French (Version 8.4)

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Context statement

The place of the French language and culture in Australia and in the world
French is a major world language, spoken as the first language in more than two dozen countries on five continents and as an official language in 33 countries.

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PDF documents

Resources and support materials for the Australian Curriculum: Languages - French are available as PDF documents. 
Languages - French: Sequence of content
Languages - French: Sequence of Achievement - F-10 Sequence
Languages - French: Sequence of …

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Foundation to Year 2

Foundation to Year 2 Band Description

The nature of the learners

Children enter the early years of schooling with established communication skills in one or more languages and varying degrees of early literacy capability. For young students, learning typically focuses on their immediate world of family, home, school, friends and neighbourhood. They are learning how to socialise with new people, share with others, and participate in structured routines and activities at school. Typically they have little to no experience of French language and culture.

French language learning and use

French is learnt in parallel with English language and literacy. Learning in the two areas progresses at very different levels but each supports and enriches the other. French is used in classroom interactions, routines and activities, supported by the use of visual and concrete materials, gestures and body language. At this stage, there is a focus on play and imaginative activities, games, music, movement and familiar routines, which provide scaffolding and context for language development. Oral language is developed through listening to the sounds, shapes and patterns of French through activities such as rhymes, songs, clapping and action games, and through imitating and repeating sounds modelled by the teacher and aural texts. Learners experiment with simple formulaic expressions and one- or two-word responses to prompts and cues. As they progress to using French for interactions such as greetings or asking and answering questions, they notice that language behaves differently in different situations and that French speakers communicate in some ways that are different to their own. Creative play provides opportunities for exploring these differences and for using French for purposeful interaction, for example, asking for help, sharing ideas, challenging each other or expressing surprise.

Contexts of interaction

Learners interact with each other and the teacher, with some access to wider school and community members. Information and communications technologies (ICT) resources provide additional access to French language and culture experience, connecting learners’ social worlds with those of French-speaking children in different contexts. Students may also encounter ideas about France and the French language outside the classroom, through travel, the media or popular culture.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a variety of spoken, visual and written texts. They listen and respond to teacher talk, share ideas and join in stories, songs, play and simple conversations. Written and digital texts include stories, wall charts and Big Books, and teacher-generated materials such as games, labels, captions and flashcards. Writing skills progress from tracing and copying high-frequency words to writing modelled words and sentences independently (for example, greeting cards, captions or labels) and co-creating shared resources such as word walls or storybooks.

Features of French language use

Students become familiar with the sound systems of the French language, including pronunciation, rhythm, pitch and stress. They learn to pronounce individual letters and letter combinations, including unfamiliar sounds such as -eau, -u, è, é, ou, r and g. They recognise and use the intonation patterns that distinguish between statements, questions and exclamations. They use simple basic sentence structure and learn to write single words and simple phrases, noticing the use of accents and how these change the sound of letters. They become familiar with the idea of grammatical gender and know how to use singular and plural forms. They notice similarities and differences between French and English and begin to develop curiosity around the idea of difference and culture.

Level of support

Rich language input characterises the first stages of learning. Learners are supported via the provision of experiences that are challenging but achievable, with high levels of scaffolding and support. This includes modelling, monitoring and moderating by the teacher, providing multiple and varied sources of input and stimulus, regular opportunities for revisiting, recycling and reviewing, and continuous cueing, feedback, response and encouragement.

The role of English

Learners are encouraged to use French whenever possible, with the teacher providing rich and supported language input. English is used as a medium of instruction and for explanation and discussion. This allows learners to talk about differences and similarities they notice between French and their first language(s) and culture(s), to ask questions about language and culture, and to consider how they feel when they hear or use French and about how they view different languages and the people who speak them. This introduction to the ‘meta’ dimension of intercultural learning develops the ability to consider different perspectives and ways of being.


