Theme 1: Personal and Family Life

Greetings and Introductions

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Use appropriate forms of address to peers and adults when making introductions.
• Use appropriate gestures and expressions of greeting and leave-taking.
• Ask and respond to simple questions about someone else's identity and well-being.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Differentiate between informal and formal exchanges.
• Comprehend phrases related to a person's state of well-being.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Demonstrate attention to accuracy of register in introducing self and expressing greetings.
• Present rehearsed and spontaneous greetings and introductions.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Recognize and distinguish between various culturally-authentic gestures and levels of formality of greeting and leave-taking.
• Demonstrate understanding of hand-shaking, body language and greetings, including those used in telephone, computer, and letter-writing situations.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Discuss the use of morning and evening greetings.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Contrast customs of greeting and leave-taking between the United States and francophone countries.
• Contrast the use of formal address in French and English.

Communication Across Communities

• Recognize the importance of greetings in French-speaking countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Tu/vous
• Formal and informal expressions

 

Physical Descriptions and Personality Characteristics, Feelings, and Emotions

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Use a variety of adjectives to ask and answer questions about the physical appearance of people and objects.
• Ask and answer questions about a description, mood or emotional state.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Comprehend spoken and written descriptions of physical appearance, personality traits and emotions.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe physical and personality attributes using a variety of appropriate adjectives.
• Present descriptions, both rehearsed and spontaneous, of people and/or objects.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss cultural generalizations and stereotyping based on physical appearance.
• Discuss characteristics of famous people from francophone countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Identify well-known francophone people studied in other disciplines.
• Identify well-known francophone Americans.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Identify adjectives that are cognates and those that are false cognates.
• Compare adjective placement and agreement in English and French.

Communication Across Communities

• Describe well-known people in francophone countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Descriptive adjectives
• Avoir with eye and hair color
• Agreement and placement of adjectives
• Present tense of the verb être
• Subject pronouns
• Question and answer formation

Family Members

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions pertaining to family members and relationships, including pets.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify family members and relationships based on spoken and written descriptions.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe family relationships.
• Describe family members and pets.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Identify characteristics of the family unit in various francophone cultures.
• Explain the importance of the family in francophone societies.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Compare the role of the extended family in francophone countries and in the U.S.
• Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons
• Compare and contrast families in the U.S. and in francophone countries.
• Contrast ways to express possession.

Communication Across Communities

• Use print and Internet resources to access information about families in francophone countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Pet vocabulary
• Possessive adjectives
• Possession with de
• Descriptive adjectives
• Present tense of être, avoir, and faire
• c'est..., ce sont..., voici... voilà

Clothing and Colors

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions pertaining to clothing and colors.
• Ask and answer questions to elicit a description of clothing and colors.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify clothing and colors based on spoken and written description, such as in advertisements or announcements.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Use descriptive adjectives and articles to describe clothing.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss standards and styles of dress in various francophone countries.
• Discuss the influence of climate and geography on dress in francophone countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Discuss the use of color (e.g., in clothing, art, architecture).

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare standards and styles of dress in francophone and American cultures.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to clothing and colors.
• Discuss adjective placement and agreement.
• Compare ways of expressing possession ('s in English vs. de in French).

Communication Across Communities

• Identify differences in sizes and appropriateness of clothing.
• Describe clothing available on the Internet and through catalogues and/or advertisements from francophone countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Colors and other descriptive adjectives
• Adjective agreement and placement

Theme 2: School Life

Numbers and Time

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about age.
• Ask and answer questions about street addresses and telephone numbers.
• Ask and answer questions about time and scheduled activities.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Interpret a time schedule (bus, train, class, movie listing, or TV guide).

