four areas in language learning (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) in a cultural context to aid in comprehension. Each of the four areas will be integrated into activities, so that students do not feel they are lagging in one aspect of language proficiency or that the skills are taught in isolation of each other. Each of these four areas will be incorporated into the six major themes of the AP course curriculum.
Students will need their text and a writing utensil every day. For out of class homework, students should keep a notebook containing assignments and notes from class (Cahier de vocabulaire) and a folder for all handouts. These are items provided by the student:
· Writing utensil (any color but red)
· 3 Ring Binder for all assignments
· Colored tabs/dividers in the colors of pink, yellow, green, blue
· Folder
· Optional French dictionary
IV. Resources
Books:
Amiry, Laila. Barron’s How to Prepare for the French AP Exam. 2004
Camus, Albert. L’Etranger.
Lenard, Yvonne. Trésors du temps. Glencoe, 2005.
Molière. L’Ecole des femmes.
Reprise: A Review Workbook for Grammar, Communications, and Culture.
Sagan, Francoise. Bonjour, tristesse.
de Saint Exupéry, Antoine. Le Petit Prince.
Sartre, Jean Paul. Huis Clos. Gallimard, 1947.
Shein, Françoise. French Four Years. Amsco School Publications, 2006.
Vary, Andrée and Claire Brouillet. Contes et legends du monde francophone. Glencoe, 1997.
Magazines:
Elle
France-Amérique
Think French
Videos:
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Au Revoir les enfants
Cyrano de Bergerac
Paris, je t’aime
Amélie
Babette’s Feast
Jean de Florette
Manon of the Spring
Websites:
www.tv5.org
www.espacefrancophone.org
www.france24.com/fr
www.rfi.fr
www.lemonde.fr
www.chantefrance.com
www.celebrations.culture.fr
www.louvre.fr
www.musee-orsay.fr
http://videos.tf1.fr/video
www.thinkfrench.com
French Podcasts
Original French music
· modern artists such Patrick Bruel, Corneille, MC Solaar, Carla Bruni, Patricia Kaas
· classic artists such as Yves Montand and Edith Piaf
V. Course Policies and Procedures
It will be important to participate actively in and out of class to keep up. In the classroom, learning activities may be practice or graded. Be sure to seek help before a quiz or a test if you feel you are getting behind and are not understanding the material. Test corrections (rewriting a complete sentence correctly three times for every point lost) are offered after quizzes and tests for half credit of lost points. This reinforces grammatically correct phrases and prepares you for the following quiz or test.
Daily writing assignments sometimes will be graded, and sometimes not. There will be no credit given for late workbook assignments because we go over those together at the beginning of each class each day. Late compositions will not be accepted. Make up work is the student’s responsibility. A classmate can help you be aware of all homework. When you are gone for a day or so on pre-excused absences or gone for athletic events, etc. you must get work ahead of time and you are responsible for it immediately upon your return. (Quizzes and tests also are taken before or on the same days as the class.) Work missed during unexcused absences will receive no points.
The classroom expectation is to aim for the Target Behaviors of being tolerant, open, appropriate, direct, respectful, accepting, positive and prepared. Digressions will be followed with reminders or conversations with the teacher.
VI. Grading Policy
Grades will be available about every two weeks so you may monitor your grade on an ongoing basis. Please work to maintain and improve it before grades are final. Your grade is based on homework, quizzes, tests, and participation. On quizzes, tests, and compositions, spelling errors (including gender errors) will be counted. Three mistakes in accent marks will be counted as one point. Cheating will be dealt with as laid out in the student policy handbook. Tests, quizzes, and daily assignments will be scored by points. The total of those points will be calculated into a percentage that will result in a letter grade as follows:
97-100% / A+93-97% / A
90-93% / A-
86-89% / B+
83-85% / B
80-82% / B-
76-79% / C+
73-75% / C
70-72% / C-
66-69% / D+
63-65% / D
60-62% / D-
59% and below / F
Daily participation points will be given on your use of time and use of spoken French (not correctness, but staying in the language) during class. One point per day will be given for arriving to class on time and staying in class the entire time. This point can be made up by staying after class one minute and speaking to me in French. Another four points are earned per week by the following rating:
Verbal Participation In French ClassCATEGORY / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Use of French / No French used. / POOR 1 or 2 French words used but mostly in English / FAIR 3 or 4 French words used but mostly in English / GOOD Half English and half French used / VERY GOOD French used with 1 or 2 English words / EXCELLENT French used exclusively
Pronunciation / No French used. / POOR Incomprehensible pronunciation / FAIR Many mistakes in pronunciation making comprehension difficult / GOOD Several mistakes in pronunciation. Mistakes do not take away from understanding. / VERY GOOD Few mistakes in pronunciation. Mistakes do not take away from understanding. / EXCELLENT No mistakes in pronunciation.
Grammar and Syntax / No French Used / POOR Incomprehensible sentences, word use, etc. / FAIR Many mistakes in grammar and syntax making comprehension difficult / GOOD Several mistakes in grammar and syntax but still able to be understood. / VERY GOOD Few mistakes in grammar and syntax. Mistakes do not take away from understanding. / EXCELLENT No mistakes in grammar and syntax
Constructiveness / No Participation/No French used. / POOR Inappropriate, not constructive comment, statement or question. / GOOD Decent comment, statement or question. / EXCELLENT Appropriate and Constructive comment, statement or question.