Foundation to Year 2 Content Descriptions

Socialising

Interact with each other and the teacher using simple language and gestures for exchanges such as greetings and farewells, thanks and introductions, and for talking about self and family

[Key concepts: self, family, home, friendship; Key processes: interacting, greeting, thanking, describing] (ACLFRC001 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • introducing themselves and responding to greetings, for example, Comment t’appelles-tu? Je m’appelle…; Ça va, Emilie? Ça va bien, merci
  • using simple descriptive or expressive statements to describe themselves and to express likes, preferences or feelings, for example, moi, j’ai cinq ans; je suis australien; j’aime le sport; moi, je préfère la danse; je suis très content
  • recognising and responding to simple questions on topics such as home, school or pets, using supporting intonation and gestures, for example, Qui est-ce? C’est Maman. Qu’est-ce que c’est? C’est la chaise. Où est…? Il est…C’est un chien? Mais non…C’est un chat!
  • using formulaic French phrases for everyday interactions such as thanking, apologising, and offering wishes or congratulations, for example, Merci!…oh, pardon; bon appétit; bonne fête! bravo!
Participate in guided group activities using simple repetitive language in songs, rhymes, games and transactions

[Key concepts: play, performance, action learning, exchange; Key processes: participating, performing, taking turns, requesting] (ACLFRC002 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • singing and adapting rhymes, action songs and raps (Tourne, tourne petit moulin), lullabies (Fais do-do) and counting songs (Un éléphant se balançait)
  • creating class activities or projects that involve naming, labelling and illustrating, such as a garden, a pet rock collection or favourite-photos wall
  • participating in tasks involving exchanging, sorting and classifying objects and attributes such as shapes, colours and numbers, using simple question forms and affirmative/negative responses, for example, Tu as un 7? Oui, voilà. Et toi, tu as un 10? Non, j’ai un 6
  • taking turns in games and action songs that involve choice and negotiation, for example, choosing or exchanging matching cards or playing memory games such as Au marché (donne-moi deux pommes, s’il te plaȋt; donne-moi deux pommes et trois carottes…)
Recognise and respond to classroom interactions such as opening and closing of lessons, transition activities, and giving and following instructions

[Key concepts: roles, routines, rules, interactions; Key processes: listening, observing, cooperating, responding] (ACLFRC003 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • using French for everyday routines such as roll call or naming the day of the week (for example, aujourd’hui c’est lundi), opening and closing lessons (for example, singing: Bonjour, mes amis/Au revoir, mes amis), or transition activities, for example, on fait un grand cercle…
  • responding to instructions or directions through actions, gestures or verbal responses, for example, Lève-toi, regardez-moi, écoutez, doucement!
  • asking for information or for a turn, for example, Madame … Qu’est-ce que c’est? Et moi?
  • interacting with each other during learning activities, for example, Donne-moi le crayon. Voilà/voici…merci

Informing

Identify key points of information in simple texts

[Key concepts: text, meaning, context; Key processes: decoding, guessing, making meaning] (ACLFRC004 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • recognising symbols, words and phrases of written French, for example, labels, titles and captions
  • listening for key words in stories, rhymes or songs, using intonation and visual cues such as gestures and facial expressions to assist understanding
  • shared reading of texts such as Big Book stories about familiar events or contexts (for example, Les amis de la ferme or Raconte et Chante), using pictures, intonation and contextual clues to predict meaning and identify key characters and events
  • making connections between information in written texts and images, for example, naming toys and games in toy catalogues such as Jouets pour les tout petits, selecting and listing items and prices
  • identifying key points in a range of spoken, written or digital texts by actions such as miming and drawing, or onscreen pointing, clicking or dragging (for interactive programs such as Petit Pont)
Convey factual information about self, family, friends and possessions, using simple statements, gestures and support materials

