Advanced Placement ®
French Language and Culture
Syllabus 2015-2016
COURSE DESCRIPTION : Advanced Placement ® French Language and Culture
The Advanced PlacementÒ (AP) French Language and Culture course is holistically designed to offer students a proficiency-based, rigorous college-level experience to maximize their potential in interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational skills in French. The following graphic displays the six global, overlapping course themes of instruction and their related sub-themes:
The Loudoun County Public Schools Advanced Placement ® French Language and Culture course actually begins in Level I, where students gradually develop the essential listening, speaking, reading and writing skills embedded in culturally authentic, meaningful contexts during their first three years of study. This will enable students to function at more advanced cognitive, analytical, and communicative levels as the pre-AP ® sequence begins in Level IV Honors. Students will build confidence in French by continually developing comprehension and comprehensibility, a rich breadth of vocabulary, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness throughout the curricula of study from Levels I-AP. In order to connect the course with the ACTFL National Standards of Foreign Language of Learning for the 21st Century, students will be expected to communicate entirely in the target language in AP ® French Language and Culture as they compare and contrast Francophone cultures with their personal communities and connect their studies with other disciplines in their high school curricula.
ON PARLE FRANÇAIS!
French will be the dominant language of communication in this course between the teacher and students. Students will learn techniques by which they can use other vocabulary and structures to indicate meaning in situations where specific terminology is not yet known. The goal is to develop a comfortable setting in which there is an appreciation and love for French language learning where students feel free to take risks in order to maximize their level of proficiency.
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES and ASSESSMENT
AP ® French Language and Culture course instructors will design their instructional techniques to set reasonable learning objectives for students. They will also describe acceptable performance at distinct achievement levels as designated in the AP ® scoring rubrics, design thematic instruction supported by a variety of interesting, meaningful classroom activities, and then assess student progress towards the initial objectives per unit. Teachers will be responsible for differentiating or redirecting instruction as needed to strengthen proficiency skills. A large majority of the summative assessments in Levels I-AP will be designed to be similar in style to the AP ® French Language and Culture exam.
The following six groups of learning objectives will be used to design activities throughout the scope and sequence of French I –AP:
- Spoken Interpersonal Communication
- Written Interpersonal Communication
- Audio, Visual, and Audiovisual Interpretive Communication
- Written and Print Interpretive Communication
- Spoken Presentational Communication
- Written Presentational Communication
College Board Advanced PlacementÒ (AP) French Language and Culture Course Design
· Align with national standards
Course revisions integrate the instructional goals, Communications, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, Communities, as outlined in Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century.
· Focus on communication
Students will demonstrate proficiency in the three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational.
· Encourage cultural awareness
Students will develop an awareness and appreciation of aspects of the target culture, including products (tools, books, music, laws, conventions, institutions); practices (patterns of social interactions); and perspectives (values, attitudes, assumptions).
· Incorporate a thematic approach
A thematic structure enables students to study a variety of concepts in interesting, meaningful, and engaging contexts.
· Provide clear learning objectives
The learning objectives describe the college-level knowledge and skills students need to succeed on the AP Exam.
· Provide achievement-level descriptions
Performance indicators enable teachers to gain insight into students’ performance and adjust curriculum and instruction to meet their needs.
The following is a more specific language skill breakdown accompanied by activities which shall be completed by students:
LISTENING:
Students will be introduced to new vocabulary, conversational patterns, and grammatical structures via constant target language use by the teacher. There will be opportunities for students to hear a variety of Francophone speakers to provide authentic models by which students can effectively develop their aural/oral interpretive skills.
