What will I learn?

Through studying this course, you will develop the following:

  • International-mindedness;
  • Communication in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes;
  • An awareness and appreciation of a variety of perspectives of people from diverse cultures;
  • An awareness of the importance of language in relation to other areas of knowledge;
  • Opportunities for intellectual engagement and critical- and creative-thinking skills;
  • A curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning.

What is the structure of the course?

Identities

Personal attributes, Personal relationships, Eating and drinking, Wellbeing

Experiences

Daily routine, Leisure, Holidays, Festivals and celebrations

Human ingenuity

Transport, Entertainment, Media, Technology

Social organisation 

Neighbourhood, Education, The workplace, Social issues

Sharing the planet

Climate, Physical geography, The environment, Global issues

How will I be assessed?

Assessment

Weighting

Paper 1 – Writing

25%

Paper 2 – Listening and Reading

50%

Internal Assessment

25% – individual oral assessment

Frequently Asked Questions

Which CAS opportunities are available?
There will be a range of clubs and extracurricular opportunities, such as Film Club, Literature Club and Cultural Studies. For French there will also be an opportunity to travel to a French speaking country to explore the diversity of the cultures of La Francophonie.

Which opportunities for further study are available?
French IB will prepare you for any course at University and any career, as you will develop strong communication skills which are necessary in our global world. Possible careers include: International, Business, International Law, Government, Foreign Service, Tourism, Media, Communications, Secondary/ Primary Education, Translation and Interpretation and Journalism.

Is there anything else I need to know?

  • French can be used as a ‘gateway’ to learn other languages. Being a Romance language, it has many similarities to other European languages such as Italian and Portuguese.
  • Knowing the local language can greatly enhance one’s experience, allowing them a greater understanding and appreciation of culture, history and the physical environment.
Back to ks5 curriculum

Curriculum map

Topics / Units

All About Me

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

  • Introduction to La Francophonie
  • Greetings
  • Introducing oneself
  • Nationalities
  • Languages
  • Numbers
  • Days
  • Months of the year
  • Animals
  • Family members
  • Describing appearance and personality
  • The verbs; to be; to have; to speak
  • Regular ER verbs

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

  • Apply key phonics rules when reading / speaking
  • Identify / translate key information from a short dialogue
  • Use knowledge of English as well as other languages to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words/phrases
  • Identify and use at least 3 conventions of different text types (email, blog, social media post)
  • Communicate key information about oneself
  • Conjugate both regular and irregular verbs in the present tense

Links to TOK

  • How do we adapt language to different situations in French/German?
  • Does this differ across French/German speaking communities around the world?

Topics / Units

Daily Life

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

  • Clothing
  • Routine at home
  • Rooms in the house
  • Chores
  • Giving Opinions
  • Food
  • Numbers 30-60
  • The verb to go, to do, and to take
  • Negation & question formation
  • The future tense
  • Reflexive verbs

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

  • Conjugate verbs in the present and future tenses
  • Give and justify positive and negative opinions
  • Read to acquire new language
  • Tell the time
  • Use a variety of conjunctions and sequencers
  • Compare chores and daily routines of Francophone/German-speaking communities around the world.

Links to TOK

  • What effect does fashion have on social cohesion / division?
  • Has food from other countries influenced British cuisine?

Link to Assessment

Module 2 Assessment (W & L)

Topics / Units

Food, Drink & Meal Times

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

  • Meals
  • Recipes
  • Traditional Francophone dishes
  • Shopping
  • At the market
  • Ordering at the Restaurant
  • Numbers 60-2000
  • In the Town
  • Directions
  • Public Transport

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

  • Begin to identify and use patterns to conjugate verbs in a variety of tenses
  • Justify positive and negative opinions
  • Read to acquire new language
  • Use a variety of conjunctions, sequencers & adjectives
  • Use the partitive article du/de la/des/de l’
  • Confidently use the past tense with the verb ‘avoir’
  • Use the prepositions à / dans / au / en / aux
  • The Imperative

Links to TOK

  • Are local products always better quality?
  • Are local products always cheaper? Why? Why not?
  • Why should cities have international links with cities around the world?

Topics / Units

Holidays

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

  • Holiday Activities
  • Modes of Transport
  • Tourist Attractions
  • Physical Geography
  • Weather
  • Prepositions
  • Comparative and Superlative Structures
  • The Future Tense
  • Regular and Irregular verbs

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

  • Conjugate verbs in present, past and future tenses confidently.
  • Discuss the best modes of transport and make comparisons
  • Book international travel
  • Plan a holiday
  • Communicate a range of information about past and future holidays
  • Speak confidently
  • Describe a picture
  • Make cultural references

Links to TOK

  • How does travel support development of young people?

Topics / Units

School Life

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

  • School Life in England & La Francophonie
  • Subjects
  • The School Day & Year
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Rules
  • School Facilities
  • Teachers & School Staff
  • Tertiary Education

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

  • Conjugate verbs in present, past, future and conditional tenses confidently
  • Relative Pronouns ‘ce qui’ & ‘ce que’, make comparisons
  • Speak confidently
  • Describe a picture
  • Make cultural references
  • Using the verb ‘pouvoir’ in the present tense

Links to TOK

  • Is it important to understand school life in other countries?
  • Is homeschooling a good idea?

Links to Assessment