French

The French Programme offers students a valuable educational experience. French will be the language of communication in class, since classroom interaction provides students with many opportunities to speak in French and to hear French spoken. The development of oral language provides the foundation that enables students to learn to read and write. Because listening and speaking are inseparable in real-life situations, these skills will be developed together in the classroom. Students will develop strategies – such as observing facial expressions and body language, listening to intonation, using clues from context, and thinking of familiar words – to deduce the meaning of new words and to make sense of spoken language. The French Programme includes numerous activities that allow students to use French for real purposes and in real situations.

Reading is a complex process – and all the more complex in a second language – because it involves understanding the relationship between written language and speech and relating ideas and information encountered in reading to one’s store of knowledge and experience. It also involves using various strategies and methods to determine the meaning of what is being communicated. In order to become independent and fluent readers in the French language, students will read frequently and will develop the skills used in reading for different purposes.

Writing competence develops along with skills in other areas of language, especially reading. As students read a variety of written texts, they increase and gain command over their vocabulary, and learn to vary their sentence structure and organizational approach. To become good writers who are able to communicate ideas with ease and clarity, students will have frequent opportunities to write for various purposes and audiences, and to master the skills involved in the various tasks of the writing process.