AP+French+Course+Syllabus


 * AP French Language and Culture Syllabus **


 * Course Overview **

AP French Language and Culture is a college-level course intended for students in their fourth and fifth year of French. This course provides students with regular opportunities in a classroom setting to develop their speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in a variety of situations, types of discourse and topics. The three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational) are the basis of this course and coursework provides students with the opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency in the three modes. Students who enroll in this course should already have a good command of the grammar and considerable competence in listening, reading, speaking, and writing in French. As stated in CR1, this class must be “**an immersion experience requiring the use of French exclusively**.” Following the ACTFL guidelines, students are able to demonstrate an understanding of cultures, incorporate interdisciplinary topics (connections), use the target language in real-life settings (communities) and make comparisons between the native language and the target language and between cultures (comparisons). Several textbooks and numerous authentic resources and materials, in accordance with those suggested on the College Board website, are used in this course. The expectation is that students will take the AP French Language and Culture exam.


 * Primary Textbooks: **

Shein, Francoise. //French Four Years,// Amsco School Publications 2006.

Muyskens, Judith A., et. al. //Bravo!//, 4th edition. Boston: Thomson-Heinle, 2002.

Sturges, Hale, et. al. //Une Fois pour toutes//, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River,New Jersey: Longman, 1992.


 * Supplementary Textbooks: **

Ghillebaert, Françoise. //Face-à-Face//. Vista Higher Learning, 2011.

Ladd, Richard. //AP French: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination//.Boston: Pearson, 2012.

Mitschke, Cherie. //Imaginez.// Vista Higher Learning, 2011.

Schultz, Jean-Marie, and Marie-Paule Tranvouez. //Réseau//. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, 2010.

Sempé, Jean-Jacques. //Le Petit Nicolas//. Gallimard, 1973.

White, Renée. //En D’Autres Termes//. Wayside Publishing, 1995.


 * Other Sources and Materials: **

//France-Amérique//—magazine published 11 times per year by FrancePress LLC

Websites such as tv5.org, google.fr, youtube.com (multiple videos pertinent to all themes), lepoint.fr, bbc.co.uk/languages, rfi.fr, radio-canada.ca, laits.utexas.edu/tex, Tennessee Bob’s Famous French Links, French Verb Busters, commeaucinema.com, lafrancebis.com, french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour, lepointdufle.net, frenchteachers.org, about.com (French language section), and many others

Music selections both classic and current (artists such as Edith Piaf, Patricia Kaas, Francis Cabrel, Zazie, Christophe Maé, Amel Bent, and many others)

Clips from movies from France and other francophone countries (//Inch’Allah Dimanche//, //Cyrano de// //Bergerac//, //Jean de Florette//, //Au revoir les enfants//, //Molière, La Rue case-nègres//, //Entre les murs//, to name a few examples)

Podcasts from francophone regions


 * Course Planner Based on Thematic Units **


 * August/September (approx. 5 weeks)—Unit 1—Families and Communities **


 * //Scoring component 6e: This course explicitly addresses the Families and Communities theme//**

-Lettre à Chère Abby //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 298-300—//Le Gone du Chaâba// (Read, discuss and react) //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 302-309—//Le Petit Nicolas—On a eu l’inspecteur// -//AP French//—Print selection #5, pp. 12-13 -//AP French//—Audio selections #2, p. 129; #15, p. 142 • **//Presentational//** **//(written/spoken)//** //-Allons au-delà//, p. 310, //Situations//—//Jeu de rôle: A la table ronde!// //-Allons au-delà//, p. 311, //A vos stylos!: Les Stéréotypes// //-//Tell a true family story to the class using visual aids (without notes) //Il faudra leur dire// (Francis Cabrel), //La Famille// (Jean-Jacques Goldman), //S’il suffisait// //d’aimer// ( Céline Dion), //Je t’aime, je t’aimais et je t’aimerai// (Francis Cabrel), //Ça donne quoi// (Marc Duprès), //Dégénérations// (Mes Aïeux) //mère//
 * **Vocabulary** related to family, childhood and adolescence, and social relationships
 * **Structure**
 * **•** Review of present tense formations (//French Four Years//, Ch. 1)
 * • Possessive adjectives and pronouns (//French Four Years//, Leçon 6)
 * • Passé composé/imparfait/plus-que-parfait (//French Four Years//, Leçon 2)
 * • Conjunctions (//French Four Years//, Leçon 11)
 * **Activities/Evaluation**
 * **//• Interpersonal communication (written/spoken)//**
 * //-//**//Allons au-delà//, p. 310—Débat: //Il faut tout un village pour élever un enfant//
 * //• Interpretive (audio/visual/print/written)//**
 * **Supplementary Sources**
 * **•** //L’Enfant noir// by Camara Laye
 * **•** Songs such as //Prendre un Enfant par la Main// (Yves Duteil), //Ménilmontant// (Charles Trenet),
 * • Clips from movies such as //La Rue Case-Nègres//, //La Gloire de mon père, Le Château de ma//


