AP® French Language

Course Overview:
The course objective is to perfect the four skills of language learning: listening, speaking,
reading, writing with the goal of students achieving the advanced levels described in the
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. The course is conducted completely in French, except
where necessary to clarify grammatical explanations. Students are also required to
participate in a variety of cultural activities both within and beyond the classroom.

Course Objectives:

• To have students become proficient in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, in

preparation for the AP ® French Language Exam.
• To enrich the students’ cultural knowledge and experience with the francophone
world.
• To attain proficiency in the French language in accordance with the National
Standards.

Primary Textbooks:
• Lenard, Yvone. Trésors du Temps: Niveau Avancé 2nd Edition. Glencoe/McGraw-
Hill, 1997.
Text and companion workbook.
• Ladd, Richard, and Colette Girard. AP French: Preparing for the Language
Examination 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall, 1998.
Text and companion cassettes.

Supplementary Text:
• Blume, Eli and Gail Stein. AMSCO French Three Years. AMSCO School
Publications, Inc., 1994.

Other sources and materials:

• Released AP Exams
• Amiry, Laila. Barron’s How to Prepare for the AP French Exam 2nd Edition.
Barron’s Educational Series, 2004.
• Idiomatic Expressions list from AP Workshops
• Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de. Le Petit Prince. Harcourt, 2000.
• Sartre, Jean-Paul. Huis Clos.
• Various sources of reading materials, such as novels, short stories, plays, poetry,
newspapers, magazines, songs, internet articles, and other publications.

Grading Scale: Grades based on a point system as follows:

90 – 100% A
80 - 89% B
70 - 79% C
60 - 69% D
Homework: Expect some kind of homework every night. Homework is generally worth
2 to 20 points. A grammar practice is worth from 2 to 5 points whereas a reading
assignment involving answering questions may be worth up to 20 points. Homework
may also involve practicing speaking and answers to questions or reviewing vocabulary
or for a test.

The grade distribution is as follows:

• Speaking/participation/discussions/presentations/listening/attendance 30%
• Tests/readings/essays/tape recordings 50%
• Homework – readings/grammar/vocabulary 20%

Los Amigos High School Expected School Wide Learning Results (ESLRS):

1. Responsible Citizens:
a. Regular attendance – you will receive 1 point per day for being present.
b. Be on time.
c. Respect others and yourself.
d. Be willing to work with others and sit where the teacher requests.
e. Keep the classroom neat and clean.
f. When absent, make up any necessary work. If you are absent on a test day
and you were aware of that test, you are expected to make up the test upon
your return. Also, if absent, it is possible you will miss out on some class
work that my not be made up.

2. Academic Achievers:
a. Study and do your assignments. No late homework is accepted.
b. Seek extra help when needed.
c. Actively participate in class.
d. Speak only French to achieve the highest level of learning.
e. Do what it takes to succeed on the AP exam.
f. Strive to better yourself in reading, writing, listening to and speaking in
French.

3. Effective Problem Solvers:

a. Ask questions and seek extra help when needed.
b. Strive to retain and apply what you are learning.

4. Self-disciplined Individuals:
a. Refrain from doing work from other classes in this class.
b. Bring the necessary texts and materials each day.
c. No eating in class unless you are given permission.
d. Cover and keep covered throughout the year all textbooks hard and
paperback.
 e. Know and practice the school wide dress code.
f. Keep track of your assignments, tests, and grades.
g. Study on your own especially your weak areas.
h. Practice speaking French during class and outside class time.
i. Be on time.
j. Use your school agenda for hall passes.
k. Turn off all electronic devices upon entering the class.
l. Refrain from looking at pictures, passing notes or putting on make-up
during instructional time.

Additional requirements and information:

1. Students will be reading some additional stories or articles of their choice and
will submit a summary in English about the reading. The teacher must approve
of the choice. Each reading will be worth 20 points.
2. Each student must attend 2 lunch time “Causerie” each quarter to promote
conversation. The student must be present for at least 20 minutes to receive
credit.
3. Each student will keep vocabulary note cards and a personal notebook including
notes from class about vocabulary and grammar points, notes about personal bad
habits with use of French, board work and verb charts of the different verb
tenses.
4. Every student should purchase or have access to a French/English dictionary for
use at home.
5. Second semester will require additional outside class time during lunch or after
school for more intense practice for the AP exam.

Course Outline

September: Trésor du Temps Ch. 1 and 2

History: Pre-History, Gaul to the Middle Ages
Literature and Culture: The Provinces of France
De bello gallico, Jules César
Le Vase de Soissons, Grégoire de Tours
Grammar: Special Uses of Present Tense Verbs and Imperative
AMSCO Chpt.1: Present Tense, Ch.2: Imperative, Ch. 23 Sec. 7 & 8: Expressions
introduced by à and de.
AP Workbook: Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 1 & 2 (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.

October: Trésors du Temps Ch. 3 and 4

History: The Dark Ages, Crusades, Cathedrals and Calamities
Literature and Culture: La Chanson de Roland
Tristan et Yseut
La Farce de Maître Pathelin
La Ballade des pendus, François Villon
Grammar: Passé Composé, Passé Simple, Imparfait, Plus-Que-Parfait, and pronouns.
AMSCO Ch. 3: Passé Composé, Ch. 4: Imperfect Tense, Ch. 5: Passé Composé and
Imperfect Comparison. Chpt.6: Passé Simple, Ch. 9 Sec. 2: Plus-Que-Parfait. Ch. 20:
Subject and Stress Pronouns, Ch. 21: Object Pronouns.
AP Workbook: Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 3 & 4 (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.

