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Core French
Core Competencies
Big Ideas
Grandes idées
Listening and viewing with intent strengthens our understanding and acquisition of French.
We can have meaningful conversations about things that are important to us in French.
Stories give us unique ways to interpret and share knowledge, thoughts, and feelings.
Stories
Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and fictional or non-fictional (for example, a series of pictures, First Peoples oral histories, personal stories, skits, student-created stories). Francophone creative works are an expression of Francophone culture.
creative works
for example, books, dance, paintings, pictures, poems, songs Acquiring French provides opportunities to explore our own cultural identity from a new perspective.
Learning Standards
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Curricular Competencies
Students are expected to be able to do the following:
Recognize the relationship between French letter patterns and pronunciation
Recognize the relationship between French letter patterns and pronunciation
Students should be able to predict the pronunciation of written words and groups of words Derive meaning from a variety of texts
advertisements, articles, biographies, blogs, brochures, cartoons, charts, conversations, diagrams, emails, essays, films, First Peoples oral histories, forms, graphs, instructions, interviews, invitations, legends, letters, myths, narratives, news reports, novels, nursery rhymes, online profiles, paintings, photographs, picture books, poems, presentations, songs, speeches, stories, surveys, and text messages
Teachers are encouraged to use a wide range of grade-appropriate text types in their classrooms.
Teachers may choose to use authentic or adapted Francophone texts with their students. Purposes for using adapted texts include:
- to increase student comprehension (e.g., by simplifying the text)
- to increase student exposure to target vocabulary and patterns (e.g., by repeating key vocabulary or grammatical structures throughout a text)
- to increase the saliency of high-frequency vocabulary and patterns (e.g., by underlining, bolding, or highlighting)
Derive meaning
understand key elements, supporting details, time, and place texts
Text is defined as any piece of oral, visual, or written communication. Texts may be delivered through many different modes, such as face-to-face communication, audio and video recordings, print materials, or digital media. Examples of texts include but are not limited to:advertisements, articles, biographies, blogs, brochures, cartoons, charts, conversations, diagrams, emails, essays, films, First Peoples oral histories, forms, graphs, instructions, interviews, invitations, legends, letters, myths, narratives, news reports, novels, nursery rhymes, online profiles, paintings, photographs, picture books, poems, presentations, songs, speeches, stories, surveys, and text messages
Teachers are encouraged to use a wide range of grade-appropriate text types in their classrooms.
Teachers may choose to use authentic or adapted Francophone texts with their students. Purposes for using adapted texts include:
- to increase student comprehension (e.g., by simplifying the text)
- to increase student exposure to target vocabulary and patterns (e.g., by repeating key vocabulary or grammatical structures throughout a text)
- to increase the saliency of high-frequency vocabulary and patterns (e.g., by underlining, bolding, or highlighting)
Use a growing variety of strategies to increase understanding
strategies
for example, interpreting gestures, facial expressions, intonation, tone of voice, contextual cues, and familiar words, orally and in writing Narrate stories
Narrate
using common expressions of time and transitional words to show logical progression; using present, past, and future timeframes stories
Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and fictional or non-fictional (for example, a series of pictures, First Peoples oral histories, personal stories, skits, student-created stories) Recognize the importance of story in personal, family, and community identity
Recognize the importance of story in personal, family, and community identity
First Peoples stories express their perspectives, values, beliefs, worldviews, and knowledge Seek clarification and provide verification of meaning through a variety of strategies
Seek clarification and provide verification of meaning through a variety of strategies
strategies such as requesting or providing repetition, word substitution, reformulation, and reiteration Participate in short and simple conversations
Participate in short and simple conversations
with peers, teachers, and members of the wider community; can include virtual/online conversations Exchange ideas and information using complete sentences, orally and in writing:
- ask and respond to questions on familiar topics
- describe people, objects, places, and personal interestspeopleincluding characters in texts
- compare and contrast characteristics of people, objects, places, and personal interests
- describe sequences of events
- express simple needs in familiar situations
- express opinions on familiar topics
Describe cultural practices, traditions, and attitudes in various Francophone regions and describe their role in cultural identity
Recognize how Francophone culture is expressed through creative works
creative works
dance, film, literature, music, paintings, and other creative works Describe similarities and differences between their own cultural practices and traditions and those of Francophone communities in various regions
Describe similarities and differences
including discussing the purpose of activities, celebrations, customs, holidays, and traditions Engage with Francophone communities, people, or experiences
Francophone communities, people, or experiences
for example, blogs, classroom and school visits (including virtual/online visits), concerts, exchanges, festivals, films, pen-pal letters, plays, social media, stores/restaurants with service in French Content
Students are expected to know the following:
French letter patterns
French letter patterns
such as groupings of letters that make the same sound (e.g., au, aux, eau, and ô), rhyming words, letter patterns that have consistent pronunciations (e.g., ait, gn, -ille, -ment, oi, th, –tion, ui and others), les liaisons, and les élisions an increasing range of commonly used vocabulary and sentence structures for conveying meaning:
- asking and responding to various types of questionsvarious types of questionsincluding inversion questions; for example, As-tu un crayon?; Va-t-il au cinéma?; Aimez-vous ce livre?
