Department Members
Mrs. Chantal Bencze, Dept.
Head
Mrs. Valerie Chase
Mrs. Monique Enos
Courses Offered
French I
French I is a beginning course detailing grammatical structure, effective
reading and oral training. Through both classroom group exercises and the
use of training tapes our students begin to master the spoken language.
Text: Bon Voyage, Level II
French II
Intermediate French II continues with the introduction of more complicated
grammatical structures and further audiovisual training.
Text: Viens Voir, Waldman-LaVergne, Edit: Scott Foresman
French III
Offered to students who have successfully completed French II.
Supported by the text, French III provides a complete intermediate
program aimed at strengthening the four skills of reading, writing, listening,
and speaking. The course relies on a strong grammar base and introduces the
students to various aspects of the Francophone culture throughout the world.
Our enrichment text is Le Petit Prince by de Saint-Exupéry.
Prerequisite: French II
Texts: En Bonne Forme, Dietiker & van Hooff
Le Petit Prince, de Saint-Exupéry
French IV
Offered to students who have successfully completed French III.
We continue our multi-faceted program of listening and reading comprehension, conversation, writing proficiency, vocabulary, and structure-building through the study of French literature and civilization. We intensify the development of a solid grammar base.
We use whole language instruction, a functional approach
which emphasizes meaningful verbal and written communication, based on the
study of whole texts instead of isolated words and syntax. The students are
also required to read internet articles on Francophone sites and to write
reports on these articles, as well as maintain personal journals.
Prerequisite: French III
Text: En Bonne Forme, Dietiker & van Hooff
French Language - Advanced Placement
Open to seniors who have successfully completed French IV. The following objectives
for AP French Language are based on the College Board recommendations:
The course emphasizes the use of language for active communication and helps students develop the following:
- the ability to understand spoken French in various contexts.
- a French vocabulary sufficiently ample for reading newspaper and magazine articles, literary texts, and other nontechnical writings.
- the ability to express themselves coherently, resourcefully, and with reasonable fluency and accuracy in both written and spoken French.
Course content reflects intellectual
interests shared by the students and teacher (the Arts, current events, literature,
sports, etc.). Materials include audio and video recordings, films, newspapers,
and magazines. The course seeks to develop language skills (reading, writing,
listening, and speaking) that can be used in various activities and disciplines.
Extensive training in the organization and writing of compositions is emphasized.
Prerequisite: French IV
French Literature - Advanced Placement
Open to seniors who have successfully completed French IV.
The AP French Literature course is designed to introduce students who have advanced language skills to the formal study of a representative body of literary texts in French with the following objectives outlined by the College Board. Students in this class will:
- gain proficiency in the fundamental language skills that enable them to read and understand prose and verse of moderate difficulty.
- formulate and express critical opinions and judgments in correct oral and written French.
- develop the ability to read and analyze critically and to discuss perceptively representative works of French literature.
Prerequisite: French IV
Text: A variety of literary texts