Syllabus for French I
Text: Bien dit! Level 1
August and September
We will visit Paris and the surrounding region. Every other year since 1992 Casady students spend several days in the “City of Light”, enjoying the history, architecture, museums, and food.
The first chapter will have us learn greetings, numbers, subject pronouns and verbs, and classroom vocabulary. Greetings in Africa, as well as in many cultures around the world, can take up to fifteen minutes with inquiries about health, immediate, and extended family. This is vastly different from our typical “Hi!” on the run. We learn that Sénégal, as well as about twenty other African countries, is a former French colony.
October
In the second chapter we continue our visit to Paris and its many important parks where families and young people gather to relax. The students learn to express their likes and dislikes, using primarily regular –er verbs, and how to agree and disagree. They learn how to ask questions that facilitate conversations in class. As cultural sidelights, the students are introduced to traditional dances and the importance of “football”{soccer!} in France and in French speaking Africa.
November
Quebec is our next destination. Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawerence River in the 1530’s and thus began the presence of the French language on the North American continent. We will study some of the unique aspects of the culture of Québec, its geography, festivals, and maple syrup.
The students will learn the names for family members, how to describe people, and to ask about someone’s family. The irregular verb “être” is introduced as well as adjective agreement and some irregular adjectives.
December
We remain in Québec where we visit a school and learn school vocabulary, days of the week, and telling time. The students will compare their schedules to those of students in Québec.
In this chapter students will learn some regular –re verbs. They also learn how to ask about classes, what their classmates need, and to ask for and give opinions.
January
In chapter five we head back to France, this time to visit the western part of the country. The visit will include Mont-Saint-Michel and the châteaux country. This region is rich in history and culture. The students are introduced to the popular game, pétanque or boules.
Students will learn to ask about interests, extend, accept, and refuse an invitation as well as to make plans. In order to express themselves more clearly, they will learn three additional irregular verbs, faire{to do/make}, aller{to go}, and avoir{to have}. They will learn a future and a past tense.
February
Following chapter five is a section called “Liaison” which reviews the essential grammatical and conversational points in the first five chapters.
In chapter six we visit the city of Rennes is western France with a focus on vocabulary associated with cuisine. The students will learn to offer, accept, and refuse food. Restaurant scenes will be created so they will have to ask about prices and pay the check.
March and April
In chapter seven we are off to Sénégal in western Africa. Sénégal is a former French colony which gained its independence 1960. The official language is French and the national language is Wolof. Senegal’s history and culture, which go back well over a thousand years, are very rich.
The students will learn to offer and to ask for help and to make decisions. Demonstrative adjectives and interrogative expressions will be introduced as well as another past tense. The students will learn the verb “mettre”{to put/place/put on}.
May
We remain in Sénégal for chapter eight. The serving of “thé à la menthe”{mint tea} is a ritual that is part of Senegalese hospitality. We will visit the home of a family in Dakar, the capital of Sénégal.
The vocabulary introduced in this chapter will involve the house and chores. Five additional irregular verbs will be introduced as well as the past tense of an additional group of verbs.
Mastery of the vocabulary and grammatical concepts in these eight chapters will give the student a firm base as he/she transitions into French II. In addition, the cultural awareness acquired will be important because we return to France, Québec, and Africa in level two of French.
