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King Edward VI Handsworth School,
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French
Aims
The French department aims to provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with both the spoken and written language, as well as broaden their understanding of the culture of French-speaking countries. France is Britain’s closest neighbour and is, for many, the gateway to Europe. French is widely spoken in the world and has a rich heritage in literature, philosophy and the arts in general.
Curriculum and Assessment Maps
Year 7
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Present tense of the verb ‘avoir’
Present tense of the verb ‘etre’
Present tense of regular ‘er’ verbs
Expressing opinions and justifying them
Comparative adjectives
Clauses using quand
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
How to say my name and age
How to say someone else’s name and age
How to count from 1-15
A range of common French names
The words for brother and sister
Where I and another person are from
When my birthday is
Numbers from 15-31
Months
I am and he/she is
Where I live and am from
If I live in a flat or a house
What my accomodation looks like and where it is located
The names of famous cities and countries in the French speaking world
The verb ‘to be’
I will also revisit :
-Introducing myself
-Speaking about age and birthday
How many people there are in my family
If I get along with them
Words for family members
What their age is
Numbers from 31-100
I will also revisit :
-Numbers from 1-31
Assessment Pieces Autumn Term
Reading and Listening with a variety of question types
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
To describe what a person’s hair and eyes are like
To describe details about their faces
Colours
How to say I wear and he/she wears
I will also revisit :
-Common French names
-The verb ‘avoir’ (to have) in the first and third person singular
-Numbers 1-15
What your immediate family members are like
Adjectives to describe them
The third person of the verb être (to be) : il est and elle est
All persons of the verb avoir (to have) in the present tense
I will also revisit :
-Numbers 1-31
-Hair and eyes description
More/less than
As…..as
New adjectives to describe people
I will also revisit :
-Family members
Say what clothes I wear in various circumstances and places
Describe various types of weather
Give a wide range of words for clothing and accessories
Use a range of words for places in a town
Use all persons with the verb porter (to wear)
I will also revisit :
-Time and frequency markers
-Colours
-Present tense of the verb avoir (to have)
-Noun to adjective agreement
Assessment Pieces Spring Term
Extended writing task
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
What activities I do using the verbs jouer (to play) faire (to do) and aller (to go)
What activites you do in different types of weather
Where you do them and who you do them with
Words for places in a town
I will also revisit :
-Time and frequency markers
-Weather
-Expressing likes and dislikes
-Adjectives
-Clothes
-Family members
-Numbers 1-100
What food you like and dislike with reasons why
use all persons with the verbs manger (to eat ), prendre (to take) déjeuner (to have lunch), dîner (to have dinner) and boire (to drink)
What I eat at each meal
This and these
I will also revisit :
-Time markers
-Justifying choices
-Noun to adjective agreement
What jobs people do
Why they like/dislike those jobs
Where they work
Adjectives to describe jobs
use all persons with the verb travailler (to work)
I will also revisit :
-Family members
-The verb être ( all persons)
-Describing people
Assessment Pieces Summer Term
Speaking assessment
Outside the taught curriculum
Christmas in France – Autumn Term
French cinema (Petit Nicolas Film) – Autumn Term
Study of French speaking countries in West Africa – Autumn Term
Virtual Tour of Paris – Autumn Term
French Independence Day (Bastille Day July 14th) – Summer Term
Suggested wider reading/enrichment for Year 7
A collection of French short stories available on loan in the library
www.quizlet.co.uk for vocabulary practice
www.senecalearning.com for vocabulary practice
www.memrise.com for vocabulary practice
Year 8
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Immediate future tense
Conditional tense using modal verb vouloir
Perfect tense using verbs that take avoir and etre
Imperfect tense to describe
Perfect tense of reflexive verbs
Present tense of regular and irregular verbs
Relative clauses: ce que
Si and quand clauses
Negative sentences
Object pronouns
Infinitive verb constructions
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
What you intend to do in future holidays
Where you are going to go
Where you are going to stay
Who you are going to travel with
What it will be like
Means of transport
To describe a where I went on holiday last and where I stayed
To express opinions about holiday accommodation
To talk about what my family, friends and I did during a holiday
To give my opinion about what I liked and disliked
I will also revisit
-The perfect tense of regular and irregular verbs
-The verb aller (to go)
