ap® french language and culture - Haynes Academy for Advanced ...

AP® FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE COURSE OVERVIEW1 FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDENTS AND SCHOOL AP® PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS:
The majority of our students are learning a Foreign Language since their
freshmen year and earned 2 or 3 High School French Credits. Block
scheduling is mandated by our school district and Foreign Language students
follow an intensive Language class of 90 minutes/day for a semester only.
However, students are encouraged to participate in French Club activities
all year long. The pace of the AP® French Language and Culture course will
be accordingly adapted to answer students' need of refreshing their French
knowledge. The school provides foreign language teachers with the necessary
equipment and technology to practice for all skills of the AP® exam. This
year is the first time an AP French class is offered at the school. The
class is a French IV-French AP combined class. PRE-REQUISITE FOR THE COURSE
Students enrolling in this course are typically in their fifth year of
language study or they had experiences with the language. Therefore, they
should have a good command in French grammar and vocabulary. They should
also be proficient in listening, speaking, reading, writing in French and
they accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum. Any student
taking this class is encouraged to take the AP® French Language exam in May
2014.
Note : Students this year are only in their 4th year of French except one.
The original AP French and Culture syllabus is then adapted to the current
situation. COLLEGE CREDIT AND AP® EXAM
Students who choose to take the AP® French Language and Culture class are
aware that the course is comparable to a third year university course that
focuses on both written and oral French at an advanced level. College
credit will be determined by the student performance on the AP® French
language Exam. Because policies differ from one university to another, all
students are invited to check the website:
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp in order to
gather information on AP® credit recognition for colleges of their choice.
It is the student responsibility to make arrangement with the counselor to
pay a registration fee in order to take the AP® French Language and Culture
Exam in May 2014. Parents and students need to read the AP® Exam
registration manual. They both understand that if an AP® French Exam is
taken twice (or more) the AP® scores will accumulate unless a written
request is send by June 15 to cancel or withheld a score.
AP® FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE COURSE GRADE QUALIFICATION AND ACHIEVMENT
LEVELS
5 Extremely well qualified
4 Well qualified
3 Qualified
2 Possibly qualified
1 No recommendation
AP® Exam grades of 5 are equivalent to A grades in the corresponding
college
course. AP® Exam grades of 4 are equivalent to grades of A-, B+, and B in
college.
AP® Exam grades of 3 are equivalent to grades of B-, C-, and C in college.
(College Board AP® French Course Description, May 2010- May 2011, p.3)
The Jefferson Parish School district Conversion table percentage to quality
point equivalent will be used in the same manner as for an Honor Class. The
Achievement Level Descriptions (College Board, AP® French Language and
Culture Curriculum Framework 2011-2012, p. 5-25) will be used to assess
students' products and practices in presentational, interpersonal and
interpretive modes of communication and to develop better insight into
their individual performances. GRADING AND ASSESMENTS
*Listening (audio and audio-visual interpretive) 25%
(Objectives and sample activities below)
> Students are asked to participate into weekly listening and audio-visual
activities (see recordings references: TV5, LaFranceBis, Mon JT quotidien
and, Imaginez Lab Component and short movies. They are graded on the
comprehension of the content, the critical viewing and listening, the
vocabulary and the cultures connections and comparisons.
(College Board, AP® French Language and Culture Curriculum Framework 2011-
2012, p. 15-16)
*Reading (written and print interpretive) 25%
(Objectives and sample activities below)
> Students are required to submit at least one book report and to maintain
a journal with reading reflections (including a summary of idioms,
proverbs, literacy devices and new vocabulary learned). Their journal will
also reflect the understanding of French grammar in context and their
ability to interpret and synthesize different written sources. Students are
graded on comprehension of content, critical reading, vocabulary, cultures
and connections comparisons. (College Board, AP® French Language and
Culture Curriculum Framework 2011-2012, p. 17-19)
*Speaking (interpersonal and presentational) 25%
(Objectives and sample activities below)
> Students are required to engage in the oral exchange of information and
opinions in a variety of time frames in informal and formal situations.