 * October (approx. 3-4 weeks)—Unit 2—Science and Technology **


 * //Scoring component 6b: This course explicitly addresses the Science and Technology theme//**

ethical impact of scientific and technological advances //-AP French//—Courriel #4, p. 167; courriel #7, p. 170; dialogue #3, p. 202 -//AP French//—Print selections #4, p. 10; #29, pp. 60-61 -//AP French//—Print and audio selections #3, pp. 90-91 ; #7, pp. 98-99; #10, pp. 104-105; #11, pp. 106-107 --//AP French//—Audio selection #9, p. 136 //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 111-119, //La fin des livres// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 122-123, //La mauvaise surprise Kindle// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 133-135, //Tricher au bac comme un geek// • **//Presentational//** **//(written/spoken)//** -//AP French//—Essai #6, pp. 188-189
 * **Vocabulary** related to discoveries, inventions, technology, research, and social and
 * **Structure**
 * • Future, futur antérieur, conditional, past conditional, and their uses (//French Four Years//, Leçon 3)
 * **Activities/Evaluation**
 * //• Interpersonal communication (written/spoken)//**
 * //• Interpretive (audio/visual/print/written)//**
 * **Supplementary Sources**
 * **•** Items from French news sources and contemporary podcasts
 * **•** Songs such as //Satellite// (Indochine); techno music; selected songs from Mes Aïeux
 * • Clips from movies such as //La Jetée//


 * October/November/December (approx. 6 weeks)—Unit 3—Contemporary Life **


 * //Scoring component 6c: This course explicitly addresses the Contemporary Life theme//**

//-AP French//—Courriel #1, p. 164; courriel #5, p. 168; dialogue #2, p//.// 201 -//AP French//—Print selections #2, pp. 6-7; #6, pp. 14-15; #40, pp. 82-83 -//AP French//—Print and audio selections #22, pp. 88-89; #6, pp. 96-97 //-AP French//—Audio selections #6, p. 133; #11, p. 138 //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 139-145, //99 Francs// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 167-169, //Qui sont les SDF?// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 170-178, //Le chandail// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 194-195, //Voyage au bout du RER// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 206-207, //«Allô maman, j’ai décroché mon bac. . .»//
 * **Vocabulary** related to education, housing, leisure, sports, professions, and rites of passage
 * **Structure**
 * • Nouns and articles (//French Four Years//, Leçon 1)
 * • Adjectives and adverbs; comparative and superlative (//French Four Years//, Leçon 10)
 * **Activities/Evaluation**
 * //• Interpersonal communication (written/spoken)//**
 * //• Interpretive (audio/visual/print/written)//**

• **//Presentational//** **//(written/spoken)//** -//AP French//—Essai #4, pp. 184-185; speaking #7, p. 213 //ville// (Grand Corps Malade)
 * **Supplementary Sources**
 * **•** Items from French news sources and contemporary podcasts
 * **•** Songs such as //L’Abbé Caillou// (Patricia Kaas), //Ça me regarde// (Yannick Noah), //Enfant de la//
 * • Clips from movies such as //Les Choristes//, //Le Fils de l’épicier//, //Être ou avoir//, //Entre les murs//


