French III

Students enrolled in this course have either successfully completed CHS’s levels I and II courses or have placed out of levels I and II due to previous language study at the elementary and/or middle grades.

This course provides students with additional opportunities to expand their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as they create with the language and as they access short literary texts, authentic materials, and media on generally familiar topics. Students satisfy limited communication and social interaction demands, they initiate and maintain face-to-face communication. They identify main idea(s) and significant details in discussions, presentations, and written texts within a cultural context, read and interpret authentic materials, narrate and describe in sentences, groups of related sentences, and short cohesive passages in present, past, and future time and compose messages, announcements, personal notes, and advertisements.

They continue to refine their knowledge and understanding of the target language and culture(s) and their own by examining the interrelationship of other cultures to their own, by demonstrating behaviors appropriate in target cultures, and by applying their knowledge and skills inside and outside of the classroom setting.

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 using original thoughts orally and in writing by employing increasingly complex structures and expanded vocabulary in present, past, and future times.
• Ask and answer open-ended questions that are beyond immediate needs orally and in writing.
• Express preferences, feelings, emotions, and opinions giving supporting details orally and in writing.
• Demonstrate evidence of self-correction in communication with others.
• Increase use of 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 a wide range of oral and written idiomatic expressions, phrases, sentences and passages.
• Demonstrate understanding of oral and written questions relating to familiar and less familiar topics.
• Understand and follow oral and written directions, commands, and requests originating from a variety of cultural settings.
• Identify main ideas and significant details from longer authentic spoken passages from the target cultures (e.g., live and recorded discussions, presentations, lectures) or from materials being studied in another class.
• Read and interpret authentic materials (e.g., selected short stories, poetry and other literary works, articles, personal correspondence, and simple technical material).
• Predict outcomes, draw inferences, analyze, and make judgments from oral and written materials.
• Recognize intonation patterns and their effect on meaning.

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:

• Narrate and describe with detail in present and past time orally and in writing.
• Compose and present stories, poems, and skits.
• Compose messages, announcements, personal notes, advertisements, postcards, or simple letters.
• Explain a simple process, incorporating instructions.
• Summarize and interpret information from authentic material orally and 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:

• Use practices characteristic of the target cultures for daily activities among peers and adults.
• Compare and contrast patterns of behavior or interaction among the target cultures.
• Participate in activities and celebrations, and experience and analyze customs, traditions, and celebrations of the target cultures.
• Examine historical and contemporary literature and the arts in order to understand the cultural practices and perspectives of the target cultures.
• Compare and contrast geographical features of target countries to show their relationship to the culture.
• Discuss the influence of important people, events, and achievements of the target countries on their own and other cultures.
• Draw inferences about contemporary life in the target cultures through print and non-print media, cultural artifacts, and/or interaction with people from those cultures.
• Compare and contrast cultural products, practices, and perspectives among cultures with the same language in order to dispel 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:

• Investigate regional and national sound pattern differences (e.g., pronunciation, intonation, word stress) within the target language and his/her own language(s).
• Compare and contrast structural patterns in the target language and his/her own language(s).
• Investigate the similarities and differences of various literary genres in the target language and his/her own.
• Recognize words, phrases, idioms that do not translate directly from one language to another and their impact on communication.
• Explain the changing nature of language.
• Understand selected economic, political, and social events that have shaped the target culture and their relationship to the United States across time.
• Research how native speakers of the target cultures (e.g., writers, journalists, artists, media persons) portray life in the United States and how native speakers of English portray life in the target cultures.
• Describe cultural perspectives as reflected in a variety of literary genres and compare and contrast to his/her own culture.
• Explore the relationship of attitudes, behaviors, and products in the target culture and compare to his/her own culture.

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

• Acquire and process information from a variety of sources in the target language about a topic which is common to other disciplines.
• Discuss, exchange, and analyze information acquired from other disciplines in the target language.
• Transfer information acquired in the foreign language class for use in other disciplines.
• Recognize and apply learning strategies, processes, and skills from other disciplines.
• Develop learning strategies in the target language, which can be used in other disciplines.

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.