Advanced Placement French
Language
Syllabus
Course Description : The French Language AP course is intended for
students who have chosen to develop their proficiency in all four language
skills : listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students who enroll are
expected to already have a basic knowledge of the language and culture of
French-speaking peoples and should have attained a reasonable proficiency
in listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. The course is
conducted almost exclusively in French and all students are encouraged and
expected to use the language consistently with their teacher and their peers.
Course Objectives include the development of :
 the ability to comprehend formal and informal spoken French
 the acquisition of vocabulary and a grasp of structure to allow the
easy, accurate reading of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as
modern literature in French
 the ability to compose expository passages
 the ability to express ideas orally with accuracy and fluency
Primary textbooks :
Trésors du Temps, Yvone Lenard ; Glencoe McGraw-Hill 1997
Une Fois Pour Toutes, Hale Sturges II, Linda Cregg Nielsen, Henry
Herbst ; Longman Publishing 1992
Secondary textbooks :
Triangle, Carolyn F. Demaray, Josette J. Smith ; Wayside Publishing 1998
– text and listening practice C.D.’s
AP French, Richard Ladd and Colette Girard ; Addison Wesley
Longman 1998 – text and listening cassettes
Other Course Materials :
Video segments from classic as well as modern film
Short stories from Onze Contes, Moore and Meiden ; Houghton Mifflin
Video segments from current media outlets
Audio segments from Champs-Elysees, Fluent French Audio,
Le Grand Concours, released AP exams
Websites :
My own website that students use for many resources outside of class and
when working on projects. It includes access to many original sources. Due
to the rules of anonymity for this review, I may not include the address here.
www.quia.com
www.rfi.fr
http://www.leparisien.com/home/index.htm
www.apcentral.collegeboard.com/members
http://www.urich.edu/%7Ejpaulsen/civfrw3.html
http://www.clta.net/lessons/topfrench.html
Teaching Strategies
Developing oral proficiency :
Students are encouraged to speak only in French with participation grades
for their contributions to class discussion. Students are encouraged to share
« les faits divers » at the beginning of class as a warm-up activity. Tactics is
used for paired conversational activities. Cultural projects, with research on
the internet from original French sources, are shared with classmates in the
form of formal presentations. As an example, early in the year, students
research a French province and give a presentation to the class. Later in the
year, they do power point projects on famous French people, chosen for
contributions to the student’s intended future course of study or special area
of interest. In addition, students do regular taping or live recounting of
stories, sometimes based on picture panels from the AP and Triangle books,
and other times, based on pictures and drawings from their primary text. As
can be seen from the detailed unit review, speaking activities include
debates, speeches, paired practice activities, small group activites, as well as
games and day-to-day speech.
Developing listening comprehension :
Students have daily opportunity for developing listening comprehension
since the entire course is conducted in French. Students listen to a variety of
recorded material from France 2 or rfi.fr. They give short summaries in
writing or orally. (Quite often I alternate assignments between two sections
of the class, so they write a summary one time and the next they record or
present the summary live.) When they give oral presentations, they write
their own questions for their classmates and ask their classmates the
questions when they are finished, thus holding their classmates accountable
for listening. I then give a quiz on a composite of all of the questions.
Students also do many listening practice activities from Triangle and the AP
Preparation quide.
Developing reading comprehension :
Students have ample opportunity to read articles from the internet, from the
text, from AP practice selections, and other short stories. Students read and
summarize articles in pairs and as a group. They respond orally in writing to
what they have read, to demonstrate comprehension of what they have read
as well as to develop their speaking and writing skills.
Developing writing skills :
There are many writing opportunities throughout the course, with formal
compostions assigned approximately once every two to three weeks. ( see
course syllabus). Each composition is « theme appropriate » to our current
focus of study and emphasizes a particular grammatical issue that we are
addressing – i.e. future tense, subjunctive, passé composé vs. imparfait., etc.
In addition, chapter tests always include short essay questions. The
development of writing skills is integrated with all of the other skill areas as
indicated above. A favorite project is to view Jean de Florette and then write
a composition that predicts what will happen in the sequel. The students
then view Manon des Sources, to see whose prediction is closest.
The organization of the course by unit follows. Hopefully, it can be clearly
seen that reinforcement and integration of all four skill areas happen on a
daily basis.