Oral and Written Presentation

• Explain a schedule of activities.
• Present information about ages, phone numbers, addresses, and class schedules.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the way numerals are written in French.
• Demonstrate how numbers are counted on one's hand.
• Discuss a typical day's schedule in francophone countries (meal times, etc.).
• Discuss the metric system and the Euro.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Explain the use of the metric system.
• Do simple mathematical computations in French.
• Discuss temperatures.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Discuss the concept of time in francophone countries.
• Compare the 24-hour clock used in francophone countries to the American system of a.m. and p.m.
• Discuss the use in French of the period to indicate thousands and of the comma for decimals when writing and reading numbers.
• Discuss the use of the metric system.
• Compare French time expressions to English expressions such as quarter-past, half-past, noon, and midnight.

Communication Across Communities

• Interpret a time schedule in French.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Etre
• Il est vs. à 

 

Days, Months, and Calendar

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about days of week, dates, and months.
• Ask and answer questions about birthdays and celebrations.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify dates of events and celebrations.
• Comprehend simple announcements that include dates.
• Understand written numerical information as used in newspapers, announcements, letters, brochures, etc.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Prepare and present a weekly activities calendar.
• Present important dates and celebrations.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Identify holidays and/or celebrations in francophone countries.
• Relate different products to celebrations such as weddings and holidays (e.g., la bûche de Noël).

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Make connections with historical events that involve or relate to the United States and francophone countries (e.g., Mardi Gras).

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Recognize that the French calendar starts on Monday.
• Recognize that days of the week and months of the year are not capitalized in French.
• Recognize that the order in saying and writing dates is different in French (day, month, and then year).

Communication Across Communities

• Use community resources to identify cultural celebrations within the student’s own community.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Phrases for asking and telling the date
• C'est

 

Classes, Schedules and Supplies

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions related to class schedules and school subjects.
• Ask and answer questions about school supplies, furnishings, and rooms.
• Ask and answer questions related to a typical school day and routine.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Understand simple instructions related to classroom commands or procedures, and basic computer technology.
• Comprehend a class schedule, opinions of classes, and locations in the school.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Prepare and present a class schedule.
• Describe a class schedule and necessary materials for each class.
• Identify in which rooms classes are held.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the importance of the bac.
• Discuss the balance of academic demands, family commitments, and activities in the life of a student from a francophone country.
• Discuss the courses taken at various grade levels in francophone countries, including the quantity of courses and frequency of class sessions.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Compare names of courses in English with the names in French

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare American and francophone education systems.
• Compare a typical school day in the U.S. with ones in francophone countries.
• Compare grading scales in American and francophone schools.
• Compare the types of school supplies typically used by francophone students and American students.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to classes and school supplies.

Communication Across Communities

• Interpret a school schedule of a student from a francophone country.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Vocabulary related to school schedules, rooms of the school, and classroom objects
• Time vocabulary
• Question formation and interrogative expressions
• Use of definite articles with class subjects
• Adverbs of frequency

Theme 3: Social Life

Interests and Leisure Activities

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about interests and leisure activities, including likes and dislikes.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Comprehend simple, culturally-authentic announcements and advertisements related to leisure activities.
• Identify activities being described.
• Determine whether a person likes or dislikes a particular activity.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Tell the degree to which a person likes or dislikes various activities.
• Tell when and how frequently a person participates in various activities.
• Tell what leisure activities a person does or does not do.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Identify popular sports and leisure activities in francophone countries.
• Discuss the role of leisure activities in a young person’s daily life.
• Discuss where young people meet during leisure time.
• Identify and discuss prominent individuals involved in sports and the arts in francophone countries.
• Discuss the impact of geographic location on popular leisure activities.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Compare the sports studied and played in physical education (P.E.) class in the U.S. with sports played in francophone countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare extracurricular activities in American and francophone schools.
• Compare typical customs of socializing among young people.
• Contrast the use of various verbs and prepositions with sports and activities in English and French.
• Identify cognates and false cognates for interests or activities.

Communication Across Communities

• Describe sports and leisure activities in francophone countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Present tense verb conjugations
• Use of faire and jouer
• Adverbs of frequency
• Prepositions and contractions
• Vocabulary for expressing likes and dislikes
• Negation
• Question formation

 

Weather and Seasons

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about weather and seasons.
• Ask and respond to questions about activities and weather during different seasons.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify weather and seasons based on spoken and written descriptions.
• Identify weather and seasons as represented by symbols (e.g., picture of sun labeled il fait chaud).

