French Program

The study of a world language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for students. The comparisons and connections that students make through the exploration of another language help them develop their literacy skills. The study of a foreign language is also a way of thinking and gaining a different perspective and appreciation of the world. In accordance with our school's mission statement, the goal of the French Department is to “develop student awareness and perspectives through the study of languages”; therefore, our aim is to strive to achieve that goal.

The French Language Program at ACS is a foreign language program, not a language literacy program. The program starts in Nursery through grade 12. Introductory French is offered in Nursery, KG I, and KG II for 30 minutes three times a cycle, and in grades 1 and 2 for 45 minutes twice a cycle. Grades 3-5 are offered 45 minutes of French, three times a cycle.

French is offered in Middle School as follows: In each grade, six blocks of sixty minutes per cycle are allocated to French instruction. The program is organized into three language proficiency levels: Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. The students are placed in one of the three levels based on the teachers’ recommendations and/or placement tests.

The French program in High School is offered for six blocks per cycle, 60 minutes each. It is offered at novice, intermediate, and advanced levels. By the time students are in High School, they can interact using the target language in a range of everyday situations and express themselves orally and in writing.

The French Department follows the AERO Standards for World Languages. To meet these standards, a variety of resources and materials are used to plan class activities and assignments (various textbooks, grammar books, magazines, websites, audio CDs, DVDs, literature books, music, movies, and games).

For more information about the program, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the French Department Team.

Joëlle Yacoub
Curriculum and World Languages Coordinator