AP French Language and Culture
Curriculum Framework
The AP French Language and Culture course takes a holistic approach to
language proficiency and recognizes the complex interrelatedness of comprehension and
comprehensibility, vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and
cultural awareness.
Students should learn language structures in context and use them
to convey meaning. In standards-based world language classrooms, the instructional
focus is on function and not the examination of irregularity and complex grammatical
paradigms about the target language. The AP French Language and Culture course
strives to promote both fluency and accuracy in language use and not to overemphasize
grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. In order to best facilitate the
study of language and culture, the course is taught in the target language.
Structure of the Curriculum Framework
This curriculum framework begins by outlining the learning objectives and the
achievement level descriptions that define student performance across five levels. The
tools for instructional design come next: themes to integrate language, content, and
culture into an interrelated series of lessons and activities; recommended contexts for
exploring each theme: (Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life,
Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, and Beauty and Esthetics) and
each theme’s overarching essential questions to engage learners and to guide classroom
investigations, learning activities, and performance assessments.
Interpersonal Communication
The Interpersonal Mode is characterized by active negotiation of meaning among
individuals in both the spoken and written domains. Students observe and monitor one
another to see how their meanings and intentions are being communicated.
A. The student engages in spoken interpersonal communications. Manners in which the
student may achieve this objective are:

Engaging in the oral exchange of information, opinions, and ideas in a
variety of time frames in formal and informal situations.

Eliciting information and clarifying meaning by using a variety of
strategies.

Stating and supporting opinions in oral interactions.

Initiating and sustaining interaction through the use of various verbal and
nonverbal strategies.

Understanding a variety of vocabulary, including idiomatic and culturally
appropriate expressions.

Using a variety of vocabulary, including idiomatic and culturally
appropriate expressions on a variety of topics.

Self-monitoring and adjusting language production.

Demonstrating an understanding of the features of target culture
communities (e.g., geographic, historical, artistic, social, or political).

Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of content across disciplines.
B. The student engages in written interpersonal communications. Manners in which the
student may achieve this objective are:

Engaging in the written exchange of information, opinions, and ideas in a
variety of time frames in formal and informal situations.

Writing formal correspondence in a variety of media using appropriate
formats and conventions.

Writing informal correspondence in a variety of media using appropriate
formats and conventions.

Eliciting information and clarifying meaning by using a variety of
strategies.

Stating and supporting opinions in written interactions.

Initiating and sustaining interaction during written interpersonal
communication in a variety of media.

Understanding a variety of vocabulary, including idiomatic and culturally
appropriate expressions.

Using a variety of vocabulary, including idiomatic and culturally
appropriate expressions on a variety of topics.
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
Self-monitoring and adjusting language production.

Demonstrating an understanding of the features of target culture
communities (e.g., geographic, historical, artistic, social, or political).

Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of content across disciplines.
Interpretive Communication
The Interpretive Mode is characterized by the appropriate cultural interpretation
of meanings that occur in written and spoken form where there is no recourse to the
active negotiation of meaning with the writer or speaker.
The student synthesizes
information from a variety of audio, visual, and audiovisual resources. Manners in which
the student may achieve this objective are:

Demonstrating
comprehension
of
content
from
authentic
audio,
audiovisual, and visual resources.

Demonstrating understanding of a variety of vocabulary, including
idiomatic and culturally authentic expressions.

Understanding the purpose of a message and the point of view of the
author.

Identifying the distinguishing features (e.g., type of resource, intended
audience, purpose) of authentic audio, visual, and audiovisual resources.

Demonstrating critical viewing or listening of audio, visual, and
audiovisual resources in the target cultural context.

Monitoring comprehension and using other sources to enhance
understanding.

Examining, comparing, and reflecting on products, practices, and
perspectives of the target culture(s).

Evaluating similarities and differences in the perspectives of the target
culture(s) and his or her own culture(s) as found in audio, visual, and
audiovisual resources.

Demonstrating an understanding of the features of target culture
communities (e.g., geographic, historical, artistic, social, or political).

Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of content across disciplines.
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Presentational Communication
The Presentational Mode is characterized by the creation of messages in a manner
that facilitates interpretation by members of the target culture where no direct opportunity
for the active negotiation of meaning exists. The student plans, produces, and presents
spoken presentational communications. Manners in which the student may achieve this
objective are:

Producing a variety of creative oral presentations (e.g., original story,
personal narrative, speech, performance).

Retelling or summarizing information in narrative form, demonstrating a
consideration of audience.

Creating and giving persuasive speeches.

Expounding on familiar topics and those requiring speech.

Using reference tools, acknowledging sources, and citing them
appropriately.

Self-monitoring and adjusting language production.

Demonstrating an understanding of the features of target culture
communities (e.g., geographic, historical, artistic, social, or political).

Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of content across disciplines.

Comparing aspects of a Francophone culture with similar aspects of their
own.
Authentic Materials
As a means to broaden the student’s linguistic and cultural understanding, as well
as raise the student’s performance in the target language, a wide variety of authentic, realworld materials will be used. These materials, for example, may be taken from online
sources, such as podcasts, news reports, or other video presentations. Additionally, realia
from Francophone countries may be used as supplementary information. Examples of
this include: train schedules, restaurant menus, or TV listings. The use of all of these
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sources and materials will help to provide real-world contexts that are both authentic and
purposeful.
Structural Foundations for Review and Expansion
The teacher will decide which language structure(s) may need to be reviewed,
depending on the need of the class. The language structures listed below may only be a
possible list, depending on the class’s needs. The list is not limited to these structures
and the teacher may modify this list, again, depending on the needs of the class.
-
Nouns, gender, articles
-
Present tenses and imperative mood
-
Past tense verbs including passé compose, imperfect and past perfect
-
Future and conditional verb tenses and clauses
-
Use and formation of the subjunctive and past subjunctive moods
-
Use of the infinitive past
-
Use and formation of the present participle and the gerund
-
Pronoun complements, stress pronouns
-
Possessive and demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
-
Interrogative expressions
-
Simple and complex relative pronouns
-
Negation, indefinite and restrictive expressions
-
Adjectives, adverbs, comparative and superlative
-
Prepositions and conjunctions
Course Materials
Textbooks and Reference Sources
Ladd, Richard. Allons au-delà! Boston: Pearson, 2012.
Ladd, Richard. AP French. Boston: Pearson, 2012.
Sturges II, Hale, Linda Cregg Nielsen and Henry Lynn Herbst. Une Fois Pour Toutes. 3rd
ed. Boston: Pearson, 2008.
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Recommended Supplementary Texts
Dietiker, Simone Renaud, and Dominique van Hooff. En Bonne Forme. 7th ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 2001
Quarter 1
Theme 1: Global Challenges (Les défis mondiaux)
Recommended Contexts: La tolérance, L’économie, L’environnement, La santé, Les droits de
l’être humain, L’alimentation, La paix et la guerre
Overarching Essential Questions:
• What environmental, political, and social issues propose challenges to societies
throughout the world?
• What are the origins of those issues?
• What are possible solutions to those challenges?
Learning Objective
Evidence
Spoken Interpersonal
Communication
Conversation, Part C, Numéro 10 (AP French)
Dialogue/Debate


Students will develop a dialogue/debate about a current
world event. Students will discuss the problem and
propose possible solutions
Debate a controversial human right (right to bear arms,
freedom of expression, etc.).
Discussion

