BONNES VACANCES D'ETE!!!

AU MOIS D'AOUT 2008!

SMITH MIDDLE SCHOOL MADAME PERRAUD – FRENCH I 7TH GRADE

     The goal of 7th grade French I is to attain basic proficiency in French in the areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing. By reinforcing material learned in Grade 6 French and adding new vocabulary and concepts, the 7th grade student will be able to perform simple functions in the language using all four skill areas. My goal is for very student to be successful in French! Curriculum: Our curriculum is driven by the National Foreign Language Standards, which are: Communication, culture, connections, comparisons and community. This year, we are implementing a new curriculum we have designed in Glastonbury. The main question for our students is “What is the culture of France?” The students will discover the answers by using all four of the language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Most of this will go on in French. We plan to use our latest technology such as digital recording in the language laboratory, Internet web quests, videos and cd-roms to help the students in this endeavor. Some of the topics that the students will study are: Geography, Climate and Houses and their relationship, Roman France and the celebrations of France.

Materials: Students will still use Allez, viens! (a class set) as a reference and they will be given workbooks. Allez, Viens! Textbooks will be available for checkout when needed. In addition, the students will be using all of the manual’s ancillary materials that constitute an excellent supplement. A CD-ROM is available as a complement to the program and may be purchased through Holt, Rinehart and Winston publishers.

Language Lab: The language lab will be used for a variety of speaking and listening activities. I hope to use the lab at least 30 minutes per week. Good behavior and respect for the delicate equipment is expected of all students using the lab.

Extra Help: I am available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after school for extra help until 3:30 p.m. Students should see me in advance to arrange for extra help sessions.

Homework: Students will not be given written homework every night. They do, however, have a daily assignment to study current vocabulary, phrases and expressions, verbs and occasional poems. Many types of assignments will be given in order to give every student a chance of being successfully involved in either speaking, writing, reading or creative expression.

Plagiarism: Please note that plagiarism will not be tolerated. The use of translators is considered as plagiarism. On-line dictionaries, however, may be used for an occasional word translation.

GRADING POLICY:The quarter grades will be divided as follows: - 35% Test (oral and written), Projects, Compositions, Journal writing. - 25% Quizzes (announced or unannounced), Preparation for class. - 30% Class Participation and Behavior. Students are encouraged to participate in all facets of language learning. It is not necessary to supply a correct answer at all times, rather to make some attempts to communicate in the target language. - 10% Homework.