Course Title: ___La Civilisation et L’histoire de France__
Grade Level: ____11-12_______ Page _1_ of _6_
UNIT TITLE
CORE TOPICS
UNIT BENCHMARKS
Plus suggested time allotment
Major topic included in this unit
What do you want the student to:
know, do, be like?
La Période
Préhistorique
(3 weeks)
La Période Romaine
(2 ½ - 3 weeks)
MCF
BENCHMARK
SUGGESTED
ASSESSMENTS
POSSIBLE
RESOURCES
How will you know if benchmarks What possible instructional resources
have been achieved?
could be used?
Readings on early
history
Provinces and
departments of France
Review of common
irreg. verbs
Use of depuis, pendant
Students should be able to
7.1a
discuss at least 5
7.2c
characteristics of prehistoric 1 a,b,c
period in France
1.2
Discuss identifying
1.3b,c
characteristics of major
2.5a
provinces of France
5.2c
Use avoir, faire, aller, être and 5.3a
idiomatic expressions
8.1a
correctly
9.1a
Use pendant and depuis
correctly
Project on one of the
provinces – oral report
Composition on Un
voyage en France
Written assessment on
vocab and reading
comprehension
Readings on history and
César
Review of present tense
Commands
Adverbs
Verbs w/ prepositions
Demonstrate correct use of
present tense verbs and
prepositions that follow
Explain Roman influence and
contributions to French
culture
Re-enactment – Le Vase Ancillary Une Fois Pour
de Soissons
Toutes reinforcement
20 questions
activities; verbs,
Composition Grammaire prepositions
en direct
Use commands to
demonstrate how to do
an activity
Written exam on
readings, vocab, and
present tense verbs
1.1a
1.1b
1.2a
1.3b
2.4b,c
2.5a,b
3.1
3.2
3.4a
4.1a
5.2c
7.1a
Maps
Internet sites for
research
Course Title: ___ La Civilisation et L’histoire de France _______Grade Level: ____11-12____ Page _2_ of _6__
UNIT TITLE
CORE TOPICS
UNIT BENCHMARKS
Plus suggested time allotment
Major topic included in this unit
What do you want the student to:
know, do, be like?
Charlemagne-Guillaume Chanson de Roland
le Conquérant
Tristan et Yseut
(3weeks)
Formation and use of all
past tenses
Les Croisades –
La Guerre de Cent
Ans
(3weeks)
Understand material written
in past tense
Use variety of past tenses to
communicate effectively
Demonstrate differences
between plus-que-parfait,
imparfait, passé compose,
passé simple
MCF
BENCHMARK
5.2c
5.3a
2.4
2.5a
1.2a
1.3b
1.3c
1.3a
La Farce de Maître
Students will be able to
9.1a,b 4.1a
Pathelin
explain the role of the church 9.2b
5.2c
La Ballade des Pendues in historical development
1.1b
5.3a
Personal pronouns.
Demonstrate/explain what a 1.2a
6.3a
Direct, indirect
farce is and what
1.3b,c 7.2c
Stress – position and use characteristics are found in 2.3a
this farce that are timeless
2.2a
Use correctly all personal
2.4
pronouns-placement and
2.5
choice of pronouns
3.1a
3.4
SUGGESTED
ASSESSMENTS
POSSIBLE
RESOURCES
How will you know if benchmarks What possible instructional resources
have been achieved?
could be used?
Les Souvenirs
D’enfance – oral or
written assessment
Written exam-vocab,
verbs
Le Meilleur Moment
Obituary of French
historical figure – 100
words passé simple
Jouez une petite scène
amusante
Jouez une scène de
Maître Pathelin
Written exam-vocab.,
use of pronouns
Summary of section of
historical readings
Un débat/pour ou contre
partir pour Jérusalem
En ville - Games with
Aims – giving directions
Bayeux Tapestry
Use une Fois Pour
Toutes-past tenses
AMSCO practice
Tactics-use for question
answer practice
Le Meilleur Moment
Enlightment of Ages
-page 92 (speaking
conversation book)
Use of pronouns
Deux à Deux – activities
w/ object pronouns
Une Fois Pour Toutes
Course Title: ____La Civilisation et L’histoire de France_________Grade Level: _____11-12__ Page __3_ of _6__
UNIT TITLE
CORE TOPICS
UNIT BENCHMARKS
Plus suggested time
allotment
Major topic included in this unit
What do you want the student to:
know, do, be like?
