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French

French is an international language of world business and politics. It is one of the official languages used in the EU and is the spoken widely around the world. Learning French allows a student to study not only the language and culture of France but also Francophone countries throughout the world.

Trips to Paris are organised which provides students with the opportunity to practise their language in an authentic way while experiencing French culture and food.

Pupils also have the opportunity to attend French film events at Queen’s Film Theatre, as well as language immersion courses at Queen’s and Ulster Universities. A French theatre company will also perform for the students.

A French Assistant is employed to work intensively with the yr13 & 14 French students in preparation for their AS and A2 exam. When time allows it the French assistant is also deployed throughout the junior school and to assist with speaking preparation for the GCSE students.

Teaching Staff

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Miss C McAtamney

Head of Department

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Mr E O’Neill

Teacher

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Course Curriculum

Course Outline

Bonjour! Welcome to Year 8 French!

At the beginning of Year 8, pupils will start to learn simple words and phrases and build on these gradually. By mid-way through the year, they will be able to have a conversation in French, order food and drinks in a café, talk about themselves, their family and pets and where they live. They will talk about young people in France, their daily routine and life at school.

By the end of the year, they will also be able to describe their town, their hobbies and interests, their favourite group and talk about music in French.



Assessment

Pupils will be assessed in a variety of ways. Teachers will ask questions in class, give short vocabulary tests, weekly homework and there will be a formal assessment each half-term. These results will be recorded and parents will be asked to sign the test and to comment on their son’s progress throughout the year.

There is an internal examination at Christmas and in June.


Study/Homework Requirements:

Pupils can expect to receive one piece of homework each week in Year 8. This will usually be one written task and/or one learning task. Written homework should be neatly presented in their homework book and signed by parents.

All pupils should revise the work done in class every evening. They should spend 15 minutes on this daily. They should make sure that they understand what they have done in class and ask their teacher the following day if they have any questions. Learning new words is essential for pupils to progress in learning French. Pupils should learn a small amount of vocabulary each day rather than trying to learn too much the night before a test! It is helpful if parents can ask their son about what he has learned in class. Pupils might also like to try teaching their new words to another family member.



Key Points To Success:

This year pupils will learn to listen, speak, read and write in French. They will develop essential skills to help them learn a language. They will be taking part in pair work and group work exercises as well as completing tasks individually in class. Pupils will need to concentrate in lessons and learn to listen intently. We concentrate on developing speaking skills and pupils will soon become confident about using French with the teacher and with their friends in class. They will have good communication skills when they visit France on holiday.



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