-Free time activities
-Adjectives
Assessment Pieces Autumn Term
Reading and Listening tasks with a variety of question types
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
What I like/dislike to watch on the TV and why
How often I watch TV
What I watched on the TV
What I would like to watch on the TV
Say what I enjoy reading and why
What I have read recently and what I thought about it
What I would like to read
What films I like to watch and why
What films I have recently seen and what I thought of them
What film I would like to watch
What I do online in my free time and why
What music I like/dislike and why
Why I like a particular group/singer
I will also revisit :
-Time and frequency markers
-Expressing opinions and justifying them
-Present tense
-Perfect tense
-Adjectives
Assessment Pieces Spring Term
Extended writing task
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Say what clothes I wear in various circumstances and places
Describe various types of weather
Give a wide range of words for clothing and accessories
Use a range of words for places in a town
Use all persons with the verb porter (to wear)
I will also revisit :
-Time and frequency markers
-Colours
-Present tense of the verb avoir (to have)
-Noun to adjective agreement
What jobs people do
Why they like/dislike those jobs
Where they work
Adjectives to describe jobs
use all persons with the verb travailler (to work)
I will also revisit :
-Family members
-The verb être ( all persons)
-Describing people
What daily activities I do
What time I do things
Describe what I ‘can’, ‘have to’, ‘must’ and ‘want’ to do#
Assessment Pieces Summer Term
Speaking Assessment
Outside the taught curriculum
Virtual trip to Paris – Autumn Term
French Theatre company delivering a production in French – Spring Term
Study of a French film – Spring Term
Study of French music festival – Spring Term
Study of a fiction book in French – Spring Term
Language Immersion challenge – Summer Term
Suggested reading for Year 8
A collection of short, French stories available from the library
www.quizlet.co.uk for vocabulary practice
www.senecalearning.com for vocabulary practice
www.memrise.com for vocabulary practice
Year 9
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Present tense of reflexive verbs
Comparative and superlative adjectives
Relative clauses; qui, ce qui and ce que
Immediate future tense
Possessive adjectives
Infinitive verb constructions
Impersonal structures (negative also)
Si clauses
Comparisons with nouns
Negative sentences
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
What my family look like
What they are like as people
How I get along with my family and why
A recent activity I have done with my family
What I am going to do with my family next weekend
My future relationship plans
I will also revisit :
-The past tense with avoir and être
-Adjective to noun agreement
-The immediate future tense
-Present tense of avoir and être
-Present tense of regular ‘er’ verbs – all pronouns
The environmental issues that my town is facing
What I do on a day-to-day basis to help the environment
What must be done to combat these environmental problems
What I did last weekend that helped the environment
I will also revisit :
-The past tense with avoir and être
-The immediate future tense
-Present tense of regular ‘er’ ‘ir’ and ‘re’ verbs
-Impersonal structures
-Negative sentences
Assessment Pieces Autumn Term
Reading and Listening with a variety of question types
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Describe the volunteering work that I do
Talk about the volunteering work that I did last weekend
Give details about my healthy/unhealthy lifestyle
Talk about my health plans for the future
I will also revisit :
-The perfect tense of regular and irregular verbs
-The immediate future tense
-Present tense of regular and irregular verbs – er, ir and re
-Impersonal structures including the negative form
-Time markers
-Reflexive verbs
Assessment Pieces Spring Term
Writing Task
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Describe what celebrations I enjoy and how I celebrate
Talk about a recent celebration that I enjoyed with family and friends
Give details about a festival I would like to experience in France or a french speaking country
I will also revisit:
-The perfect tense of regular and irregular verbs
-The immediate future tense
-Present tense of regular and irregular er, ir and re verbs
Assessment Pieces Summer Term
Speaking Assessment
Outside the taught curriculum
Residential Trip to Paris
French lunchtime book club
Suggested reading
A collection of short French stories available from the library
www.quizlet.co.uk for vocabulary practice
www.senecalearning.com for vocabulary practice
www.memrise.com for vocabulary practice
Year 10
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Present tense of regular and irregular verbs
Perfect tense of regular and irregular verbs
Reflexive verbs
Future tense – immediate and simple
Infinitive verb constructions
Si clauses
Object pronouns
Adjectives – comparatives and agreement
Negative structures
Perfect and present infinitive
Adverbs of frequency
Conditional tense of regular and irregular verbs