Littérature
-Pantagruel
La Réformation et -Les Essais
La
Ode à Cassandre
Renaissance
Futur/conditionnel
(3 weeks)
Use of the verb devoir
Age of Discovery
(historical readings)
Le Grand SiècleL’Age Classique
(17ème siècle)
(3 ½ weeks)
MCF
BENCHMARK
Use futur simple and conditional
1.1a,b,c 7.3a
tenses correctly and appropriately
1.2a
9.1a
Students will be able to explain
1.3b
9.2c
contributions and effects of the
2.5a,b
reformation and the Renaissance on 2.3a
French culture
3.1a
Students will understand how the
3.4a
writings for Rablais symbolized
4.1a
evolution of the French spirit
5.2a,b,c
Explain in French , cultural differences 5.3a
between Middle Ages and Renaissance 6.3a
7.1a
Molière – l’école des Students will demonstrate knowledge 1.1b
femmes
of correct use of subjonctif/indicatif 1.2a
Lettre à sa fille
Students will understand, explain how 1.3b
Mme de Sévigné
life at Versailles helped plant seeds for 2.3a
Historical readings
Fr. Revolution
2.5a
Role of Louis XIV
Students will explain how Molière’s 3.3b
- Versailles
writing reflected life of this century
3.4a
Subjonctif – use,
4.1a
formation
4.2a
5.2b,c
6.3a
SUGGESTED
ASSESSMENTS
POSSIBLE
RESOURCES
How will you know if benchmarks have
been achieved?
What possible instructional
resources could be used?
Writing assignment –
TriangleComment sera le monde dans Si clause
20 ans
worksheet
“Si clause” circle
Futur/cond. ex.
Written assessment
Une Fois Pour
futur/cond. quiz
Toutes
Written exam – vocab
Tactics-speaking historical readings
Future tense activity
Les Traditions Français de
Noël
Oral presentation of Fable –
La Fontaine –explain
Verb synopsis
Written subjonctif test
Written vocab and littérature
question exam
Students – written
composition using espérer
and craindre
Internet research
La Fontaine Fables
(books, internet)
Use of subj. –
Triangle, Une Fois
Pour Toutes
Course Title: ____La Civilisation et L’histoire de France_______ Grade Level: _____11-12____ Page _4_ of _6_
UNIT TITLE
CORE TOPICS
UNIT BENCHMARKS
Plus suggested time allotment
Major topic included in this unit
What do you want the student to:
know, do, be like?
Candide ou l’optimisme
Le Dix-huitième – Voltaire
Le règne de Louis XIV Les Confessions –
(3-3 ½ weeks)
Rousseau
Reflexive verbs
Faire causative
Louis XVI et Marie
Antoinette
Avant la Révolution
(2 ½ weeks)
Voyages en France –
souvenirs
La Prise de la Bastille
Louis Deflue
Adjectives , Negatives
Present Participle
Read Voltaire, Rousseau, for
understanding – how
Rousseau affected
eduacational thought
Use reflexives correctly as
passives, idiomatic
expressions, reciprocals and
reflexive constructions
Correctly use causative faire
in speech and in writing
MCF
BENCHMARK
1.1b
1.3a,b
1.4a
2.2a
2.4
3.1
3.2
4.1
4.2b
5.3a
Students will use correct
6.3a,b
forms of adjectives in proper 6.2
position to describe various 9.1b
nouns
9.2a,b
Students will demonstrate
7.2a,b,c
proper use of negatives –
5.1
jamais, rien, guère, plus, ne 3.1
point, pas du tout, nul, and
3.4
aucun
2.4a,b,c,d
Students will be able to
1.1
explain in French some causes 1.2
leading to French Revolution 1.3b
SUGGESTED
ASSESSMENTS
POSSIBLE
RESOURCES
How will you know if benchmarks What possible instructional resources
have been achieved?
could be used?
Exposé Oral – comment Tactics – La santé
le monde a changé
depuis l’âge de Voltaire AP – extra practice,
La Santé- speaking
verbs and reading
Written exam – history,
reflexive verbs
News items from
Paper using as many
internet/ rfi.fr and other
reflexives as possible
French newspapers
Comparison of current
news items with political
viewpoint of Voltaire
Written exposé
Ce qui vaut la peine
AP book
d’une révolution
Written exams –
Fluent audio on
readings,vocab,
Versailles
negatives, adjectives
(jan 2002)
Peer Testing –
clips Panorama
-2 history
-2 reading
-3 vocab
-3 grammar questions
20 questions
Quiz – adj.
Course Title: ___La Civilisation et L’histoire de France_________ Grade Level: _11-12______ Page _5__ of _6__
UNIT TITLE
CORE TOPICS
UNIT BENCHMARKS
Plus suggested time allotment
Major topic included in this unit
What do you want the student to:
know, do, be like?
Histoire de la Révolution Students will be able to relate
Les dernières heures de causes of French Revolution
La Révolution française Louis XVI
impact on the country
(3 weeks)
Use of relative,
Correctly use interrogative
interrogative,
possessive, demonstrative and
demonstrative,
relative pronouns in an
possessive pronouns
interview situation – see
assessment #1
Demonstrate understanding of
how art became an instrument
of political propaganda
Le Retour de Russie – Students will use indirect
Hugo
discourse correctly to re-tell a
Le Lac – La Martine
situation
Discours indirect
Students will be able to relate
elements of the romantic
movement
Students will be able to recount
main events during the rule of
Napoleon
MCF
BENCHMARK
1.1b
1.2
1.3a,b,c
2.4a,b,c,d
3.1a
3.4a
5.2a,b
6.3a
7.1
7.2
9.1a
1.1b
1.3a,b
1.4a
2.4
2.5
4.1
5.2
7.1
9.1a
SUGGESTED
ASSESSMENTS
POSSIBLE
RESOURCES
How will you know if benchmarks What possible instructional resources
have been achieved?
could be used?
Dialogues- l’analyse des
personalités
Rédaction – une scène
émouvanle de votre vie
Written quiz – relative
pronouns
Rédaction – causes of
French revolution
Sentences to unscramble
– game relative
pronouns and
interrogatives
AMSCO practice
worksheet
Demonstratives – NTC
masters
Risque
Tactics – Le Printemps – Readings from AP books
speaking ex.
Review of verbs that
Tape of a recounting of a take prepositions – Une
personal scary, funny, or Fois Pour Toutes
intimidating situation
Conjonction hand-out
Written exam on
Risque
historical readings,
poetry, and indirect
discourse
Course Title: ____ La Civilisation et L’histoire de France _ Grade Level: __11-12_____ Page _6_ of _6_
UNIT TITLE
CORE TOPICS
UNIT BENCHMARKS
Plus suggested time allotment
Major topic included in this unit
What do you want the student to:
know, do, be like?
La Restauration
(2 ½ weeks)
Le Vingtième Siècle
(2 weeks)
Les Misérables (Hugo)
Le Dormeur du ValRimbaud
Use of infinitive and
passive
Les artistes du 19ème
siècle
MCF
BENCHMARK
Students will be able to
7.1a
th
identify major 19 painters ’ 7.2
7.3
works and discuss
9.1a
characteristics.
Students will demonstrate use 1.1b
of passive voice and ways to 1.3c
avoid it in French.
Students will study, know
characteristics of Hugo’s
style and cultural context of
Les Misérables
La littérature moderne- Identify and define
8.1a
th
Prévert
10.1a
characteristics of early 20
10.2
century literature.
La Peste – Camus
Identify major sites of Paris – 9.2
demonstrate understanding of 6.3b
Grammar Review
the controversy of modern 6.2
5.2a
architecture in Paris.
Use grammar learned to write 5.3
st
sequel to 1 of 2 part movie 4.2b
2.4
2.2
SUGGESTED
ASSESSMENTS
POSSIBLE
RESOURCES
How will you know if benchmarks What possible instructional resources
have been achieved?
could be used?
Short oral summaries of Une Fois Pour Toutespainters and their
passive exercises
contributions.
Quiz-written passive
Change between
active/passive voice.
Written exam littérature,
vocab.
Composition – quand
j’étais héros. Passive and
active voice.
Le Débat du style
Jean de Florette
contemporain de Paris.
Dos à Dos art.
Internet sites of Paris
Power Point of Paris.
Written exam – grammar Paintings, Prints
review
Rédaction conclusion de
Jean de Florette
As noted under suggested assesments, every effort has been made to have a wide variety of assessents including oral participation grades, grades on
oral presentations, and assessments that include listening, reading and writing many types of compositions , along with short essay types of questions
included in the written examinations.