French 6 Home

Ms. Molly Stauffer French 5-8 stauffer@townschool.com

Bienvenue à la classe de français!

Jump ahead to textbooks, materials, grades, after school help

Welcome to French 6! I believe that the study of foreign languages is very important, especially in a large multi-cultural city. Foreign languages open doors to understanding people and cultures around the world. French is the only language other than English that is spoken on five continents. It is the language of UNESCO, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Olympic Committee. Through the study of French, you also might learn something about your own language and culture as well!

The four-year French program at Town School begins in the 5th grade. It is often the case that students entering the program have little to no facility with the language. It is the goal of the French program that each student will develop proficiencies in speaking and listening as well as reading and writing. An appreciation for French culture and the cultures of the French-speaking world are also emphasized throughout the four years. Naturally, students will practice reading, writing, and conversing with the teacher. Yet students will also perform skits, have impromptu conversations with other students, sing songs, play games, and create original projects on a variety of subjects.

Much of the second year is dedicated to building the students' vocabulary base with an emphasis placed on beginning grammar and verbs. An effort to build cultural awareness is ongoing. 6th grade culture focuses on the history and geography of Paris and the French revolution. By the end of the second year, the student will be capable of carrying on a simple conversation and constructing basic sentences in the present and close future tenses on a variety of topics. Classes are conducted primarily in French and meet four times a week.

Textbooks for 6th grade French are:

Discovering French Nouveau: Bleu by Valette and Valette. DC Heath Publishing

Discovering French Nouveau: Bleu Activity Book. DC Heath Publishing

French is Fun: Amsco publishing

Materials necessary for French 6 are:

A notebook

A folder for handouts

A French/ English dictionary is highly recommended

Writing utensils, paper, markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, etc.

Grades

Grades for French class are divided as follows:

Tests and quizzes: 35%

Homework, projects, and compositions: 35%

Class participation, skits, and speaking: 20%

Written classwork, notebook: 10%

Extra credit is available up to a week before the end of every quarter. There is also a spelling clause. If a student writes every vocabulary word three times before a quiz, spelling will not be counted against him.

Notebooks are graded for content, completeness, and quality of notes. Students may keep a notes folder on their laptop and print notes to be graded with permission from the teacher.

Participation is based on the amount of French spoken in class. Points are deducted for poor behavior.

After School Help is available Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays until 4 or by appointment.  This may change throughout the year based on my graduate classes.