Language Acquisition: French
As an International Baccalaureate school, The York School values second language learning, and seeks to give every child an opportunity to learn two languages in addition to English. Because of our Canadian heritage, all of our students will take French up until at least Grade 9. Students wishing to take a language beyond French will have the opportunity to explore Mandarin through our co-curricular program and formally study both Mandarin and Spanish starting in Grade 10.
French
Core French Grade 7
The aim of this course is to develop basic communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language, as well as an appreciation of French culture in Canada and in other parts of the world. This course also focuses on developing collaborative skills. The book La Belle et la Bête will be studied, also films such Kirikou et La Belle et la Bête, songs, games and short videos to enrich the cultural aspects of the course.
By the end of Grade 7, students will: listen and respond to a wide range of spoken texts and media works; express ideas and opinions clearly on a range of topics, using correct pronunciation and appropriate intonation; read a variety of fiction and non-fiction and demonstrate understanding through a range of oral and written responses; produce clear written texts, using a variety of forms, for various purposes and in a range of contexts; identify and use appropriate language conventions during oral communication activities, in their responses to reading materials, and in their written work.
Core French Grade 8
The aim of this course is to develop basic communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language, as well as an appreciation of French culture in Canada and in other parts of the world. This course focuses on developing thinking skills. A short French novel, Éric a disparu is studied and films, video clips and songs are used to enrich the cultural aspects of the course.
By the end of Grade 8, students will: listen and respond to a wide range of spoken texts and media works; express ideas and opinions clearly and coherently on a range of topics, using correct pronunciation and appropriate intonation; read a variety of fiction and non-fiction and demonstrate understanding through a broad range of oral and written responses; produce clear, coherent written texts in a variety of forms, adjusting the language to suit the purpose and audience; identify and use appropriate language conventions during oral communication activities, in their responses to reading materials, and in their written work.