- describing people, objects, places, and personal interests
- comparing and contrastingcomparing and contrastingusing expressions such as aussi, mais, plus que, aussi que, moins que, plus de, autant de, moins de
- sequencing eventssequencing eventsusing words that indicate sequence; for example, premièrement, au début, deuxièmement, après, ensuite, troisièmement, finalement
- expressing simple needs
- expressing opinions
- describing cultural aspects of communitiesdescribing cultural aspects of communitiesfor example, activities, celebrations, clothing, dance, festivals, First Peoples regalia, food, history, land, music, protocol, rituals, traditions
past, present, and future timeframes
past, present, and future timeframes
Students should know that sentences change according to when events occur (i.e., a change in timeframe requires a change in wording). Students should understand and be able to express past, present, and future timeframes for common verbs in context; for example, Nous avons une question (maintenant); Elle a donné le livre à Marc hier; Je vais faire mes devoirs ce soir. elements of common types of texts
advertisements, articles, biographies, blogs, brochures, cartoons, charts, conversations, diagrams, emails, essays, films, First Peoples oral histories, forms, graphs, instructions, interviews, invitations, legends, letters, myths, narratives, news reports, novels, nursery rhymes, online profiles, paintings, photographs, picture books, poems, presentations, songs, speeches, stories, surveys, and text messages
Teachers are encouraged to use a wide range of grade-appropriate text types in their classrooms.
Teachers may choose to use adapted or modified Francophone texts with their students. Purposes for using adapted texts include:
elements
for example, format (letter vs. email message), language, context, audience, register (informal vs. formal), purpose texts
Text is defined as any piece of oral, visual, or written communication. Texts may be delivered through many different modes, such as face-to-face communication, audio and video recordings, print materials, or digital media. Examples of texts include but are not limited to:advertisements, articles, biographies, blogs, brochures, cartoons, charts, conversations, diagrams, emails, essays, films, First Peoples oral histories, forms, graphs, instructions, interviews, invitations, legends, letters, myths, narratives, news reports, novels, nursery rhymes, online profiles, paintings, photographs, picture books, poems, presentations, songs, speeches, stories, surveys, and text messages
Teachers are encouraged to use a wide range of grade-appropriate text types in their classrooms.
Teachers may choose to use adapted or modified Francophone texts with their students. Purposes for using adapted texts include:
- to increase student comprehension (e.g., by simplifying the text)
- to increase student exposure to target vocabulary and patterns (e.g., by repeating key vocabulary or grammatical structures throughout a text)
- to increase the saliency of high-frequency vocabulary and patterns (e.g., by underlining, bolding, or highlighting)
common elements of stories
common elements
for example, place, characters, setting, plot, problem and resolution stories
Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and fictional or non-fictional (for example, a series of pictures, First Peoples oral histories, personal stories, skits, student-created stories) cultural practices, traditions, and attitudes in various Francophone regions
cultural practices, traditions, and attitudes
relating to celebrations, holidays, and events (such as Le Tour de France, la bûche de Noël, le Mardi Gras, le poisson d’avril), daily practices (such as meal times), and the idiomatic use of language Note: Some of the learning standards in the PHE curriculum address topics that some students and their parents or guardians may feel more comfortable addressing at home. Refer to ministry policy regarding opting for alternative delivery.