November: Trésors du Temps Ch. 5

History: The Discoveries of the 15th Century
Literature and Culture: Pantagruel, La naissance de Pantagruel, François Rabelais
Le Tiers Livre, Le jugement de Jehan le Fou, François Rabelais
Les Essais, Contre le colonialisme, Michel de Montaigne
Ode à Cassandre, Pierre de Ronsard
Grammar: Future, Future Anterior, Conditional, Past Conditional, & Special Usages of
Devoir.
AMSCO Ch. 7: Future Tense, Ch. 8: Conditional, Ch.9 Sec.3: Future Perfect, Ch.9
Sec.4: Past Conditional, Ch.9 Sec.5: Compound Tenses and Conditional Sentences,
Ch.16 Sec.1: Special Uses of Devoir.
AP Workbook Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 5 & 6 (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.
December: Trésors du temps Ch. 6
History: The 17th Century: The Classical Age
Literature and Culture: L’Ecole des femmes, Molière
Lettre à sa fille sur la mort de Vatel, Madame de Sévingé
Grammar: Subjunctive
AMSCO Ch.13-15: Subjunctive
AP Workbook Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 7 & 8 (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.

January: Trésors du temps Ch. 7

History: The 18th Century
Literature and Culture: Candide ou l’optimise, Voltaire
Les Confessions, Le ruban volé, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Grammar: Reflexive Verbs, Causative Faire
AMSCO Ch.11: Reflexive Verbs, Chpt.16 Sec.6: Special Uses of Faire.
AP Workbook Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 9 & 10 (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.
Additionally, students will complete a released AP exam as a midterm examination at this
point in the course.

February Trésors du temps Ch. 8 and 9

History: Decent towards the Revolution, A Bloody Revolution
Literature and Culture: Voyages en Frances, Misère dans la campagne de France sous
Louis XVI, Arthur Young
Souvvenirs, mme Vigée-Lebrun parle de Marie-Antoinette, Mme
Vigée-Lebrun
La Prise de la Bastille par un de ses défenseurs, Louis Deflue
Histoire de la Révolution par deux amis de la Liberté, A Paris
sous la Terreur
Journal de ce qui s’est passé à la tour du Temple pendant la
captivité de Louis XVI, roi de France, Les dernièrs heures de Louis
XVI, Jean-Baptiste Cléry
Grammar: Adjectives, Negation, Present Participle, Ch.9: Possessive, Relative,
Demonstrative, and Interrogative Pronouns.
AMSCO Ch. 24 Sec.1: Adjectives, Ch.17: Negation, Ch.10 Sec.1 & 2: Present
Participle, Ch. 29 Sec.2: Possessive Adjectives, Ch.22: Relative Pronouns, Ch. 30 Sec.1:
Demonstrative Adjectives, Chpt.28 Sec.3: Interrogative Adjectives.
AP Workbook Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 11 & 12 (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.

March: Trésors du temps Ch. 10 and 11

History: Napoléon and the beginning of the 19th Century, The 19th Century
Literature and Culture: Le Retour de Russie, Victor Hugo
Mêmoires d’outre tombe, Les soldats d’hiver au château de
Combourg, François-René de Chateaubriand
Le Lac, Alphonse de Lamartine
Les Misérables, La mort de Gavroche, Victor Hugo
Le Dormeur du val, Arthur Rimbaud
Grammar: Indirect Discourse, Ch.11: Passive Voice, Special Uses of the Infinitive.
AMSCO Chpt.12: Passive Constructions
*Discourse and Infinitives are found exclusively in Trésors du temps Writing Activities
Workbook.
AP Workbook Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 13 & 14 (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.

April: Trésors du temps Ch. 12

History: The 20th Century
Literature and Culture: Pour faire le portrait d’un oiseau, Jacques Prévert
La Peste, Le prêtre et le médecin, Albert Camus
Moderato cantabile, La leçon du piano, Marguerite Duras
Amkoullel l’enfant peul, Naissance de mon petit frère, Amadou
Hampâté Bâ
Grammar: Review for Exam with Practice Tests from Released Exams, and Barron’s.
AP Workbook Ch. 1-5 Dialogue/Series 15 & on (this includes all supplemental materials
Units 6-9, including but not limited to vocabulary, directed response, and picture
sequences.

Assessment: Trésors du Temps Exam, Composition, and Oral Proficiency Assessment.

These assessments will include, but are not limited to cassette tape recordings, in class
presentations, peer-to-peer/student-teacher interviews, short-answer or free response, as
well as essays. Listening Comprehension will be drawn primarily from the AP French
Workbook.
Additionally, students will complete a released AP Exam as a final examination at this
point in the course.

May & June

Reading: Le Petit Prince
Cultural Research: Students will complete Senior Projects on a Francophone Country of
their choice.

Teaching Strategies:
The main goal of the following teaching strategies is to ensure that students are exposed
to all four language modalities (reading, writing, speaking and listening) each class
period.
Strategies will include but are not limited to:
• Reciprocal Teaching Strategies such as, quick draw for points, on and under the
surface questioning and vocabulary matrix.
• Co-Operative Learning Strategies such as peer editing, think-pair-share, small and
large group conversations for oral proficiency, and role playing,
• Diversification of authentic materials, such as video clips, radio programs,
internet sites, magazines, newspapers etc.
• Remediation strategies such as, essay revision (peer revision, multiple drafts),
journaling of errors and re-teaching.
• Differentiation of instruction through project choices, individual cassette
recording creation and oral presentation topics.