LONG HILL TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
FRENCH COURSE OF STUDY
GRADES 7 & 8
Revised: May, 1995
Adopted: July 24, 1995
Developed by:
Colette Yankowitz
Mary Louise Malyska
Superintendent of Schools
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Philosophy ........................... iii
Skills and Knowledge Objectives
Grade 7, French ............................. 1
Grade 8, French ............................. 4
Evaluation ....................................... 7
Texts and Resources .............................. 8
Affirmative Action ............................... 9
ii
PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY
The study of foreign language should help students with the
skills necessary for effective communication and cultural
understanding in the target language. The students should become
aware of the impact of other cultures on American life, and develop
a sensitivity to the similarities and inherent differences. The
study of a foreign language should promote respect for human worth
and dignity, and provide a basis for lifelong vocational and
leisure pursuits.
In order to achieve linguistic proficiency, the students must
be given developmental experiences in the reading, writing,
listening, and speaking skills. Emphasis is on practical, relevant
vocabulary and grammatical structure which, through role-playing
dialogues and authentic reading samples, and individual and group
activities, students are able to produce idiomatic speech and
writing. To ensure cumulative mastery, a spiraling review of
concepts remain an integral part of the foreign language
curriculum. The program makes use of a textbook, an activity book,
overhead visuals, cassettes, videos, and tests which enable
students to use the foreign language in a realistic context.
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iii
FRENCH CURRICULUM
Grade 7
SKILL OBJECTIVES
The student will demonstrate mastery of:
I. Verbs
A. Present tense
1. Regular -er verbs
2. Irregular verbs etre, faire, avoir
3. Expressions with faire, avoir, ca va
B. Verbs followed by infinitive
II. Adjectives
A. Agreement
B. Adjectives of nationality, physical description,
personality, aspect
C. Position and formation of adjectives
D. Possessive adjectives (mon, ma, ton, ta)
E. Interrogative adjectives (ou, quand, comment, a quelle
heure, pourquoi)
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F. Articles
1. definite
2. indefinite
G. Numbers
1. cardinal 1-1000
III. Pronouns
A. Subject
B. Impersonal pronoun "on"
IV. Usage
A. C'est vs Il est, elle est
B. Contractions (au, aux, du, des)
C. Formation of questions
1. using est-ce que
2. using inversion
D. Il y a
E. Vous vs tu
F. Negation
1. position
2. followed by "de"
G. N'est-ce pas
V. Vocabulary
A. Meeting and greeting people
B. Telling time
C. Immediate family members
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D. Months, days, seasons
E. Weather
F. Daily activities
1. at home
2. at school
3. on weekends
G. Possessions
1. everyday objects
2. room furnishings
H. Color
I. Foods, beverages
The student will demonstrate a knowledge of:
VI. Culture (including, but not limited to, the following
topics).
A. Countries in which French is spoken
B. French view of interpersonal relationships
C. Leisure time activities
D. French schools
E. The French monetary system
F. The geographic variety of France
G. Holidays
H. Paris
1. history
2. monuments
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Grade 8
SKILL OBJECTIVES
The student will demonstrate mastery of:
I. Verbs
A. Present tense
1. Regular -er, -ir, -re verbs
2. Irregular verbs: aller, venir, mettre, payer,
voir, vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, prendre, boire,
connaitre, dire, ecrire
3. Verbs with orthographic changes: esperer,
preferer, amener, acheter, manger, commencer,
nettoyer, payer
B. Future
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. expressed with aller
C. Imperatives
D. Passe Compose
1. of -er, -ir, -re verbs
2. with avoir
3. with etre
4. of irregular verbs: etre, avoir, faire, mettre,
voir
5. with direct and indirect object pronouns
6. in negative constructions
7. agreement of past participles with the subjects
II. Pronouns
A. Stress
B. Direct object pronouns
C. Indirect object pronouns
D. Position of object pronouns
1. with present tense
2. with passe compose
3. with infinitives
III. Adverbs
A. Ending in "ment"
B. Position with passe compose
C. of sequence
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IV. Adjectives
A. Possessive
B. Demonstrative
C. Comparative and Superlative
V. Usage
A. Chez
B. Contraction with: de, a
C. Negation ne ... jamais
ne ... personne
ne ... rien
D. Expressions with avoir
faire
VI. Numbers
A. Ordinal
VII. Culture
A. French housing
B. French open-air markets and foods
C. French cuisine
1. school meals
2. family meals
3. ordering in a cafe and restaurant
D. French Medieval and Impressionist Art
E. Provinces of France
1. some history
2. customs
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3. local food
EVALUATING STUDENT PROGRESS
Grades 7 & 8
Teacher uses several methods of evaluating student progress
since the emphasis of the Discovering French D.C. Heath program is
on the listening, reading, writing and speaking skills.
Evaluation of Reading, Writing and Listening Skills:
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A. Teacher made and standardized quizzes, designed to measure
mastery of conversational phrases, structures, and
vocabulary.
B. Publisher's unit tests to evaluate the students'
proficiency in the four skills of listening, speaking,
reading and writing.
C. Teacher observation and assessment of daily classroom
activities.
D. Teacher assessment of homework activities.
Speaking
A major goal in foreign language teaching is to develop oral
fluency in the target language. Oral proficiency is measured
through dialogues, speaking exercises on tape, and oral interplay
among students and the teacher in the classroom.
TEXTS AND RESOURCES
Discovering French Bleu, Jean Paul Valette, Rebecca Valette; D.C.
Heath and Company, 1993.
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Discovering French Bleu, Activity Book, Ibid.
Discovering French Bleu, overhead visual, Ibid.
Discovering French Bleu, cassette program, Ibid.
Discovering French Bleu. dual testing program (achievement and
proficiency), Ibid.
Maps World, France, Paris
Larousse Dictionary
Films in French
Language Games
Paris - Match magazine
Field Trips: Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art (French period
rooms, impressionist paintings) Quebec
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CONSIDERATIONS
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This curriculum complies with the adopted policy of the Long
Hill Township Board of Education not to discriminate on the basis
of race, color, creed, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin,
social status, economic status or non-applicable handicap in its
educational programs and activities as required by Title IX of the
Educational Amendments of 1972 and N.J.A.C. 6: 4-1.1 et seq.
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