French programs for middle-school grades (our 6ème, 5ème, 4ème and 3ème classes)
The teaching of French in middle school is an important step in the construction of a correct and precise use of the French language and contribute to the development of the inquisitive mind of our students.
This teaching is organized around skills and knowledge that can be grouped into three main groups:
- the further development of French oral and written language skills,
- the deepening of linguistic skills that allow a synthetic understanding of the French language system, including orthographic, grammatical and lexical systems as well as elements of history of the language,
- the creation of a common literary and artistic culture, making a dialogue between classical literary works, contemporary writings, ancient and regional languages and other artistic productions, in particular still and moving image.
The most advanced classes follow the programs of the French national education system.
More details about the curriculum
1. Study of the French language
The curriculum for these grades aim:
- to deepen the understanding of our students of how the French language work, and
- to help students learn the rules that govern this language (grammar, spelling and vocabulary)
so they can better understand the texts read and express themselves in French in more complex ways.
This knowledge also allows our students to analyze the construction and operation of sentences and texts in French.
Additionally, in middle school, students focus on the spelling of words and their different meanings and values depending on the context in which they are used.
Furthermore, teachers encourage students to progressively enrich their vocabulary in order to use a precise and varied lexicon adapted to various situations.
2. French expression
In writing, students produce texts of different natures such as:
- summaries of texts read or heard,
- dialogues, descriptions, or complete stories,
- stories,
- text commentaries,
- arguments to support a point of view.
Orally, they practice:
- reading aloud and reciting,
- expressing personal reflections to share them with peers,
- restating the thoughts of others and reporting back to them,
- making presentations.
3. Reading in French
Middle school students study different kinds of literary works (in their entirety or through extracts), literary or documentary texts, press articles, images, etc. They learn and analyze them according to the genre to which they belong.
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