It is vital for students to take notes when listening to dialogues or exchanges for which they are being asked to seek information to provide assistance when answering questions. Students will facilitate their own growth in listening comprehension by working in cooperative learning groups where they must communicate with each other to express messages in response to prompts from their partners. A general list of activities follows, all designed for acquisition of stronger listening comprehension skills:
v Audio recordings from classroom text publications
v Authentic recordings/broadcasts from French language media programs (i.e. radio, television, film, Podcasts)
v Classical and popular French music, ranging from traditional compositions to modern top singles in the French speaking world
v Opportunities to speak with Francophone guests
v Communicative exercises and games
SPEAKING:
Students will continue to develop speaking proficiency in French via a particular sequence. They will first orally reproduce models presented, focusing on style, intonation, and correct pronunciation. Students subsequently will engage in interpersonal conversational exercises to gradually master newly introduced thematic vocabulary and supportive grammatical sequences. By maintaining French as the essential language of communication, students will improve their speaking ability since their thought patterns will be focused on responding in the target language Students will gain greater confidence in presentational speaking by taking risks in communicative exercises, all in an enriched, supportive academic environment. They will acquire a greater sense of both formal and informal forms of the French language, often times acquiring vernacular expressions from their assigned exercises.
A general list of activities follows, all designed for acquisition of stronger speaking skills:
v Recycling vocabulary and structures
v Conversational activities in both direct and cooperative learning settings
v Dialogue performances / Mini-speeches / Readings / Picture Sequence Descriptions
v Role-play / Dramatizations / Skits / Songs / Games
v Interviews / Oral practice drills / Question sequences / Debates
READING:
Students will improve reading skills while refining the listening and speaking elements of newly acquired vocabulary and structures. Students will learn additional vocabulary and grammar patterns from context-based readings in individual and collaborative group settings. Readings will be derived from textbook exercises and authentic resources. Students will be formally exposed to samples of classic and modern French literature as part of their studies. Students will read silently and aloud to promote guided literacy skills, supporting the acquired listening/speaking skills. They will learn to effectively read a text, summarize, and offer analysis of various literary elements which drive the theme, content, and style of the reading. Students will also make connections and comparisons to their native cultures via the study of the Francophone culture in their readings. Students will develop critical thinking skills in the target language in response to both closed and open-ended exercises based on their reading activities. Finally, students will interpret texts to answer related questions, interact with the teacher and classmates orally on the theme(s) associated with the text, and create original presentational responses based upon their readings.
A general list of activities follows, all designed for acquisition of stronger reading skills:
v French literary excerpts from a variety of sources
v French Plays
v Novels
v Poetry
v Songs
v Online Newspaper Articles and Advertisements
v Journals/Magazines
v Devinettes
v Short stories
v Essays
v Textbook assigned readings
v Comics
v Peer compositions
v Riddles
v Proverbs / Idiomatic expressions
v Subtitled films
v Games
WRITING:
Students will increase their written proficiency in French by engaging in a variety of directed and open-ended activities, in support of the previously outlined skills of listening, speaking, and reading. Students will respond in informal and formal styles. They will begin by writing new vocabulary, extend to patterned exercises of grammatical structure and style, respond to questions / exercises focused on acquisition of new structures and enrichment of previously introduced items, and finally graduate to direct application of learned structures in more composition-based activities. Students will be required to spell French words and use grammatical structures correctly to build language control and support their level of proficiency. They will also learn how to compose an introduction, supportive body, and conclusion to a thematic composition. Various creative writing styles shall be implemented, including descriptive, compare/contrast, persuasive, and critical response formats. Students will make connections from the texts they read and use them as prompts to compose their own work.
A general list of activities follows, all designed for acquisition of stronger writing skills:
v Responses to textbook-based and teacher-created exercises
v Vocabulary strengthening exercises
v Personal Journals
v In-Class Timed Writings/Themes
v Homework-assigned compositions / themes
v Skits / Dialogues
v Creative writing essays
v Poetry
v Songs
v Speeches
v Debate responses
v Games
v Dictations
v Pen pal communicative activities
v Calligrams
v Critiques
v Descriptive / Persuasive / Compare-Contrast Essays
MAIN TEXTS / RESOURCES:
Students will use a variety of textbook-based and authentic resources throughout the year in AP ® French Language and Culture. The following is just a basic list of the many resources which shall be employed in the course:
MAIN TEXT SERIES OPTIONS:
Dietiker, Simone Renaud and Dominique van Hooff. En Bonne Forme. New York, New York:
Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2006.