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe a variety of weather conditions and seasons.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the influence of weather on lifestyles and activities in francophone countries.
• Identify varying climates in different geographic locations in francophone countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Describe the use of metric system in giving temperatures.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Identify the differences in seasons in various francophone countries.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to weather and seasons.

Communication Across Communities

• Interpret a French language weather report.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Seasonal activity vocabulary
• Use of verb faire with weather expressions.
• Prepositions en and au with seasons
• avoir chaud/froid

Theme 4: Community Life

Cities, Places, Activities, and Transportation

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about a city.
• Ask about and give directions to a site within a town or city.
• Ask and answer questions regarding modes of transportation modes in a city.
• Ask and answer questions about when and where activities and/or celebrations take place.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify locations on a map.
• Identify locations where activities take place.
• Find a location based on verbal directions.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Give directions to a city location or activity.
• Describe a day’s activities, including locations. 

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss unique features of francophone cities.
• Discuss cities in various francophone countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Identify geographic locations and/or features of francophone countries and cities.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare use of mass transit in francophone countries and the United States.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to locations in a city, transportation, and directions.

Communication Across Communities

• Identify special events and celebrations in francophone cities (e.g., Carnaval, Mardi Gras, Bastille Day, etc.).

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Geography vocabulary
• Prepositions with places
• Question formation and interrogative expressions
• Present tense of aller
• Commands
• Vocabulary for giving directions

 

Shopping

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about stores and types of merchandise.
• Discuss shopping experiences.
• Ask for or give the description of an item being purchased.
• Ask and answer questions regarding where items can be purchased and how much they cost.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify items for sale in an advertisement.
• Identify locations where specific items can be purchased.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe an item for sale in a store.
• Tell about the purchase or sale of an item.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss products unique to francophone countries.
• Discuss the differences in shopping customs between the U.S. and francophone countries.
• Discuss the importance of the marché in francophone countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Convert foreign currency to U.S. dollars.
• Compare merchandise prices in the U.S. to those in francophone countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare the custom of bargaining in francophone countries and in the U.S.
• Demonstrate the use of vous vs. tu and the importance of using vous while shopping in francophone countries.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to shopping.

Communication Across Communities

• Identify merchandise available on the Internet, through catalogs, and/or in advertisements from francophone countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Types of stores
• Adjective agreement and placement
• Definite and indefinite articles
• Vous vs. tu
• Numbers
• Question formation and interrogative expressions
• Courtesy expression je voudrais
• Direct and indirect object pronouns

 

Restaurants and Food

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about food.
• Ask and answer questions about a meal or restaurant experience.
• Order or take an order for a meal at a restaurant or café.
• Ask and answer questions regarding items on a menu.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify grocery and food items in an advertisement, menu, recipe, etc.
• Identify locations where specific foods can be purchased.
• Comprehend written and oral information about items in a market.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe a restaurant meal.
• Present descriptions and opinions about food.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the cuisines and eating customs of francophone countries.
• Discuss shopping for food in francophone countries.
• Identify food served at celebrations in francophone countries (croque-en-bouche at weddings, la bûche at Christmas, etc.).
• Discuss typical mealtime schedules.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Discuss the influence of French cuisine in the United States.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Discuss the differences between French and American cuisine.
• Compare the role of food in celebrations in the U.S. and francophone countries.
• Identify French foods commonly found in the U.S.

Communication Across Communities

• Demonstrate an understanding of recipes and/or menus from Chinese-speaking countries, either via the Internet or from local restaurants serving Chinese food.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Vocabulary related to shopping for food
• Expressions for ordering a meal
• Present tense of prendre, manger, and vouloir
• Courtesy expressions such as je voudrais and s'il vous plaît
• Familiar and formal commands