Impersonal structures
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Me, my family and friends – describing self, family and friends and how you get along with them, talking about future relationships and discussing future relationship choices
Technology in everyday life – talking about the uses of social media and mobile technology, discussing the dangers of the online world
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Reading and Listening tasks with a variety of question types
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Free Time activities – describing what you do in your free time to include TV, film and music, eating out and sporting activities that you enjoy
Home, town, neighbourhood and region – describing your home and your ideal home, your town and what you can do there and the negative aspects of your region
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Extended piece of writing on a choice of topics
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Social issues – describing the charitable work that you do in your community, talking about healthy lifestyles and what can be done to improve your health and fitness
Assessment pieces Summer Term
Speaking assessment
Outside the taught curriculum
Speakers promoting the benefits of languages in the workplace
Student leadership opportunities delivering Masterclasses to local primary schools
Suggested reading
A collection of short French stories available from the library
CGP French Knowledge Organisers and Retrievers
French GCSE revision guides
Year 11
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Present tense of regular and irregular verbs including daily routine reflexive verbs
Perfect tense of regular and irregular verbs with avoir and être
Perfect infinitive
Imperfect tense with avoir, être and opinion verbs
Impersonal structures including in the negative form
Modal verbs – pouvoir and devoir
Conditional tense of avoir and être
Si and quand clauses
Infinitive verb construictions
Present participle
Simple future tense using regular and irregular verbs
Conditional tense of avoir and être
Impersonal structures including in the negative form
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Life at school and college – describing a day in school, a recent school visit, school rules and uniform, ideal school
Jobs, career choices and ambitions – talking about future options in terms of university or apprenticeships or gap years, advantages and disadvantages of certain
Jobs and ideal job
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Mock Exam – Writing, Reading and Listening
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Travel and Tourism – describing holidays in detail in the present and past tenses, describing future and ideal holidays
Social and Global issues – describing how environmentally friendly you and your town are, what environmental problems your town is facing and what can be done to combat them, what you did last week that was good for the environment
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Mock Speaking Exam
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Revision of Themes 1 and 2
Assessment pieces Summer Term
GCSE Examination
Outside the taught curriculum
Student leadership opportunities through delivering Masterclasses to local Primary schools
Suggested reading
GCSE Key Recall Question booklet for independent practice
Sentence builders for each unit for independent practice
www.quizlet.co.uk for vocabulary practice
www.senecalearning.com for vocabulary practice
www.memrise.com for vocabulary practice
www.languagenut.com for listening, reading and speaking practice
Year 12
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Paper 1 style assessment
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Paper 1 style assessment
Assessment pieces Summer Term
Paper 1 and Paper 3 assessment
Outside the taught curriculum
Webinars with Universities discussing the life of a language Undergraduate
Opportunities to offer language lessons to local primary schools
Trip to Paris
Suggested reading
French reading books in the library
CGP revision guides
La Haine – film to be studied in Year 13
Un sac de billes – literary text to be studied in Year 13
Seneca for revision and grammar practice
www.language-gym.com – excellent site for grammar practice
www.frenchteacher.net – a good selection of reading and audio material in the form of short texts and videos with comprehension questions are placed on this site each month in the ‘free resources’ section
www.20minutes.fr – short, current affairs articles
Year 13
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Criminality
• Examine different attitudes to crime
• Discuss prison and its merits and problems
• Consider alternative forms of punishment
Politics:
• Discuss arguments relating to the vote and examine the French political system and its evolution.
• Discuss engagement levels of young people and their influence on politics.
• Discuss the future of politics and political engagement
Literary text:
• Study and analysis of ‘Un sac de billes’ by Joseph Jeffo including characters, key themes and key scenes.