Civilisation progressive du français: niveau debutant. Grand-Clément, Odile, CLE International, France 2007.
Civilisation progressive du français:niveau intermédiaire. Grand-Clément, Odile, CLE International, France 2008.
Kurbegov, Eliane, Weiss, Edward. Barron’s AP French Language and Culture. Barrons Educational Service, 2013.
Ladd, Richard. Allons au-delà. Pearson, 2012.
Ladd, Richard. AP French: Preparing for the French Language and Culture Exam. Pearson, 2012.
Mitschke, Chérie. Imaginez: Le français sans frontiers. Vista Higher Learning, 2012.
Pécheur, Jacques. Civilisation progressive du français: niveau avancée. CLE International, France 2010.
Sturges, II, Hale, Linda Craig Nielsen, and Henry L. Herbst. Une fois pour toutes. White Plains, New York: Longman Publishing Group, 1992.
Vocabulaire progressif du français: niveau avancée. Grand-Clément, Odile, CLE International, France 2004.
THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT® FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE EXAM :
Tuesday, May 10, 2016, PM Exam (12:00pm start time)
Students enrolled in the AP® French Language and Culture course will take the Advanced Placement® French Language and Culture exam on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 during the afternoon session. Students will be given every opportunity to be thoroughly prepared for the assessment via the activities completed in class. They will be continually assessed in the exact same format and expectation level as on the AP exam.
Students will be afforded opportunities to practice for the AP French Language and Culture exam in the following manners:
v Class time activities
v Practice AP tests scheduled regularly throughout the year
v Individual meetings upon request and also upon requirement
v Réussissons au cours de français AP! County-wide meetings for AP students and teachers
It is vital that we see our class as a team of students who are all striving for the best score on the exam…The ultimate goal overall, however, is for students to participate in this course and learn as much French as possible. The teacher will be here to support you along the way!
IN-CLASS ASSESSMENTS: In order to adequately prepare students for the May 2016 AP French Language
and Culture exam, scoring rubrics matching those for the spring assessment will be used throughout the
year when grading students on their SPEAKING and WRITING (timed writing /compositions) assignments. A
percentage grade shall be assigned to the performance according to the following generalized tables.
AP ® French and Language 2015-2016 Scoring Guidelines:
Presentational and Interpersonal Speaking and Writing Assessments
AP ® FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE SCORE GUIDELINES / PERCENTAGE EQUIVALENTAP ® French Language and Culture
5 : Response demonstrates strong
communicative skills. / 98% A+ (5+)
95%A (5)
92% A- (5-)
4: Response demonstrates good communicative
skills. / 88% B+ (4+)
85% B (4)
82% B- (4-)
3: Response demonstrates fair
communicative skills. / 78% C+ (3+)
75% C (3)
72% C- (3-)
2: Response demonstrates weak
communicative skills. / 68 % D+ (2+)
65%D (2)
62% D- (2-)
1: Response demonstrates poor
communicative skills. / 58% F (1)
0: The response is totally incomprehensible or does
not address the question at all. / Unacceptable / 0% F (0)
* Note: Student compositions shall be composed on college-ruled notebook paper with writing on every other
line. Typed assignments will not be accepted unless otherwise proscribed by the teacher.
The specific rubrics for the AP ® French Language and Culture 2016 Scoring Guidelines are attached at the back
of this syllabus, specifying all of the details which show the characteristics of each performance factor listed in
the charts above to the left.
