WEST ISLAND SCHOOL

IB FRENCH
The mission of the Modern Languages Faculty is to encourage students to
become actively involved in the language and culture of the target country so
that they become literate, confident, fluent and ultimately capable of enjoying
life-long learning in the target language.

RATIONALE FOR STUDYING IB FRENCH

• Studying foreign languages will foster improved understanding towards

people who speak those languages through recognition of differences in
worldviews, customs, beliefs, and social conventions.

• Students will expand their perspective of the world by gaining direct

access to the literature of other languages.

• Students will have an increased opportunity to participate in an

expanding world economy.

• Students will master the basic skills and in doing so, develop a sense of
achievement and satisfaction.

• The most effective way to ensure that students can both use and enjoy
a foreign language is through a communication-based program combined
with grammar.
MODERN LANGUAGE FACULTY GOALS

• To emphasize multicultural understanding through the teaching of

foreign languages.

• To teach through a communication-based program, one in which the

target language is used to exchange meaningful information in the
classroom, combined with a grammar-based format.

• To use varied and appropriate resources in addition to the textbook.

Resource selection will be guided by relevance and interest to students.

• To vary the teaching and learning styles by engaging students in

interactive oral activities, group and paired discussions, whole class
discussions, individual presentations, guided and controlled writing,
grammar exercises, and the study of literature at higher levels.

• To provide opportunities for enjoyment, creativity, and intellectual

stimulation.

• To review previously learned materials and skills and to integrate them

into current communication activities involving more advanced
proficiency levels in order to increase overall proficiency.

• To include opportunities to learn foreign languages outside the

classroom, such as Internet communication and educational and cultural
visits to the countries whose languages are being learned.

• To evaluate continuously during the activities as well as a formal

evaluation at the end of each unit designed to gauge the student's
ability to use the target language accurately and effectively.
 LANGUAGE B FRENCH

GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW

This is a 2 year course that prepares students for the IB Language B

examination at both Standard and Higher Level. At both levels students will
develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills by studying a wide
range of topics related to French culture and society. There is also
significant emphasis placed on the study of grammar and the accuracy of both
the written and spoken language.

In an increasingly interconnected world environment, knowledge of a second

language or third foreign language has become a necessary component of an
educated person's intellectual repertoire. French, by virtue of its traditional
status as the language of European ‘high culture’ is an ideal choice for the
language student as its mastery may lead to a deep understanding of the
sources of Western culture and civilization. Yet French is also a ‘living
language’ spoken in 37 countries, colonies and territories in Europe, Africa, the
Americas and the Pacific. Along with Spanish and English, knowledge of French
opens doors to an astounding variety of peoples and cultures around the world.

The general purpose of the Language B course in French is to provide students

with the opportunity to master the grammatical foundations of the language,
increase their oral and writing skills, and encourage an exploration of the
cultures for which the French language is the primary means of expression.

Each unit of study will develop a number of linguistic skills through the study
of texts taken from a wide range of sources: literature, the press, films,
television, radio etc.

Each of the four primary language skills (listening, speaking, reading and
writing) is organized according to three distinct but interrelated areas:
 • LANGUAGE: the handling of the language system accurately (grammar
and syntax)
• CULTURAL INTERACTION: the selection of language appropriate to a
particular cultural and social context
• MESSAGE: understanding ideas qand how they are organized in order to
communicate them appropriately

The three areas are considered equally important and form the basis of the
assessment criteria.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The IB French course uses a communicative approach that provides

opportunities for students to use French appropriately in a range of settings
and situations for a variety of purposes. IB French pays particular attention
to the teaching of language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing)
through the study of oral and written texts. Students’ learning includes the
study of texts linked to IB themes of exploring Change, exploring Groups, and
exploring Leisure. The testing and assessment programme of IB French is
criterion referenced, based on the criteria for evaluation of Message,
Presentation and Language. The testing combines grammar and content,
structure and situation for the purpose of analysing the student’s
performance in terms of the course objectives.