 * January/February (approx. 5 weeks)—Unit 4—Global Challenges **


 * //Scoring component 6a: This course explicitly addresses the Global Challenges theme//**

peace and war //-AP French//—Courriel #2, p. 165; dialogue #10, p//.// 209 -//AP French//—Print selections #1, p. 4; #19, p. 40 -//AP French//—Print and audio selections #1, pp. 86-87; #5, pp. 94-95 //-AP French//—Audio selection #5, p. 132 //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 9-16, //Le racisme expliqué à ma fille// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 20-26, //Soyez polis// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 30-37, //Le dernier espoir// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 74-77, //Une génération «élevée au fromage pasteurisé et au soda»// and //Cantines scolaires : Ce que l’on vous cache// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 78-85, //Le dormeur du val, Liberté, Familiale// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 86-91, //La lettre de Guy Môquet// • **//Presentational//** **//(written/spoken)//** -//AP French//—Essai #5, pp. 186-187; speaking #14, p. 213 (Mes Aïeux) //L’Homme qui plantait des arbres, Au revoir les enfants, Poumy//
 * **Vocabulary** related to diversity, economics, environmental and health issues, human rights,
 * **Structure**
 * • Subjunctive (//French Four Years//, Leçon 4)
 * • Relative pronouns (//French Four Years//, Leçon 8)
 * • Imperative (//French Four Years//, Leçon 1)
 * **Activities/Evaluation**
 * //• Interpersonal communication (written/spoken)//**
 * //• Interpretive (audio/visual/print/written)//**
 * **Supplementary Sources**
 * **•** Items from French news sources and contemporary podcasts
 * **•** Songs such as //Ma France à moi// (Diam’s), //Face à la mer// (Calogero), //Nouveau Français//
 * (**Amel Bent), //Aux arbres citoyens// (Yannick Noah), //L’Injustice// (Garou), //Tire-toi une bûche//
 * • Clips from movies such as //Inch’Allah Dimanche, Les Indigènes, Monsieur Ibrahim,//


 * February/March (approx. 5 weeks)—Unit 5—Beauty and Aesthetics **


 * //Scoring component 6f: This course explicitly addresses the Beauty and Aesthetics theme//**


 * **Vocabulary** related to architecture, cultural heritage, beauty, literature, music, and the arts
 * **Structure**
 * • Negations (//French Four Years//, Leçon 9)
 * • Demonstratives (//French Four Years//, Leçon 6)
 * • Object pronouns and disjunctive pronouns (//French Four Years//, Leçon 5)

Debate: pros and cons of plastic surgery; standards of beauty in various cultures Discussion of personal music preferences and presentation of a selection from francophone source //Allons au-delà//, p. 418, Comparer: Le Spectacle! -//AP French//—Print selections #3, p. 8; #7, pp. 16-17 -//AP French//—Print and audio selection #16, pp. 116-117 //-AP French//—Audio selections #17, p. 144; #24, p. 151 //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 354-358, //Ballade des pendus// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 359-360, //Mignonne, allons voir si la rose. . .// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 361-362, //Le corbeau et le renard// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 363-366, //Il pleure dans mon cœur// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 367-369, //La Réunion, perle de l’humanité// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 400-418, //La farce de Maître Pathelin// • **//Presentational//** **//(written/spoken)//** -//AP French//—Essai #2, pp. 180-181; speaking #1, p. 212 (Charles Trenet)
 * **Activities/Evaluation**
 * **//• Interpersonal communication (written/spoken)//**
 * //• Interpretive (audio/visual/print/written)//**
 * **Supplementary Sources**
 * **•** Items from French news sources and podcasts; virtual visits of museums, monuments, etc.
 * **•** Songs such as //Aux Champs-Élysées// (Joe Dassin), //La vie en rose// (Edith Piaf), //Douce France//
 * • Clips from movies such as //Molière, Les Choristes, Cyrano de Bergerac//


 * March/April/May (approx. 5 weeks)—Unit 6—Personal and Public Identities **


 * //Scoring component 6d: This course explicitly addresses the Personal and Public Identities theme//**