Advanced Placement®
French Language and Culture
Thematic Program of Study/Pacing Guide
SEMESTER 1TOPIC 1: Tolerance
TIME FRAME:
(19 days / 9-10 class sessions) / TOPIC 2:Patriotism and nationalism/language and identity
TIME FRAME:
(19 days / 9-10 class sessions)
Ø Tolerance Vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
Ø Le genre des noms
Ø Les articles définis, indéfinis, partitifs
Ø Le présent
Ø L’impératif
Ø Le passif / Ø Patriotism and Nationalism vocabulary
Ø Language and Identity vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
Ø Le passé récent
Ø Le passé composé
Ø L’accord du participe passé avec les temps composés
Ø Le passé simple
TOPIC 3: Publicity and Marketing
TIME FRAME:
(16 days / 8 class sessions) / TOPIC 4: Technology and its effects on society/moral challenges
TIME FRAME:
(14 days / 7 class sessions)
Ø Publicity and Marketing vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o L’imparfait
o Le plus-que-parfait
o Le passif au passé / Ø Science and technology vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Le futur proche
o Le futur
o Le futur antérieur
o Le conditionnel présent
o Le conditionnel passé
TOPIC 5: Environment/health
(15 days / 7-8 class sessions)
Ø Environment and Health vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Les phrases conditionnelles
o L’emploi du verbe devoir
o Le subjonctif
o La concordance des temps au subjonctif
o Comment éviter le subjonctif
SEMESTER 2
TOPIC 1: Housing
(15 days / 7-8 class sessions)
Ø Housing vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Les pronoms compléments
o Les pronoms accentués
o Le discours indirect
TOPIC 2: Leisure activities and sports
(18 days / 9 class sessions) / TOPIC 3: Family
(18 days / 9 class sessions)
Ø Leisure activities vocabulary
Ø Sports vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Les possessifs
o Les démonstratifs
o L’infinitif et les propositions infinitives
o Le participe présent et le gérondif / Ø Family vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Les adverbes interrogatifs
o Les adjectifs interrogatifs
o Les pronoms interrogatifs
o Les interrogations exceptionnelles
TOPIC 4: Friendship and love
(16 days / 8 class sessions)
Ø Friendship and love vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Les pronoms relatifs simples
o Les pronoms relatifs où, dont, quoi, et l’emploi de lequel
o L’emploi des pronoms démonstratifs avec les pronoms relatifs
TOPIC 5: Music
(16 days / 8 class sessions) / Topic 6: Contemporary France
(16 days / 8 class sessions)
Ø Music vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Les adverbes négatifs: ne...pas / ne…point / ne…pas du tout
o Les pronoms négatifs: ne…personne / ne…rien
o L’adjectif négatif: aucun(e)
o La conjonction négative: ne…ni…ni
o Les négations multiples
o Les négations indépendantes
o Les expressions restrictives
o Les expressions non restrictives / Ø Contemporary France vocabulary
Ø Grammaire / Structure en Contexte:
o Les adjectifs
o Les adverbes
o Les comparatifs et les superlatifs
o Les prépositions
o Les conjonctions
YEAR-LONG THEME: LE MONDE FRANCOPHONE
o Le monde francophone: Countries and Capitals of Francophone World / Famous cultural sites / events
NOTE: This theme is spread logistically throughout the year via individual/group student Francophone projects.
Official Francophone Countries
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- France
- Madagascar
- Cameroun
Burkina Faso
Niger
Sénégal
- Mali
- Rwanda
- Belgique
- Guinée
- Tchad
- Haïti
- Burundi
- Bénin
- Suisse
- Togo
- République Centrafricaine
- République Démocratique du Congo
- Gabon
- Comoros
- Guinée Équatoriale
- Djibouti
- Luxembourg
- Vanuatu
- Seychelles
- Monaco
- Polynésie Française
Vallée d’Aoste
- Jersey
- Saint-Martin
- Wallis-et-Futuna
- Saint-Barthélemy
- Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
- Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises
Puducherry
Unofficial Francophone Countries/Regions
Algérie
Maroc
Tunisie
Liban
Mauritanie
Maurice
Andorre
ELECTRONIC AUTHENTIC MEDIA / SAMPLE WEBSITES: There is a wealth of realia to be discovered at the following websites that are updated from time to time. Teachers are advised to consult them to further enrich their AP French Language and Culture course in order to keep students up-to-date with current events, trends, and issues related to the six global themes of the curriculum.