Written Interpersonal
The advantages and disadvantages of fast-food
restaurants: cultural comparison between American
restaurants and the rest of the world
 The most urgent environmental issue facing the world
today, its impact, and possible solutions
E-mail reply: Part A, Numéros 2, 10 (AP French)
Communication
Audio, Visual, and Audio
visual Interpretive
Audio from AP French
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Communication
Audio from http://www.rfi.fr
“7 jours sur la planète”, http://www.tv5.org
http://www.sos-racisme.org/
Written and Print
Interpretive
Communication
Readings from Allons au-delà:
Hergé, Les bijoux de Castfiore
Tahar Ben Jalloun, Le racisme expliqué à ma fille
Jacques Prévert, Soyez polis
Veronique Tadjo, Le dernier espoir
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Du contrat social
Declaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen
Emile Zola, Le ventre de Paris
Maryse Condé, Haïti, chérie
Arthur Rimbaud, Le dormeur du val
Paul Eluard, La liberté
Jacques Prévert, Familiale
Guy Moquet, Lettre de Guy Moquet
Selected readings from http://lemonde.fr or other news sources
Spoken Presentational
Communication
AP French Speaking, Part D, Numéros 6, 11, 12, 14, 15
Written Presentational
Communication
AP French Writing, Part B, Numéros 1, 5
Presentation of current events
Essay


Discuss a moment where you experienced or witnessed
discrimination/racism. How did you respond? How did
this experience influence you?
Write an essay that explains the ideas of diversity and
tolerance to a child.
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Theme 2: Science and Technology (La science et la technologie)
Recommended Contexts: La recherche et ses nouvelles frontières, Les découvertes et les
inventions, Les choix moraux, L’avenir de la technologie, La propriété intellectuelle, Les
nouveaux moyens de communication
Overarching Essential Questions:
• How do developments in science and technology affect our lives?
• What factors have driven innovation and discovery in the fields of science and technology?
• What role do ethics play in scientific advancement?
Learning Objective
Evidence
Spoken Interpersonal
Communication
Conversation, Part C, Numéro 3 (AP French)
Discussion


Written Interpersonal
The greatest invention of the past century
The advantages and disadvantages of an increasingly
technological society
E-mail reply: Part A, Numéros 4, 7 (AP French)
Communication
Audio, Visual, and Audio
visual Interpretive
Communication
Audio from AP French
Audio from http://www.rfi.fr
“7 jours sur la planète”, http://www.tv5.org
Written and Print
Interpretive
Communication
Readings from Allons au-delà :
Birago Diop, La lance de l’hyène
Le Monde, Un appareil qui retranscrit du texte en braille consacré
au Concours Lépine
Albert Robida et Octave Uzanne, La fin des livres
Paris-Match (2009), La mauvaise surprise Kindle
Amélie Nothomb, Acide sulfurique
L’Express, Tricher au bac comme un geek
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Articles from Science Actualités,
http://www.universcience.fr/fr/science-actualites
Spoken Presentational
Communication
AP French Speaking, Part D, Numéros 4, 10
Oral presentation

Written Presentational
Communication
Students advertise a new invention/technology and
respond to questions from prospective buyers
AP French Writing, Part B, Numéros 4, 8, 10
Essay

A problem or social implication created by technology.
Quarter 2
Theme 3: Contemporary Life (La vie contemporaine)
Recommended Contexts: La publicité et le marketing, L’éducation, Les fêtes, Le logement,
Les loisirs et le sport, Le monde au travail, Les rites de passage
Overarching Essential Questions:
• How do societies and individuals define quality of life?
• How is contemporary life influenced by cultural products, practices and perspectives?
• What are the challenges of contemporary life?
Learning Objective
Evidence
Spoken Interpersonal
Communication
Conversation, Part C, Numéros 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 (AP French)
Dialogue/Debate


Role-play a conversation between a real estate agent and
someone looking to buy a home.
Role play a job interview (Allons au-delà, Chapitre 13,
Pour communiquer, D)
Discussion

Written Interpersonal
The role of commercials: do they influence what you
purchase? Why or why not ?
 How does your logement influence your way of life?
 What will be the jobs of the future? What influences the
creation of new jobs? What skills will be necessary?
E-mail reply: Part A, Numéros 1, 5, 6, 9 (AP French)
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Communication
Audio, Visual, and Audio
visual Interpretive
Communication
Audio from AP French
Audio from http://www.rfi.fr
Advertisements from various Francophone magazines
Contemporary Francophone music and film trailers
Film: Entre les murs
Readings from Allons au-delà:
Written and Print
Interpretive
Communication
Frédéric Beigbeder, 99 Francs
Le Monde: Apple introduit le blocage des publicités dans Safari
Christiane Rochefort, Les petits enfants du siècle
Nathalie Sarraute, L’enfance
Qui sont les SDF?
Roch Carrier, Le chandail
Histoire de la pétanque
Readings from En Bonne Forme:
Francoise Mallet-Joris, La saga de Daniel
Pierre Daninos, La France au Volant
Education in Mali: http://www.education.gov.ml
Spoken Presentational
Communication
AP French Speaking, Part D, Numéros 2, 3, 5, 7
Oral Presentation

