FRENCH

French is taught throughout the school from Reception to Year 8 by specialist teachers.  In the Pre-Prep, pupils have one lesson each week and in Years 3, 4 and 5 this increases to 3 lessons. Year 6 has four lessons each, whilst Years 7 and 8 have five lessons of 35 minutes with weekly preps to supplement this.

Very few children do not learn French at St Aubyns. However, this may occur if a child joins the school with specific learning difficulties severe enough to make it inadvisable. The time thus freed is organised by the Learning + Department and is used as is most appropriate to that child.

There is a 'Catch-up French Club' available for those pupils needing extra help.

Throughout the year, pupils in Years 5 to 8 perform a number of French plays to the rest of the school during the morning Chapel service.  The "Chapelle Française" involves all students of French in Years 5 to 8 and is a great way to boost their confidence in speaking French and to have fun with the language.

A bi-annual visit to Normandy is open to pupils in Years 7 and 8. Groups of pupils, accompanied by staff, spend four or five nights in an Educational Centre. Daily activities include a variety of educational visits to the area, on-site adventure activities and language improvement sessions.

 

 

 

AIMS

1. To furnish each pupil, within the limits of his/her ability, with

• a practical, creative and imaginative competence in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing enabling pupils to approach the challenge of contact with native speakers with confidence .
• succeed in internal and external examination, both in the short term (CE and Scholarship) and, in the future, GCSE and A level.
• adopt a positive and sympathetic attitude not only to France, its language and people, but also to those of other French-speaking lands.
• develop an awareness of the nature of language and of language learning.

2. To present French in particular, and language learning in general

• as an enjoyable, relevant and useful skill, through a variety of attractively presented resources.
• in a classroom atmosphere which fosters confidence.
• with an expectation of success and enjoyment.
• using the target language as much as possible in the classroom by the teacher and pupils.

OBJECTIVES

At the age of 13+ children should be able:

as listeners:

• to understand informal instructions, requests, monologues and simple dialogues;
• to listen with understanding to authentic French, spoken by native speakers (usually on CD, DVD or video);
• to have learnt something of the techniques of gist comprehension.

as speakers:

• to respond to prepared and unprepared questions.
• to perform role-play tasks.
• to deliver a speech and conduct a conversation based on a number of prepared topics.

as readers:

• to understand texts such as letters, brochures and menus.
• to recognise attitudes and emotions.
• to access authentic material within their experience.

as writers:

• to write single words and extended sentences.
• to write a longer piece of continuous French such as a letter of up to one hundred and fifty words.

Scheme of Work

In the Prep section of the school pupils will study three Topic Areas each academic year.

Year 3:  Me & My Family, My House & My School, On Holiday

Year 4:  At Home, My School, The World Around Me

Year 5:  My World, Food & Drink, Going Out

Year 6:  Towns, Travel & Transport, Home Life, School Life 

Year 7:  Holiday & Public Services, Education & Work, Leisure & Entertainment

Year 8:  CE or Scholarship preparation as appropriate
 

Work set for Friday 3rd December

Year 7 - go to www.languagesonline.org.uk and focus on activities connected to 'chez moi' - Mrs Edwards class should do revision exercises on the Perfect Tense

Year 8 - go to the GCSE Bitesize website and practise listening and reading activities and do vocabulary revision - pupils can also practise their speech if they have access to it