Extra credit is given to students who have read or have heard of a current event of France or a French-speaking country and are prepared to summarize it to the class. Extra credit may also be given by pre-arrangement with the teacher to students who prepare a cultural dish to share with the class. Guest speaker are welcome and helping to arrange them may result in extra credit.
VII. Course Outline and Planner
Summer Assignment:
· See the summer assignment sheet given out in class.
Weeks 1-5 Global Challenges
Subthemes: Economic issues, Health issues, Human rights, War and Peace
Overview: Begin by discussing in general current political issues facing the world and the importance of these issues.
Compare and contrast the health systems in the US and France.
Students will debate current topics, such as the Arab situation in France
Learning Objectives:
· Students will describe the French and American governmental systems.
· Students will debate current events and controversial issues.
· Students will describe their own health and others including life-threatening health issues and how they are viewed by different countries.
Sample Activities:
Vocab: Government, health issues, political issues, economic issues
Grammar and Reading: En bonne forme, Chapters 6, 16, and 2, and articles from Le Figaro, Le Monde, and Think French
Listening: France 2 news and French Podcasts
Presentational Speaking: Present research on an environmental issue, including audiovisual content
Interpersonal Speaking: Perform a debate on a current topic such as global warming, cloning, or war in the Middle East
Interpersonal Writing: Students will write an essay on a current topic such as the oil crisis, abortion, HIV research, cancer research, stem cell research, etc.
Presentational Writing: Students will write a description of a new technology or discovery that is having a major impact on human life.
Weeks 5-8 Science and Technology
Subthemes: Ethical Questions, Future technologies, Impact of social media, Impact of modern science
Overview: Students will start with a survey to determine knowledge and interests in technology. Next, we will discuss new discoveries made by the French that have contributed to the scientific world. Finally, students will discuss ethical issues surrounding various advances in science.
Learning Objectives:
· Students will describe various discoveries or breakthroughs of French scientists.
· Students will discuss the impact of various social media on a society.
Sample Activities:
Vocab: Various technologies, media, texting/email language,
Grammar and Reading: En bonne forme Chapters 8 and 22, read articles from Le Figaro, Le Monde, and Think French
Listening: News Reports from France 2, French podcasts
Interpersonal Speaking: Students will give oral responses to newspaper editorials. Students will describe photos of new technology. Students will debate controversial subjects such as cloning, stem cell research, physician assisted suicide, the prevalence of social networking, etc.
Presentational Speaking: Students will present a PowerPoint presentation on a new French scientific discovery. Students will create and explain their solutions to a current scientific problem.
Interpersonal writing: Students will write responses to newspaper editorials. Students will create a blog where they discuss a current issue. Classmates must post comments on the blog.
Presentational writing: Students will write a review of a recent scientific discovery.
Weeks 9-12 Contemporary Life
Subthemes: Education, Leisure and Sports, Holidays and Celebrations, Housing and Shelter, Professions, Travel
Overview: We will cover various aspects of students’ daily lives with the goal of being able to describe their personal lives and contrast them with others in the class and people from different cultures. This theme includes a lesson on the French education system contrasted with the American system.
Learning objectives:
· Students will describe various aspects of contemporary life including schooling, sports, hobbies, housing, professions, and travel.
· Students will describe their current situation and future aspirations.
· Students will compare and contrast different school systems.
· Students will evaluate the role of sports in a society.
Sample Activities:
Vocabulary: schooling, grade levels, hobbies, housing, professions, travel, modes of transport, country names
Grammar and Reading: En bonne forme chapters 1, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 15, Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan, articles from Le Monde, Le Figaro, and other periodicals, job ads
Listening: film clips from Paris, Je t’aime, interview of a French athlete, French podcasts
Interpersonal Speaking: Students will record a past travel experience and if they would have that journey again. Students will act out job interviews.
Presentational speaking: Students will choose one of three discussion questions regarding school systems and they will present their answers to the class. They will also prepare questions to pose to the rest of the class. The class is responsible for answering those questions. Students will present research on a francophone country. Students will present research about a sprot played in France or francophone country.
Interpersonal writing: Students will write postcards from countries that they have visited virtually. Students will write a cover letter for a job application. Students will write a blog about the 35 hour work week, the amount of vacation time other people receive around the world, etc.
Presentational writing: Students describe a sports competition that will appear in a French newspaper. Students will create a brochure in an attempt to attract people to their francophone country.
Week 13-18 Personal and Public Identities
Subthemes: Alienation and assimilation, Beliefs and Values, Language and Identity, Multiculturalism, Nationalism/Patriotism
Overview: Students will begin by brainstorming stereotypes of various cultures and discussing their origins. Then students will incorporate the themes of this unit into their discussions.
Learning Objectives:
· Students will analyze judgments that they have made about other nationalities as well as their own
· Students will discuss the role of language (including slang) not just as a means of communication, but as a cultural identity.
· Students will discuss the role of various ethnic groups and what they contribute to a given society.
· Students will discuss the role of cultural identity and compare it to nationalism and patriotism.
Sample Activities: