Lisle Jr. High School
7th Grade French
Monsieur Smid
Contact Information
Room: 201
E-mail: jsmid@lisle202.org
Phone #: 630.493.8221
Visit: Before school (Be sure to ask for an early morning pass)
After school
Course Objectives (Objectifs de Classe)
To recognize the influence of French culture and language in the world
with an emphasis on France, itself.
To communicate in French at a beginner level (greetings, numbers,
calendar vocabulary, basic conversations, conjugating verbs, &c.)
To understand basic French both in spoken and written expression.
To learn the basic history of France and consider how it has shaped
culture, policy, language and identity. Historical Explorations: Dordogne
Valley caves, Early Monarchs, Middle Ages, Renaissance and French
Revolution
Extend learning beyond the classroom using 21st century technology.
Supplies (Les fournitures scolaires)
Discovering French Textbook (livre)
Discovering French Workbook (cahier d’exercises)
Pen / Pencil (Stylo / Crayon)
Notebook (cahier)
Attendance (La présence)
Attendance is extremely important in this class seeing as we only meet twice a week. If
you are absent it is your job to see me in advance for the day’s activities. All homework
will be posted on Homework Hotline.
Participation (la Participation)
Participation will be a huge portion of your grade in this class. We are all learners of
French so it is okay to make mistakes (Even the French stutter over verb choices from
time to time). Come to class prepared with your materials and volunteer to speak up.
A majority of the class will be speaking in French with partners and as a whole group.
Study! (Étudiez!)
Studies show that you need to practice a language at least 10-15 minutes a day for the
vocabulary and grammar to stick. We will learn many strategies in class but the key is
to find the one or combination that works for you. When practicing, many strategies
are helpful:
Notecards – traditional and simple; put the French words on one side and the
English on the other. You can also create a game of memory where one matches a
notecard with the French word on it with the English translation on another card.
Cornell Style Notes – organized and versatile; in your notebook fold the paper in
half towards the spiral. On the right write the words and phrases in French. On the right
side of the fold write the words and phrases in English. You can fold the paper over and
study. You can also take out another sheet of paper and try to write the translations for
written practice.
Quizlet – modern and interactive; you can create an account on
www.quizlet.com where you can create flashcards and games to practice the
vocabulary.
Immersion – effective and engaging; the best way to learn a language is by
practicing like a real French person. When you go to the supermarket take your
notebook with and call out the fruits by their name in French. Try and teach your
parents or siblings the basic words and phrases you have learned. Go on
www.youtube.com and listen to French music; Rent a French film and watch it with
English subtitles. Speak up as much as you can in class.
Edmodo (Clic culturel)
Edmodo is an educational website that will be used in this course to extend our learning
outside the classroom. Students will use this website to have discussions with one
another as well as experience French culture on a more intimate level. Every so often
(about every 2-3 weeks) there will be a clic culturel posted to the site where the
students will be given a website, video or music selection to view and comment on.
The topics of these media exposures range from music and movies to holidays and
sports. Each clic culturel comes with a short quiz to make sure that the students have
seen the video and are prepared to discuss it in class. These activities will be assigned
over the weekends to ensure that the students have exposure to French even when
there is no class.
Grades (Les notes)
To be in a foreign language you must maintain a C or higher in your language arts
class. In French class your grade will be based off of the following criteria:
Participation
Workbook & Homework
Tests
Quizzes
Projects
Clics Culturels
Have fun! (Amusez-vous bien!)
French is a beautiful language that is spoken in at least one country on every continent.
The French culture is rich with history and customs. This language is often a hard
language for English speakers, but do not despair! Have fun with it. In addition to
speaking and writing French, we will also try to live à la française. We will learn about
and celebrate the major holidays unique to France: Mardi Gras, Fête Nationale &c. We
will sing and listen to music. We will play traditional French games: pétanque and Mille
Bourne. We will laissez les bons temps roulez (let the good times roll).