GENERAL AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

• To enable students to understand and use the language they have been
studying in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes
• To enable students to use the language appropriately and communicate
effectively and accurately both in oral and written work
• To encourage an awareness and appreciation of the different
perspectives of peoples from other cultures
• To develop students’ awareness of the role of language in relation to the
other areas of knowledge
• To expose students to a variety of literary texts for study and analysis
 • To provide students with a rich and varied linguistic experience which
will be a basis for further study, work and leisure

• To develop students’ awareness of the relationship between the

languages and the cultures of the target country.

COMPONENTS

• Revision of grammar and vocabulary previously studied and the

introduction of new vocabulary and grammar using a variety of methods
and materials
• Participation in oral and written activities to reinforce previously
learned as well as new grammatical concepts and vocabulary
• Reading and analyzing written material in French which may include
newspaper articles, magazine articles, novels, short stories, biographies
and poems
• Giving oral presentations which may include speeches, dialogues, skits,
power-point presentations
• Developing cultural relevance through cultural comparisons and exposure
to history, art, literature, film and music.
• Preparation for the IB French examination by practicing components of
the examination: essay-writing, reading and listening comprehension,
speaking, sentence completion, multiple choice activities.

TEACHING TIME

HL/SL course Teaching hours

French B HL 248

French B SL 156
 ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed on a regular basis both formally and informally.

Throughout the whole program students will have regular vocabulary tests,
listening and reading tests as well as oral and written assessments.

In October of Year 13 they will begin preparation for their group and
individual oral examination. They will sit their final group oral examination in
December of Year 13 and their individual oral examination in March of Year 13
which will be preceded by an individual mock oral in January of the same year.
Their final written examination will take place in May of Year 13.

STANDARD LEVEL

External Assessment: Written component (70%)

• Paper 1: Text handling 1 ½ hours 40%

Reading (30%) Questions based on a number of written

texts

Written response (10%) A short writing exercise in

response to a written text

• Paper 2: Written Production 1 ½ hours 30% One writing task from

a choice of four

Internal Assessment: Oral Component (30%)

Two oral activities to be internally assessed by the teacher and

externally moderated by the IBO

• Individual Oral (15%) Based on a stimulus chosen by the candidate

• Interactive Oral Activity (15%) The mark of one interactive oral

acitivity
 HIGHER LEVEL

External Assessment: Written Component (70%)

• Paper 1: Text handling 1½ hours 40%

Reading (27%) Questions based on a number of written texts

Written response (13%) A short writing exercise in response to a

written text

• Paper 2: Written Production 1½ hours 30% One writing task from a

choice of six

Internal Assessment: Oral Component

Two oral activities to be internally assessed by the teacher and externally

moderated by the IBO

• Individual Oral (15%) Based on a stimulus chosen by the candidate

• Interactive Oral Activity (15%) The mark of one interactive oral

activity
AUTUMN TERM YEAR 12

LEXICAL AND GRAMMATICAL CONTENT

• Review of the passé composé with ‘avoir/être’ including irregular verbs

and past participle agreements.
• Review of the Imperfect vs. the Passé composé
• Review of subjunctive forms: regular and irregular verbs.
• Subjunctive expressing wishes, preferences, demands and emotional
reactions to others
• The Past Subjunctive
• Review of interrogatives and negatives
• Review of the Imperfect tense and its uses
• Special adjectives.
• The comparative and the superlative
• Review of pronouns
• The Future and Future Perfect tenses

TOPIC AREAS

Students will learn about education, leisure time, money, sports, weather,

Using Au Point as the main textbook for the IB Language B course, students
will study the following units from the book: education and working life, travel
and tourism, the environment, money, homelessness.

• Unit 3: Une école pour la réussite?- education, careers, world of work,

equal rights

• Unit 5: Evasion- travel and tourism, holidays, leisure, protection of the

environment

• Unit 6: Gagner sa vie- Social issues, attitudes towards money, the world
of work, homelessness, the Third World
SPRING TERM YEAR 12

LEXICAL AND GRAMMATICAL CONTENT

• Review all direct and indirect object pronouns.

