GRADE 8 French Every Other Day

 

Standard 1.1 Interpersonal Communication

Standard 1.2 Interpretive Communication

Standard 1.3 Presentational Communication

Standard 2.1 Practices of Culture

Standard 3.1 Making Connections

Standard 4.1 Language Comparisons

Standard 4.2 Cultural Comparisons

Standard 5.1 School and Community

Standard 5.2 Lifelong Learning

 

Estimated Time Range:

August to June

 

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

 

The student will understand that:

1.

the French language and culture have influenced the Anglophone world and that English words have infiltrated the French language and culture

2.

there is multi-cultural and multi-racial diversity in the French-speaking world

3.

there are cultural similarities and differences between French and American families

4.

there are linguistic and extra-linguistic distinctions in formal and informal address in French (tu vs vous)

5.

grammar and gender characterize relationships and ownership when describing people, places and things in French. (possessive adjectives – i.e. my and your)

6.

double-digit numbers are complex and formulating them requires the function of multiplication and addition

7.

the written representation and positioning of numbers (i.e. dates) are different from that of English

8.

 liaison and elision are used to facilitate pronunciation

9.

there are grammatical conjugations and idiomatic expressions with the following verbs : “avoir”, “faire”, and “être”

10

there is not a word-for-word correspondence between the two languages

11.

diacritical marks are used

12.

written representation of French often differs from how it is pronounced

13.

some foods from French-speaking nations have influenced American cuisine and vice versa

14.

different currencies and customs govern consumers’ transactions in French speaking countries.

15.

French teenagers spend more time on studies and yet share similar leisure activities as American students.

16.

French students have classes on Wednesday and Saturday morning but have Wednesday afternoons free.

 

SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS

Test and quizzes

Mini-compositions

Dictation

Question & Answer sessions

Conversations

Projects (Cultural)

Games

Drills

Puzzles

Warm-up exercises

Listening Comprehension

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

 

1.

How do you know when a noun is masculine or feminine?

2.

What language is appropriate to use in a formal vs. informal setting?

3.

What words would you use to describe relationships with family, friends, and new acquaintances?

4.

What is the significance of the French family?

5.

How would your life change if you were an exchange student living in a French-speaking country?

6.

What relationships exist between grammatical and personal gender in French?

7.

How do the sounds of surprise, exclamation, anger and pause differ between the French and the English languages?

8.

Why are the French so interested in the American culture?

9.

Who are some French speaking celebrities familiar in the American culture?

10.

What English sounds approximate the “nasal” vowel sounds that are present in French?

11.

What are grammatical and number, as concepts?

12.

Living in a country neighboring Canada, why is it important to be culturally aware?

13.

How does school life differ in French-speaking countries vs. the USA?

14.

When does one pronounce a final letter?

15.

What does it mean to refer to something as an “idiomatic expression”?

16.

How has the introduction of the “Euro” affected France and other European countries?

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

The student will be able to:

1.

engage in conversations or correspondence in French to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions.(greetings, introductions, asking how people feel)

2.

understand and interpret spoken and written French on a variety of topics (numbers, time, dates, days of the week, people, likes and dislikes)

3.

present information, concepts and ideas in French on a variety of topics to an audience of listeners or readers.

4.

demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures of the French-speaking world.

5.

reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through French.

6.

demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of French and their native language.

7.

demonstrate understanding of the nature of culture through comparisons of French speaking cultures and their own.

8.

use French both within and beyond the school setting.

9.

show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using French for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

10.

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of common classroom commands, objects and phrases.

11.

interpret the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary through context and cognates.

12.

learn about and understand the historical traditions celebrated during French-speaking holidays. 

13.

listen to music and sing songs from the French-speaking culture.

14.

attend a cultural and/ or a social activity with a French focus.

15.

ask and answer questions on related topics.

 

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Valette Valette, Discovering French Bleu Nouveau; la première partie, McDougal Littell ISBN : 0-618-03500-1.

 

Allez, viens, Holt. French level one, video.

 

MUZZY, levels 1 & 2, French.

 

MacArthur, Barbara. Sing, Dance, Laugh and Eat Quiche.

 

Kidspeak French, “Claudine teaches French”, CD ROM.  Transparent Language.

 

Asterix Learn French, CD ROM. Eurotalk Interactive.

 

Video: La France

 

Video: Discovering Paris

 

 

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS

MATH: Metric System, currency conversion, measurements

HISTORY: Geographical concepts

ART & MUSIC: Well-known French-speaking people and their contributions

UNIFIED ARTS: gastronomy and technology