//-AP French//—Courriel #3, p. 166; dialogue #8, p//.// 207 -//AP French//—Print selections #9, pp. 20-21; #39, pp. 80-81 -//AP French//—Print and audio selection #9, pp. 102-103 //-AP French//—Audio selection #20, p. 147 //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 222-229, //Vincento// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 239-241, //Immigration—Ces étrangers, élèves modèles// //-Allons au-delà//, pp. 258-265, //Schizophrénie linguistique// //L’Etranger// by Albert Camus (exerpts) • **//Presentational//** **//(written/spoken)//** -//AP French//—Essai #3, pp. 182-183; speaking #9, p. 213 particularly timely //Nouveau Français// (Amel Bent), //Aïcha// (Khaled) //Classe de Mme Lise, Persepolis//
 * **Vocabulary** related to alienation and assimilation, values, language and identity, multiculturalism, nationalism and patriotism
 * **Structure**
 * • Infinitives and their use with prepositions (//French Four Years//, Leçon 12)
 * • Present participle (//French Four Years//, Leçon 12)
 * **Activities/Evaluation**
 * //• Interpersonal communication (written/spoken)//**
 * //• Interpretive (audio/visual/print/written)//**
 * **Supplementary Sources**
 * **•** Items from French news sources and contemporary podcasts; election year items will be
 * **•** Songs such as //Métro-boulot-dodo// (found on youtube.com) and //Métro-boulot-dodo// (Redstar),
 * • Clips from movies such as //Inch’Allah Dimanche, Les Indigènes, Monsieur Ibrahim, La//


 * Teaching Strategies **


 * The class is conducted almost exclusively in French**. Students are asked to keep a list of newly acquired vocabulary for quizzes on thematic topics. Grammar quizzes will also be given. All skills (listening, speaking, writing, and reading) are covered during a typical week in the AP classroom. Students are encouraged to seek additional resources that will enhance all skills. All speaking and writing assignments will be graded according to the AP rubric. Computer labs will be used frequently to practice listening and speaking skills and to evaluate student progress.


 * Listening Comprehension **

Students are exposed to film clips from movies or YouTube segments relating to the thematic topics in order to enhance comprehension. Music videos, CD’s, news segments from sources such as TV5 and France24, and documentaries are used in the classroom in order to stimulate discussion and evaluate student understanding. Dictées will be included on a regular basis.


 * Reading Comprehension **

Texts are drawn from a variety of authentic sources including francophone literary excerpts representing different genres and francophone newspapers and magazines from the Internet. Assessments vary depending on the type of reading involved. For instance, finding the main idea and supporting details is the most important skill in reading newspaper and magazine articles. Students earn participation points for explaining their answers in class. For more intensive reading assignments, such as those of a literary nature, students need to understand linguistic as well as semantic detail. Follow-up exercises may include dictées from the text and discussion of theme, as well as relationships of ideas and the text to the students’ own knowledge and experience.


 * Writing Skills **

Students are assigned writing tasks at least twice a week for homework. For magazine or newspaper articles, they describe the main idea, list supporting evidence, and create a list of new vocabulary items that they define in French. Additionally, they describe their personal reaction to the text. The most challenging writing assignment involves an in-class composition of at least 200 words once every few weeks. The teacher marks each paper with various error codes for the student to correct. The students then work in groups of three to edit, make suggestions and help each other correct their errors. Finally, the students rewrite their papers, incorporating the suggestions and corrections. For their efforts, they earn additional points on their grade for the paper. Of course, all compositions are graded on the new AP rubric.


 * Speaking Skills **

The AP French course will include partner activities, group activities, and individual or small group presentations. Students will do activities such as video projects and movie discussions, and they will develop and perform impromptu responses or comparisons related to the six thematic units. Students are also encouraged to sing songs, to learn and recite poems or fables in order to develop the French ear. Oral grades are determined using the AP rubric. A participation grade will be given during each grading period.


 * Culture **

Francophone culture pervades all skills. The cultural aspect is brought in specifically through a daily warm-up of facts and events, often presented as YouTube clips or selections from other sources.


 * Post-AP Exam Project Choices **

Since the school year finishes 10 to 14 days after the administration of the AP French Language and Culture Exam, students will do one of the following activities:


 * 1) The students will be required to design **in French** a virtual trip for 15 days in the francophone country of their choice. They will include the following components: flight, hotels, daily itinerary, restaurants, places visited (at least 3 different cities), and a journal in French of their adventure. The project will be presented orally, as well as in written form.


 * 1) The students will read (or finish reading) an authentic French literary work such as //L’Etranger// by Albert Camus, //Rhinocéros// by Eugene Ionesco, //Un Papillion dans la Cité// by Gisèle Pineau or other exerpts/stories from //Le Petit Nicolas//. Questions, debate, discussions, and written and speaking evaluations will be included in the study.