French Beginners 2 Unit

ATAR Course

Introduction

This course is for senior secondary students who have little or no previous knowledge of French.  It is for students who have not studied French in Stage 5.

If students have studied French for more than 100 hours in Stages 4/5 they are ineligible.

The French Beginners Level Course is a 2 Unit Course. Students who complete this course for the HSC may be admitted to the second year of French at University.

Content

Year 11 and Year 12

The course is constructed around the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.  The development of the ability to understand spoken French and to communicate orally in French in the topic areas prescribed comprise half the allocated marks in the assessment. The main Course aims are to develop the student’s:

  • ability to use French to communicate with others.
  • understanding and appreciation of the cultural contexts in which French is used.
  • cognitive, learning and social skills.
  • ability to apply French to work, further study, training or leisure.

The major themes are:

  • Family Life, Home & Neighbourhood
  • People, Place & Communities
  • Education & Work
  • Friends, Recreation & Pastimes
  • Holidays, Travel & Tourism
  • Future Plans & Aspirations

Pre-Requisites

An interest in the language and culture of France.

Assessment

This course has a heavy emphasis on practical skills : answers in assignment and assessment work are short answer type and no essay writing is required.

Year 11 Course

Assessment components and their weightings are based on the recommended syllabus weightings.

Year 12 Course

The HSC Examination will consist of two parts:

  • Oral Examination (approximately 15 minutes)
  • Listening and Written Examination (approximately 2½ hours)

The internally marked assessment tasks could take a variety of forms, which will assess the performance of the student in each of the skills areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Three or four such tasks will be used throughout both the Year 11 and Year 12 courses.

Costs

Subject costs are included in the College Resource Fee.

Other Costs: Students need to provide their own tapes/CD’s for listening practice. Students of French must have access to a CD/MP3 player or alternative.