French

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” Charlemagne

Year 9 French

Year 9 French students are introduced to the language through games, role plays, songs, plays and collaborative work. Speaking French is emphasised from the beginning and a variety of communicative activities help develop confidence in the language. Topics covered include: basic greetings, how to talk about yourself and your family, music, film study, ordering food and drinks at a café and life at school. Cultural studies and projects about Paris are integrated within the course.

Year 10 French

Year 10 French aims to further the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing to enable students to communicate with confidence in a variety of everyday situations. Topics covered include: housing, French cities, shopping for clothes, ordering at a restaurant, cooking regional dishes, recounting a trip to Paris using the past tense. Cultural studies, films and projects about regions of France are integrated within the course.

Senior French

Students will be able to gain a total of 24 credits in five NCEA Achievement Standards internally and externally assessed.

Students may also choose to sit the internationally recognised DELF examination which assesses the four language skills, or the ALC Tests (Assessment of Language Competence) which assess the listening and reading skills. An immersion trip to New Caledonia will be offered to Senior French students whose applications are accepted when traveling can resume.

Year 11 French

With the main grammatical structures of French having been covered in Years 9 and 10, the Year 11 course is one of consolidation and reinforcement of the skills learnt during the previous years. Topics covered include:  personal and family life, leisure interests, film study, housing, schooling, daily life, hometown and New Zealand. Students are also equipped with the language necessary when travelling in a French-speaking environment such as holidays, booking a hotel room or a table at the restaurant for instance, shopping, eating and drinking and health.

Year 12 French

The course aims to build further on the skills of oral and written communication by dealing with more complex structures and wider vocabulary which will enable students to express and justify their opinions in French on a wide range of subjects of interest to young people. Topics covered include: film study on exchanges, well-being, fashion, music, advice on relationships, the pros and cons of technology, as well as the study of a French- speaking country and its colonial past.

Year 13 French

The course aims to further build on the skills of oral and written communication by dealing with more complex structures and texts which will enable students to express and justify their opinions in French and analyse the perspectives of others. Topics covered include: film study, future prospects, humanitarian aid, environmental issues, the impact of tourism, immigration, multiculturalism, discrimination, and aspects of French literature.

Year 13 students have the option of preparing for the Scholarship Examination during additional lunch time sessions. A wide variety of topical issues are discussed, and students are encouraged to use critical thinking to analyse them using complex language.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs Morton, TIC French on mrt@northcote.school.nz