• Analyse and evaluate author, techniques and their impact.
French Film:
• Study and analysis of ‘La Haine including characters, key themes, key scenes
• Consider the influence of New Wave cinema and the director on the film.
• Analyse and evaluate film making techniques and their impact.
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Paper 1 and Paper 2 assessment
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Marginalised in society:
• Examine different groups who are socially marginalised
• Discuss measures to help those who are marginalised
• Consider contrasting attitudes to people who are marginalised
Strikes and Union movement:
• Understand the important role of unions.
• Talk about strikes and protests and consider different methods of protesting
• Discuss different attitudes towards strikes, protests and other political tensions
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Paper 1 and Paper 3 assessment
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Diversity:
• Consider the benefits of living in an ethnically diverse society.
• Consider the need for tolerance and respect of diversity.
• Consider how we can promote
diversity to create a richer world.
Immigration
• Discuss some of the political issues concerning immigration in francophone countries
• Consider the viewpoints of political parties regarding immigration
• Consider immigration from the standpoint of immigrants, as well as aspects of racism
Assessment pieces Summer Term
A Level Examination
Staffing
French
Mrs T Richards (Subject Leader for French)
Miss J Woolley (Teacher of French)
Further information
Staff
-
Mrs T Richards (Subject Leader for French)
-
Miss J Woolley (Teacher of French)
Additional Information
Key Stage 4 (GCSE)
Students who opt to take the GCSE course will have a good grounding in the subject from Key Stage 3, consolidating on some previously learnt material as well as developing their competencies in new topic areas. In each Year students will have either 5 periods of French per fortnight. We currently follow the AQA GCSE examination syllabus. The four components are: Listening (25%), Reading (25%), Speaking (25%) and Writing (25%). All elements are assessed by a final examination at the end of Year 11.
KS5 (A Level)
The A Level course (AQA) is divided into 6 Units (Units 1, 2 and 3 are studied in Year 12, and Units 4, 5 and 6 in Year 13).
During this course students will have 11 lessons per fortnight, including a dedicated speaking lesson where students will have the opportunity to focus on their oral skills. French is delivered collaboratively with Handsworth Grammar School for Boys and students will be taught by 2 subject specialists. Teachers will spend time with students consolidating on grammar, encouraging students to quickly become independent learners. Lessons are taught in small groups with an excellent student-teacher ratio. There is ample opportunity for classroom discussion, increasing levels of spontaneity and building self-efficacy.
In the first year, pupils study the topics of family, cyber society, charity work, heritage, music and cinema. In the second year they study the positive effects of multi culturalism, help for the marginalised, criminality, the political engagement of the young, strikes and immigration in politics. In addition, students will have the opportunity to study a French film and a literary text.
How can parents help?
Whenever possible, you could encourage your daughter to:
- Read the teacher comments and where relevant act on them
- Use the online text book to read ahead to be ready for new topics and review prior learning in the revise sections
- Make revision materials at the end of each topic
- Keep up-to-date with vocabulary learning
- Review your work frequently
- Attend French Support Club if required
- Improve reading skills by accessing French materials in the library
- This is not a full list, the techniques you use in other subjects will also work with French
Where next
Here are just a few areas in which the application of French would prove to be useful:
- Business
- Travel and Tourism
- Arts (especially Music) and Literature
- Teaching
- Academia
- Translation and interpreting
- Any profession that requires confidence in communication, flexibility, the willingness to embrace a new challenge
Opportunities out of lessons
French Opportunities Out Of Lessons
- French Residential for Year 8 pupils (annually)
- French Study Trip to Paris (annually)
- Correspondants (penpals)
French Opportunities Parents Can Provide
- Trip/holiday to France, Switzerland or any other French-speaking country
- Work Experience/Contacts with international/French-based companies
Useful links
Useful French Websites
TF1 (television)
VJC (vocabulary and games)
Languages Online (grammar,vocabulary and games)
French Institute (cultural institute)
AQA French (GCSE and A level examination board)
Quizlet (vocabulary and key phrases, flashcards, games)
Kahoot (vocabulary and key phrases, games)