Design Technology - International School of Duesseldorf

FRENCH
Placement
The French and Spanish programs in grades 6-10 are primarily designed to meet the
continuing needs of second-language learners of varying proficiencies entering in
grades 6-9. From time to time we may be able accommodate a small number of
native or near-native speakers on a case-by-case, year-by-year basis.
At each grade level there are usually 2-4 separate classes in each language, which
meet at the same time. Sometimes grade levels are combined so that we can
provide more flexibility by creating a greater number of sections
At the beginning of the year students are placed in classes based on their proficiency
level as determined by placement tests or interviews (if new to ISD) or performance
in the previous grade (if they are returning ISD students). The teacher gears the
content to the proficiency levels of the students in the class and differentiates
instruction internally to ensure that the students make appropriate progress over the
year. Additional flexibility is provided by the fact that students can easily be moved
between sections, without interfering with their other subjects, because the sections
meet at the same time.
French is taught at 3 levels: Beginners, Intermediate 1, and Intermediate 2. All
courses are theme-based and taught through the four skills: reading, writing,
listening and speaking.
Many activities related to these themes will enable the students to discover, research
and work on a link to the areas of interaction.
French 6 – 8
Beginners is an introductory course to the French language and culture. The
students will learn the basics of the language through a theme-based presentation.
Some themes include: personal data, family and friends, school life, sport and other
activities. Students will also learn about the customs and culture in France and
French speaking countries. Grammar includes: present tense of regular and some
irregular verbs, immediate future, easy forms of past tense, agreement and gender of
nouns and adjectives.
Intermediate 1 (year 2) is a continuation of the beginners’ course with an emphasis
on developing more proficiency in the language and more emphasis on oral
communication. Some themes include: fashion, health, TV programs, movies,
hobbies, holidays and travels. The grammar includes: irregular forms of verbs and
adjectives, past tense, future, comparative and superlative, negative forms.
Intermediate 2 (year 3) is a continuation of the two first foundation years. It
reinforces the previously acquired vocabulary and grammar, adds new syntax and
enables the students to start writing essays and be more involved in discussions and
debates. We will also emphasize the importance of reading through novels and
authentic documents.
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