• Descriptions of past actions in formal writing using the Past Historic
tense (le passé simple)
• Use of the Subjunctive after conjunctions
• The Partitive when talking about an indefinite quantity or number
• Use of the pronoun ‘en’
• Relative pronouns ‘que/que/ou/don’t/lequel
• Subjunctive expressing uncertainty and doubt
• Use of the Pluperfect Tense, ‘ le plus-que-parfait’
• Reflexive verbs in all tenses
• Review of the Conditional tense and introduction to the Conditional
Perfect tense

TOPIC AREAS

Students will learn about social problems in France, family issues, French
people's concerns regarding health and physical fitness and the media.

• Unit 1: Il faut vivre sa vie- youth issues, rights and responsibilities,

young people and the law

• Unit 2: Entre toi et moi- relationships, peer pressure, marriage, divorce,

cohabitation

• Unit 4: En pleine forme- health, food and drink, fitness, smoking,

alcohol, drugs, AIDS

• Unit 8: Au courant- the media, the press, influences of the media,

advertising
SUMMER TERM YEAR 12

LEXICAL AND GRAMMATICAL CONTENT

• The past infinitive construction

• Interrogative pronouns
• Possessive pronouns
• Relative clauses using ‘si’
• Review of fundamental verbs and their special usage.
• Imperative construction.
• The government of verbs using ‘a’ and ‘de’
• Position of special adverbs
• Use of the impersonal subject ‘on’ to avoid the Passive Voice
• Uses of the Perfect and Imperfect tenses
• Agreement of the past participle in special situations
• The literary past tense: the Past Historic or le passé simple

TOPIC AREAS

Students will learn about French culture, environmental issues and transport,
equal opportunities, immigration problems and racism.

• Unit 7: Il faut cultiver notre jardin- the arts, literature, cinema,

artistic movements, architecture and the national heritage

• Unit 9: Terre, où est ton avenir?- Environment and pollution, transport,

nuclear power and nuclear waste, recycling, climate

• Unit 10 : Sur un pied d’égalité- Equal opportunities, sex equality,

immigration, racism

RESOURCES
The main textbook used will be Au Point Nouvelle Edition published by Nelson
Thornes U.K. In addition to this main textbook, other materials will be used
from methods such as Élan, Objectif Bac 1 and 2 and Zenith. Students will
subscribe to both Étincelle and Authentik as these publications provide
invaluable listening and reading practice throughout Years 12 and 13. Students
will also be encouraged to read other materials such as Les Dossiers de
l’Actualité and Phosphore.

A variety of worksheets, IWB resources, on-line resources, magazines, DVD’s

and adapted short stories written by classic and contemporary writers will be
used to supplement the main textbook. Students will be encouraged to use the
many excellent websites available such as www.lepointdufle.com, from which
they can access a variety of different media sources including newspapers,
magazines, radio and television. Students also have access to our own ESF
Language Centre and will complete some assignments online and use the
interactive resources provided by the Centre.

The Modern Languages Faculty has a variety of French films covering a

number of themes that can be exploited in lessons in connection with the
themes outlined above.
AUTUMN TERM YEAR 13

GRAMMATICAL AND LEXICAL CONTENT

• Review of direct and indirect object pronouns

• Verbs of communication
• The Imperative tense with pronouns
• The Future tense
• The Conditional tense
• The Subjunctive mood
• Present and Past and the use of subjunctive constructions
• Pronominal verbs
• Agreements of compound tenses.

TOPIC AREAS

Students will learn about Europe and citizenship, French history, the problems
of Corsica and separatism, the refugee problem in France, beliefs and religion.

