Parent Teacher InterviewsYears 7 and 8 French: Some students begin secondary school with proficiency in languages other than French and bring existing language learning strategies and intercultural awareness to the new experience of learning French. Their growing textual knowledge, developed through English literacy, supports their developing French literacy. Skills in analysing, comparing and reflecting on language and culture in both languages are mutually supportive.
Students communicate in French, initiating and participating in spoken and written interactions with peers and known adults to talk about, give opinions, share thoughts and feelings on people, social events and school experiences. They engage in tasks and activities that involve planning, negotiating arrangements and participating in transactions. Students access and summarise key information and supporting details from texts. They organise and present information and ideas on texts, using descriptive and expressive language and modes of presentation to suit different audiences and contexts. Students respond to a range of imaginative texts by expressing opinions about the themes, values and techniques used to engage audiences. They create and present simple imaginative texts such as songs or stories that involve imagined characters, places and experiences.
Students better understand the systems of the French language, recognising individual elements of spoken and written words, phrases and non-verbal forms of expression and notice how they reinforce spoken language. They extend their knowledge of context-related vocabulary and additional elements of grammar such as using le présent and le passé composé and becoming familiar with l’imparfait when encountered in familiar expressions and scaffolded language contexts. Students continue to build a metalanguage in French to describe patterns, grammatical rules and variations in language structures.