Create and present an advertisement for a new product
(Allons au-delà, Chapitre 10, Pour communiquer D)
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
Written Presentational
Communication
Present your ideal job: what are your responsibilities,
challenges, benefits?
 Un souvenir de voyage (Allons au-delà, Chapitre 15, Pour
communiquer, C)
AP French Writing, Part B, Numéro 4
Essay

What can a young person learn from playing a team
sport?
 Describe a rite of passage that you have experienced.
Theme 4: Personal and Public Identities (La quête de soi)
Recommended Contexts: L’aliénation et l’assimilation, Les croyances et les systèmes de
valeurs, La sexualité, L’identité linguistique, La pluriculturalisme, Le nationalisme et le
patriotisme
Overarching Essential Questions:
• How are aspects of identity expressed in various situations?
• How do language and culture influence identity?
• How does one’s identity develop over time?
Learning Objective
Evidence
Spoken Interpersonal
Communication
Conversation, Part C, Numéro 8 (AP French)
Dialogue/Debate

Debate: FLS- le français langue séconde (Allons au-delà,
Chapitre 16, Pour communiquer, E)
 Debate the French laws about the separation of church
and state (“laïcité”, head scarves, religious symbols).
Compare this legislation with that in other countries.
Discussion

Written Interpersonal
The effects of immigration: on the individual, on the
family, on the nation.
 Where do your personal values and beliefs originate?
Have they changed? What influences them?
E-mail reply: Part A, Numéros 3, 8 (AP French)
Communication
Audio, Visual, and Audio
visual Interpretive
Communication
Audio from AP French
Audio from http://www.rfi.fr
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L’Afrique: 50 ans d’independance:
http://independances.tv5monde.com/
Written and Print
Interpretive
Communication
Readings from Allons au-delà:
Gabrielle Roy, Vincento
Azouz Begag, Béni ou le paradis privé
Guy de Maupassant, Aux champs
Immigration - Ces étrangères, élèves modèles
Jean Arcenaux, Schizophrénie linguistique
Faut-il simplifier l’orthographe ?
Alphonse Daudet, La dernière classe
La République, ses symboles et ses emblèmes
Readings from En Bonne Forme:
Gisele Halimi, Un cas particulier
L’organisation internationale de la Francophonie:
http://www.francophonie.org/
Spoken Presentational
Communication
AP French Speaking, Part D, Numéros 8, 9, 11, 13
Oral Presentation

Written Presentational
Communication
Present what it means to you to be of a certain culture.
(To be American, Mexican, Algerian means…to me)
 Choose an emblem or symbol. Present how it represents
that country/culture’s identity, nationalism, and
patriotism.
AP French Writing, Part B, Numéro 3
Essay

If you were to teach a class on American culture for
immigrants, what information would you include? How
do these themes represent American culture?
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
How does your own language reflect your personality,
your beliefs, and your environment? How does language
shape one’s identity?
Quarter 3
Theme 5 : Families and Communities (La famille et la communauté)
Recommended Contexts : Les rapports sociaux, l’enfance et l’adolescence, la citoyenneté, les
coutumes, la famille, l’amitié et l’amour
Overarching Essential Questions:
•What constitutes a family in different societies?
•How do individuals contribute to the well-being of communities?
•How do the roles that families and communities assume differ in societies around the
world?
Learning Objective
Evidence
Spoken Interpersonal
Communication
Discussion