• Unit 11: Citoyen, Citoyenne: Politics and citizenship, Europe and the
European Union, citizenship, working abroad

• Unit 12 : La guerre et la paix- the German Occupation of France, the

new world order, the new national service in France, Corsica, the life of
refugees in France

• Unit 13: Ce que je crois- Beliefs, religion, superstition, customs and

traditions, the supernatural
SPRING TERM YEAR 13

GRAMMATICAL AND LEXICAL CONTENT

• Adjectives and adverbs

• Negative construction
• The use of the Present participle
• Review of different pronouns: possessive, relative, interrogative,
definite and indefinite, the demonstrative pronouns ‘celui’
• Indirect speech
• Verbs of communication and expression
• The Passive voice
• Constructions with the Infinitive.
• Review of the Subjunctive with relative clauses
• Hypothetical clauses.

Students will also work with specific themes from history, literature and the
arts.

TOPIC AREAS

Students will learn about moral and ethical problems, French justice, France in
the 21st century, technological and scientific progress.

• Unit 14 : Qui juge ?- Moral dilemmas, animal rights, modern day slavery,
violence, the French judicial system- crime and punishment

• Unit 15: Demain déjà?- the future, adulthood, scientific and medical
research, technology, progress

During the Spring term of Year 13 students will complete their study of the
units of work about France and then work through a variety of past
examination papers which will help improve their examination technique. The
topics covered in the previous 4 terms will be revised thoroughly and extra
materials will be introduced to consolidate the learning that has previously
gone on. Students will complete their study of the literary texts.
RESOURCES

The main textbook used will be Au Point Nouvelle Edition published by Nelson
Thornes U.K. In addition to this main textbook, other materials will be used
from methods such as Élan, Objectif Bac 1 and 2 and Zenith. Students will
subscribe to both Étincelle and Authentik as these publications provide
invaluable listening and reading practice throughout Years 12 and 13. Students
will also be encouraged to read other materials such as Les Dossiers de
l’Actualité and Phosphore.

A variety of other materials will be used including worksheets, IWB resources,

on-line resources, magazines, DVD’s and adapted short stories written by
classic and contemporary writers will be used to supplement the main
textbook. Students will be encouraged to use the many excellent websites
available such as www.lepointdufle.com, from which they can access a variety
of different media sources including newspapers, magazines, radio and
television. Students also have access to our own ESF Language Centre and will
complete some assignments online and use the interactive resources provided
by the Centre.

The Modern Languages Faculty has a variety of French films covering a

number of themes that can be exploited in lessons in connection with the
themes outlined above.
 ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED

• Does the course provide adequate preparation in oral and written

expression and in analytical and critical thought?
• Is provision made for individual practice in speaking and listening over
and above what is possible within regular class hours, whether through
a language laboratory or by other means?
• Is each language level grouped appropriately, allowing the teachers to
provide specialized, intense instruction for each group?
• Explain how the resources and themes chosen will highlight or
reinforce internationalism.
• Is the school well stocked with general high-interest reading material
at all levels of proficiency in the languages being offered?
• Does the school subscribe to newspapers and periodicals in the
language(s) being offered for student and staff use?
• The school employs a native-speaker French language assistante
(Isabelle Bédard) to assist with small group and one-to-one oral
practice. The French B course will include discursive writing and
speaking tasks which will demand analytical preparation and
expression. In addition, the literary extracts studied will allow for
analytical and critical thought as well as vocabulary development.
• Additional pre-recorded materials and equipment are made available
to students to practise in their own time. The language assistant can
run discussion groups at lunchtime. There is facility to access
Alliance Française workshops and courses for additional oral
exposure. The school has access to extensive reading, writing and
listening resources through www.langcentre.net
• We expect the French B course to allow separate groups for
Standard and Higher Level.
• Materials and resources will allow as much exposure to different
French-speaking countries as possible, as well as drawing attention to
other regions of the world through such topics as travel, charity,
pollution, the environment and immigration.
• The school subscribes to a large number of periodicals (held in the
library for general access) across a range of ability levels such as
Phosphore, Les Dossiers de l’Actualité, Etincelle, Authentik as well as
L’Express, in addition to using online resources such as
www.languagesonline.org.uk and www.zut.org.uk
• Staff have access to a range of online news sites such as
www.lepointdufle.com and www.afl.com, as these tend to be the most
relevant, current source of information.