French II Advanced

 

Standard 1.2, 1.3 Communication:  Communicate in languages other than English

Standard 2.1  Cultures:  Gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures

Standard 3.1, 3.2 Connections: Connect with other disciplines and acquire information

Standard 4.1, 4.2 Comparisons: Develop insight into own language & culture

 

 

Estimated Time Range:

August to June

 

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

 

The student will understand that:

1.

Verb conjugation in French is elaborate

2.

Some verb tenses involve the use of auxiliary verbs

3.

Within a verb conjugation several forms may sound the same

4.

 One-to-one correspondences do not always exist between tenses in English and tenses in French

5.

There are overlaps between groups of pronouns

6.

Knowledge of English can aid and hinder  the acquisition of  French language

7.

There are linguistic and extra-linguistic distinctions in formal and informal forms of address in French.

8.

Grammatical gender as well as personal gender characterize describing people, places and things in French

9.

Differences and similarities exist between societal aspects of daily living in the U.S. and those in the French-speaking world. ( urban living, shopping, driving, and cultural activities)

10.

It takes time for social change to bring about linguistic change

11

Travel in Europe is rapidly evolving because of technological, historical and social events.

12

Meaning is expressed through context

13

French is not a phonetic language

14

Language allows for both self-expression and communication

15

Conventions of speaking and listening are different from reading and writing

 

 

SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS

Tests, quizzes, compositions, dialogues

Francophone culture research project/presentation: In small groups, students research predetermined aspects of a francophone culture(geography, languages used, food specialty) and present in class in French with audio-visual support and realia.  Rubric used.

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1.

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

2.

When would you use “etre” vs. avoir in the passe compose?

3.

In what ways is French more precise than English, in what ways is it more ambiguous?

4.

What relationships exist between grammatical gender and  personal gender in French?

5.

What are grammatical gender and number, as concepts?

6.

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

7.

What does it mean to use circumlocution when speaking French?

 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

The student will be able to:

1.

Represent idiomatic expressions with the verbs “avoir” and “faire”

2.

Use irregular verbs in the present tense (mettre, prendre, voir, pouvoir, vouloir, boire, ecrire, dire, venir, devoir )

3.

Use stem changing “-er” verbs in the present tense ( acheter,amener, esperer, preferer, payer)

4.

Analyze usage of the two verbs “to know” in the present tense (connaitre, savoir)

5.

Analyze word order required with certain adjectives

6.

Describe past actions using “passe compose” tense for regular and irregular verbs using “etre” and “avoir” (regular and irregular past participles)

7.

Discuss future actions (near future tense, vocabulary)

8.

Give and follow directions/advice (imperative verb mood, vocabulary,)

9.

 

10.

Describe people, places and things (the verb “to be”, vocabulary, irregular adjectives, stress pronouns, indefinite, definite and partitive articles, possessive adjectives, ordinal numbers)

11.

Compare and contrast people, places and things with same characteristics (comparative, superlative of adjectives, irregular adjectives, vocabulary)

12.

Model and describe clothing (vocabulary)

13.

Assume the role of a tourist in a bank , restaurant or store in a French-speaking country). (vocabulary, cardinal/ordinal numbers, realia)

14.

Compare and contrast U.S. cities and French cities

15.

Document and teach basic aspects of a French-speaking culture(realia, vocabulary)

16.

Refer to people, places and things already mentioned (demonstrative adjective “ce”, object pronouns)

17.

Compare and contrast teenager leisure habits (vacation, shopping,  cultural activities, driving) in France vs. the United States

18.

Ask questions formally and informally (interrogative expression)

19.

Recognize and produce negative expressions

20.

Predict meaning of cognates and be aware of false cognates

21.

Identify locations (prepositions, object pronouns, contracted forms of “a” and “de”)

22.

Express common actions in the present tense ( regular –er, -re, and –ir verbs and irregular verbs “avoir”, “faire”, “avoir” and “aller”)

 

 

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Valette/Valette  Discovering French  Heath and Company. 2001 ISBN 0-618-035044

French realia

French board games

 

 

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS

Health and/or medical careers

Political science careers

Foreign service careers

Teaching careers

Tourism/travel related careers

International business/diplomacy careers

Communications careers(international postal/telephone/translator/interpreter)

Service careers(international au pair/customer service/food service)

Careers in film, theater, television, and the arts

Bilingual municipal services