French I

This course is an introduction to the basics of the French language and the culture of French-speaking regions and countries. Students will learn to read, write, speak and understand basic French, and will learn about various cultures and customs in Franco-phone countries.

COMPETENCY GOAL 1: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION - The learner will engage in conversation and exchange information and opinions orally and in writing in the target language. Objectives:

• Interact with teachers and others using standard greetings, farewells, and expressions of courtesy orally and in writing.
• Use basic words and short learned phrases during interactions orally and in writing.
• Ask and answer questions about feelings using learned material orally and in writing.
• Share likes and dislikes, feelings and emotions with each other orally and in writing.
• Engage in oral and written conversation (e.g., face-to-face, e-mails, letters) to exchange essential and personal information about everyday topics.
• Use culturally acceptable vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and gestures.

COMPETENCY GOAL 2: INTERPRETIVE COMMUNICATION - The learner will understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics in the target language. Objectives:

• Demonstrate understanding of words, phrases, and sentences from simple oral and written texts dealing with basic personal and social needs.
• Demonstrate understanding of oral and written questions about familiar topics.
• Follow oral and written directions, commands, and requests.
• Identify key words or main idea(s) from oral or written passages.
• Make inferences from simple oral and/or written passages (e.g., conversations, dialogs, narratives, advertisements, songs, rhymes, chants, and literature) about familiar topics.
• Interpret phrases presented with accompanying gestures, intonation, and other visual or auditory cues.

COMPETENCY GOAL 3: PRESENTATIONAL COMMUNICATION -The learner will present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics in the target language. Objectives:

• Give short oral or written presentations about people, places, things, and events using everyday words and phrases.
• Dramatize songs, simple skits, or poetry dealing with familiar topics.
• Tell or retell a story orally or in writing.

COMPETENCY GOAL 4: CULTURES - The learner will gain knowledge and demonstrate understanding of the relationship among practices, products, and perspectives of cultures other than his/her own. Objectives:

• Recognize and use gestures, manners, behaviors, greetings, and idiomatic expressions of the target cultures.
• Learn and discuss patterns of behavior or interaction among the target cultures.
• Participate in activities and celebrations and discuss their impact on the culture.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the different target countries and their capitals by locating them on a map or globe and identifying their major geographical features.
• Identify important individuals from the past and present and their contributions to the target cultures.
• Explore practices and perspectives of contemporary life in the target cultures through print, non-print, electronic materials, and cultural artifacts.
• Identify cultural products, practices, and perspectives that lead to generalizations or stereotyping.

COMPETENCY GOAL 5: COMPARISONS - The learner will develop insight into the nature of language and culture by comparing his/her own language(s) and culture(s) to others. Objectives:

• Identify the sound patterns of the target language and compare them to his/her own language(s).
• Identify similarities and differences in the structural patterns in the target language and his/her own language(s).
• Recognize similarities and differences in the ways languages are written (e.g., alphabet/characters, punctuation, capitalization) in the target language and his/her own language(s).
• Recognize that there are words, phrases, idioms, and concepts that do not transfer directly from one language to another.
• Identify connections among languages by recognizing cognates and loan words.
• Develop an appreciation for cultural differences by comparing simple patterns of behavior or interaction in various cultural settings including his/her own.
• Identify similarities and differences of tangible and intangible products (e.g., food, dwellings, music, sports, clothing) between the target cultures and his/her own culture(s).
• Examine the cultural traditions and celebrations that exist in the target cultures and other cultures and recognize the viewpoints behind them.
• Recognize viewpoints and attitudes of people in both his/her own culture(s) and the target cultures relating to family, home, school, work, and play.
• Identify the mutual contributions of the target cultures and his/her own culture(s).

COMPETENCY GOAL 6: CONNECTIONS - The learner will acquire, reinforce, and further his/her knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language. Objectives:

• Demonstrate understanding and apply information and skills that are common to the foreign language class and other disciplines.
• Transfer information acquired in the foreign language class for use in other disciplines.
• Recognize and apply learning strategies and processes from other disciplines.
• Develop learning strategies in the target language which can be used in other discipline

COMPETENCY GOAL 7: COMMUNITIES - The learner will use language and/or demonstrate cultural knowledge and understanding within and beyond the school setting for personal, educational, and professional growth and enrichment. Objectives:

• Perform and/or participate in a school or community celebration or competition.
• Share knowledge of the target language and cultures with others.
• Interact with people of other cultures in the target language about familiar topics.
• Visit places in person or via technology which provide opportunities to use the target language and/or experience the target cultures.
• Identify occupations within the community and beyond that require proficiency in the target language.
• view, listen to, and read various forms of media that utilize the target language and reflect the target cultures.