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French II

Course Description

In this course, students deepen the basics of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in French, with an emphasis on using cognates, guided listening, and spontaneous speech to heighten proficiency. This course continues present tense regular and irregular verbs, introduces two past tenses (passé composé and imparfait), and contextualizes vocabulary for travel, international holidays, and home.

Course Big Ideas

  • Religious beliefs across the francophone world influence the development and celebration of holidays. 
  • Cultural factors, including school schedules and paid leave, as well as France’s geographical proximity to other French-speaking countries, influence French tourism and travel.
  • Paris is a vibrant city whose signature art and architecture is influenced by history.
  • Homes, family structures, and expectations vary widely in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
  • Learning a variety of grammatical structures permits a deepened expression of one’s past and present experiences.

Course Essential Questions

  • How do school schedules and vacations in France compare with those in your community?
  • How does culture affect how we celebrate holidays and other important occasions?
  • How does culture affect how and where we travel and how we talk about the past?
  • How do culture, geography, and history affect housing and family roles?

Course Competencies

  • Intermediate skills in French pronunciation, including “open” verses “closed” vowel sounds, using diacriticals to sound out words, and employing liaison in speech. 
  • Identifying the helping verb and past participle in the passé composé.
  • Forming the imparfait tense.
  • Conjugating regular -re verbs as well as irregular verbs faire, dire, écrire, lire, savoir, and connaître
  • Basic vocabulary on holidays, celebrations, travel, and the home

Course Assignments

  • Course Assessments:
    • Summative
    • In-class exercises and activities
    • Auto-corrected online resources 
  • Formative
    • Grammar and vocabulary quizzes (integrated)
    • Journals and projects
    • Unit tests on grammar, vocabulary, and culture
    • Final exam

Course Units