They participate into weekly class debates, oral presentations and
storytelling. Each week, they are asked to comment on pictures and react
to improvised requests from their partner. Their recordings are graded and
averaged. While negotiating meaning, students are graded on their
interactions, strategies, opinions, language structures, vocabulary,
register, pronunciation, cultures connections and comparisons. While
presenting, students are graded on discourse development, strategies,
language structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, register, cultures
connections and comparisons. (College Board, AP® French Language and
Culture Curriculum Framework 2011-2012, p. 5-9 and 20-23)
*Writing (interpersonal and presentational) 25%
(Objectives and sample activities below)
> Students are required to participate into written exchanges of
information and opinion in a variety of media and time frames in formal and
informal situations. They produce a variety of creative writings and essays
as well as researched reports. While negotiating the meaning in writing,
students are graded on interaction, strategies, opinions, language
structures, writing conventions, vocabulary, register and cultures,
connection and comparisons. While facilitating interpretation through
presentational writing, students are graded on discourse and development,
strategies, languages structures, vocabulary, writing conventions,
register, cultures connections and comparisons. (College Board, AP® French
Language and Culture Curriculum Framework 2011-2012, p. 10-13 and
23-25) Notes: - Students take a previous AP® French Language Examination provided by
the College Board as diagnostic test. At the end of the third quarter,
students will take another AP® French Language Examination released by
the College Board and will be graded on it. Students are aware that
these exams are 2 hours and 30 minutes long.
- Students will also determine their proficiency level according to the
new Cadre de Reference (ACTFL) and the new content standards for
Modern Language by taking : Le test de français langue étrangère du
CNED, http://www.campus-electronique.tm.fr/TestFle/. This test will
point at their strengths and weaknesses. - Comprehensive tests, projects and products will have a weigh of 2,
quiz will have a weigh of 1. Participation grades are based on home
works, independent studies, effort and risk taking in class. Extra
credits for communities and school projects and researches related to
French. - Students keep an oral and written portfolio of a variety of texts
reflecting the mastery of different registers, styles and
demonstrating control of grammar, syntax and mechanics. Errors in the
rough drafts will be coded. Impressive elements that have been
included (vocabulary, structure, use of humor, idioms, si clauses
etc.) are also indicated with a "+" so that students will know what
they have done very well and will become more confident. Drafts are
self-edited and/or peer edited before the final submission. Students
are invited to rewrite or rerecord theirs productions to improve their
grade.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND ORGANIZATION The AP® French Language and Culture course is designed to prepare students
for the AP® French Language exam. This course consolidates and expands
previously acquired content and skills, offering students an opportunity to
acquire and enhance their communicative listening, reading, speaking and
writing skills in French while developing an awareness and appreciation of
French, Francophone and international cultures and improve their critical
thinking skills - all in the target language. The AP® French Language and, Culture course is structured according to the
primary textbook Imaginez divided in 10 chapters. Some chapters will
combine to address the essential guiding questions of the 6 themes (College
Board, AP® French Language and Culture Curriculum Framework 2011-2012, p.
26-30). Please refer to SAMPLE ACTVITIES for a description of how students are
using the Imaginez Material for each unit. Please refer to the attached AP
timeline for the specific scope and sequence. Additional possible resources are a pool of optional resources available to
deepen the theme. These resources will not all be used. I identified them
to ensure flexibility according to students' interests or specific needs.
These resources were presented and, discussed at the AP® French Language
and Culture, College Board Advanced Placement Professional Developement for
Teachers of AP French Language, workshop material by Theresa Juhl, AP
conference Baton Rouge, LA, June 21-25, 2010. Unit 1: Personal and Public Identities. Leçon 1: Ressentir et vivre -Les
relations personnelles. (Imaginez p. 1-39)
Essential guiding questions: - La quête de soi. Qu'est-ce que l'identité?
Comment la langue et la culture influencent notre (nos?) identité(s)?
Quelles expressions de l'iden