School differences among the US and Francophone
countries
Debate

« Il faut tout un village pour élever un enfant » Allons audelà, p. 310
Dialogue

Written Interpersonal
Communication
Audio, Visual, and Audio
visual Interpretive
Communication
Create and act out a press conference for Prince
Charming and Cinderella after they announce their
wedding. Incorporate questions of social class
difference. Allons au-delà, p. 337
Write a post card or an e-mail to a friend explaining a French
holiday that is not widely known in the US, Allons au-delà, p. 323
AP French Part C, Numéros 2, 15, 30
Visual from www.sqf.qc.ca (Québec family initiative)
Visual from www.snj.public.lu (Youth services in Luxembourg)
Written and Print
Interpretive
Communication
AP French Part A, Numéros 5, 17, 18, 20, 34, 40
Readings from Allons au-delà:
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Guy de Maupassant, La parure
Azouz Bégag, , Le Gone du Chaâba
René Goscinny, Le petit Nicolas : On a eu l’inspecteur
Leila Sebbar, « Driss » tiré de Shérazade
Marcel Pagnol, Le mariage de Manon (tiré de Manon des sources)
La Foire de la Sainte-Catherine
Charles Perrault, Cendrillon
Des enfants adoptés qui s’adaptent bien
Spoken Presentational
Communication
Written Presentational
Communication
AP French Part D, Numéro 3
Invent a holiday and convince your class why they should
celebrate it, Allons au-delà page 323


Write an essay on the influence of family stereotypes in
our society.
Modernize the story of Tristan and Iseult, Allons au-delà
p. 350
Theme 6 : Beauty and Esthetics (L’esthétique)
Recommended Contexts : L’architecture, le patrimoine, le beau, les arts littéraires, la
musique, les arts de spectacle, les arts visuels
Overarching Essential Questions:
•How are perceptions of beauty and creativity established?
•How do ideals of beauty and aesthetics influence daily life?
•How do the arts both challenge and reflect cultural perspectives?
Learning Objective
Evidence
Spoken Interpersonal
Communication
Discussion
Written Interpersonal
Communication

Compare and contrast American and Francophone rap
and its cultural role and impact.
 In small groups, share opinions of different works of art .
E-mail reply

Write an email reply to your French Club advisor
suggesting music genres, artists and songs from different
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Audio, Visual, and Audio
visual Interpretive
Communication
Francophone countries to play and discuss at the next
meeting.
AP French Part C, Numéros 1, 3, 8, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 26, 32
Visual and audio: http://webworld.unesco.org/goree (Virtual
visit in Sénégal)
Written and Print
Interpretive
Communication
AP French Part A, Numéros 3, 7, 8, 10, 24, 26, 31, 32, 35, 36
AP French Part B, Numéro 16 (print and audio)
Readings from Allons au-delà :
François Villon, L’Epitaphe de Villon ou « Ballade des pendus »
Pierre de Ronsard, Mignonne, allons voir si la rose…
Jean de la Fontaine, Le corbeau et le renard
Paul Verlaine, Il pleure dans mon cœur
La Réunion, perle de l’humanité
Marguerite Yourcenar, Comment Wang-FÔ fut sauvé
Jacques Prévert, Pour faire le portrait d’un oiseau
Marguerite Duras, Moderato cantabile
Brigitte Baudin, Marion Cotillard : Piaf réincarnée
La farce de Maître Pathelin
Mémorables Misérables
Spoken Presentational
Communication
AP French Part D, Numéro 1
Oral presentation

Written Presentational
Communication
Create and present a memory capsule, Allons au-delà p.
365
 Present a genre of music or song from a Francophone
country
AP French, Writing Part B, Numéro 2
Write a fable or poem
15
Essay


Compare a Jean de la Fontaine fable with that of another
author, Allons au-delà p. 366
What role does art play in our world? Allons au-delà p.
379
QUARTER 4
Since the AP exam takes place in early May, the instructor will use this time in order to:

conduct French AP examination preparation;

if necessary, review and re-enter advanced language structures; and

complete the presentation of student-chosen final projects, addressing any one of
the six curricular themes.
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