Foreign Languages

The study of the French language and culture begins in Kindergarten for all students. In the sixth grade students may continue their study of French or begin the study of Spanish language and culture.

Kindergarten

French

• Building Beginning Vocabulary – family, colors, numbers, animals, etc.
• Idiomatic Expressions – greetings, weather, dates, classroom situations

Grade 1

French

• Building Beginning Vocabulary – family, colors, numbers, the house, animals, the classroom, parts of body, clothing, etc.
• Introduction of verbs and adjectives to create shot sentences
• Idiomatic expressions relating to activities

Grade 2

French

• Vocabulary – family, colors, numbers, house, animals, vegetables, fruits, classroom, parts of body, clothing, meals, places
• Verbs and adjectives
• Short sentences created with more freedom and imagination
• Idiomatic expressions related to activities

Grade 3

French

• Vocabulary – family, colors, numbers, house, animals, vegetables, fruits, classroom, parts of body, clothing, meals, places
• Present tense verbs, adjectives and pronouns using verb conjugation
• Interrogative pronouns to form questions
• Relative pronouns to answer questions

Grade 4

French

• Vocabulary: family, classroom items and school subjects, numbers to 100, time and daily routine, clothes, colors, professions, the body, animals, sports and pastimes, likes and dislikes
• Grammar: gender and number of nouns, agreement of adjectives, present tense of être and -er verbes
• Sound discrimination: alphabet, intonation (statement versus question)
• Culture and Civilization: greeting, important French holidays, geography of France, La Marseillaise, dialogues, poems, songs, games, videos, children’s software.

Grade 5

French

• Vocabulary: time and daily routine, days, months, seasons, weather, places in town, means of transportation, common prepositions, rooms and furnishings, meals and food, table setting.
• Grammar: article partitif, contactions with à, possessive adjectives, present tense of aller, faire, avoir, expressions with avoir.
• Sound discrimination: vowels, sound change with accent.
• Culture and Civilization: French holidays, Paris, francophone countries, dialogues, poems, songs, games, films, children’s software.
• Cultural projects: ma journée typique, ma saison favorite, la maison idéale.

Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades study one foreign language, either French or Spanish.

Grade 6

French

• Functions: greet; ask and say name and age; express likes, dislikes and preferences; discuss student life including sports, pastimes and school subjects; describe things, family, home and neighborhood; tell time; describe weather; tell what belongs to you and others; food; describe future ewvents
• Grammar: usage of articles, numbers 0-1000, the plural, articles, nouns, adjectives, agreement of adjectives, contractions, possessive adjectives, demonstrative adjectives, adverbs of frequency, present verb tense, negation, question, the imperative
• Culture and Civilization: French education system, French speaking world, French holidays, French art, films, books, and educational software
• Cultural projects: pen-pal correspondence with partner school in France, research project, national French contest sponsored by the American Association of Teachers

Spanish

• Vocabulary building- greetings and introductions, school-related expressions, descriptive adjectives, numbers 0 – 30, days of the week, action verbs
• Grammar – gender and number of nouns, definite and indefinite nouns, subject pronouns, infinitives, subject-verb and noun-adjective agreement, present tense, irregular verbs, expressing plans and obligations, negation, telling time, asking questions
• Culture – Spanish speaking countries and cultures, songs (holidays and others), use of formal and informal “you”

Grade 7

French

• Functions: tell what people are able to do and want to do; discuss color, size, price of clothing; pay compliments, make decision; compare people and things; flight and airport procedures; travel expressions; weather; describe past actions and events
• Grammar; conjugation of verbs, agreement and position of irregular adjectives; negative words; the comparatif; adjectives quell and tout; question words, the imperative; forms and usage of passé compose; specific expressions of time
• Culture and Civilization: Paris, Quebec, French holidays, contemporary French films and books, educational software
• Cultural Projects: le defile de mode; Paris monuments; regions of Quebec; book reports; pen-pal letters with partner French school; the Grand Concours; national French contest sponsored by American Association of French teachers

Spanish

• Vocabulary: places in city, weather, in the park, seasons of the year, adverbs of frequency, negative words, family, months of year, numbers 31-100, professions, emotions
• Grammar – expressing preferences, indirect object pronouns, regular present tense, talking about the weather, expressing the date, possessive adjectives, personal a, irregular verbs, present progressive tense
• Culture – songs, Mexico city and city park, names, everyday life, special days and holidays, songs

Grade 8

French

• Functions: relate events in the present, past and future; sports; discuss weather; discuss daily routines and family life; discuss visiting movies, museums, theaters; discuss and write about plot, setting and theme of films, discuss what and who you know; describe illness and getting prescription filled; read in context
• Grammar: Passe compose of regular and irregular verbs; auxiliary verbs; specific expressions of time; reflexive verbs; conjuction of irregular verbs; direct and indirect object pronouns; indefinite pronoun en; idiomatic use of prepositions; prepositions with geographical names
• Culture and Civilization: French region of Provence; Martinique; contemporary French films, books and software
• Cultural Projects: web-based research; book reports; film reviews; pen-pal letters with partner French school; the Grand Conours; national French contest sponsored by American Association of French teachers

Spanish

• Vocabulary- more places in the city, numbers to 1,000,000, ordinal numbers to 10th clothing, colors, foods, prepositions of location
• Culture – Madrid, shopping, eating, asking directions
• Grammar – affirmative familiar commands, irregular verbs, stem-changing verbs, idioms