[Key concepts: self, family, school; Key processes: naming, labelling, showing, describing] (ACLFRC005 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • labelling or naming classroom items and resources or personal possessions, for example, la table, la chaise, l’ordinateur, la carte
  • contributing to a class photo story, for example, writing and reading aloud captions to own photos (Je suis triste/content/fâché) and points of personal information (J’aime le chocolat; je suis petite; j’ai un chat noir)
  • using simple sentence structures, familiar vocabulary, concrete materials and supporting gestures to talk about self and the immediate environment, for example, Je suis à l’école; j’ai les yeux verts; voici ma chaise et voilà mon sac; j’ai un tracteur rouge
  • drawing aspects of daily routines (for example, le petit déjeuner, la récréation, le sport), and writing captions or attaching word bubbles

Creating

Engage with a range of imaginative texts through action, dance, drawing and other forms of expression

[Key concepts: imagination, response, character, expression; Key processes: responding, acting, dancing, expressing] (ACLFRC006 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • listening to or viewing French versions of familiar stories such as Le Navet Géant or Boucle d’Or et les Trois Ours, comparing French expressions at key points in the story with English language versions, and re-enacting with puppets, props and actions
  • performing poems, rhymes or simple stories that include repeated phrases and rhythms to emphasise key points, for example, chanting ‘Au Loup!’ in Au Loup, or ‘Ça va pas, non!’ in Je veux pas aller à l’école
  • making simple evaluative statements about favourite characters in stories, rhymes or songs, for example, Il est magnifique! J’adore Minou! Elle est sympa!
  • re-creating stories, rhymes and songs through mime, dance, or drawings with simple written captions
Participate in shared performance and presentation of stories, songs or nursery rhymes, playing with sound patterns, rhyming words and non-verbal forms of expression

[Key concepts: rhythm, expression, pronunciation; Key processes: chanting, miming, drawing, dancing] (ACLFRC007 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • performing songs, rhymes and action stories using non-verbal forms of expression such as clapping, gestures and facial expressions to support the making of meaning
  • creating and presenting own Big Books, storyboards or digital texts based on imaginary scenarios in familiar contexts (for example, Petit Ours Brun fait un tour à notre classe), building on key words and phrases, and using punctuation to guide intonation and drawings to support written text
  • creating rhythms for difficult or complicated phrases or intonation patterns, such as Comment t’appelles-tu? Qu’est-ce que tu manges pour le petit déjeuner? Le chocolat chaud

Translating

Translate simple French words, phrases and gestures for family and friends, noticing how they may have similar or different meanings in English or other known languages

[Key concepts: language, vocabulary, meaning; Key processes: demonstrating, explaining, comparing] (ACLFRC008 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • recognising that every language has its own words, sounds and gestures to make meaning, and using French and/or English to name familiar objects and conduct simple conversations, translating when necessary to help others understand
  • sharing and interpreting simple expressions and songs with friends and family, for example, showing them how to sing Joyeux anniversaire or explaining how to use appropriate greetings for different times or occasions, such as Salut, Bonsoir or Bonne fête
  • demonstrating and explaining hand gestures, intonation patterns or facial expressions that accompany language or stand alone, for example, shrugs or exclamations such as Bof! Mais non! Ouf! Oh là là!
Create simple print or digital texts that use both French and English, such as labels, word banks, wall charts or ID cards

[Key concepts: vocabulary, translation, meaning; Key processes: naming, comparing, copying] (ACLFRC009 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • collecting French and English words that are similar or identical and have the same meaning but are pronounced differently, for example, la police, la table, la routine, six
  • designing and using bilingual fiches personnelles with identifying details supplied in both languages, for example, nom, prénom(s), ȃge, mes amis sont…, j’habite…, j’aime…
  • writing captions in French and in English for a photographic display to record a class event or experience such as sports day, school camp or pets day
  • making own bilingual picture dictionaries with captions, stickers and simple descriptions to explain culture-specific terms such as la bise, le goûter or la rentrée

Reflecting

Notice how using French feels and sounds different to using own language(s) and involves behaviours as well as words

[Key concepts: language, culture, difference; Key processes: noticing, considering, comparing] (ACLFRC010 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • noticing French ways of talking and behaving that appear different to own ways, finding examples in children’s stories such as Marie de Paris or Je veux pas aller à l’école or in recordings of French-speaking children in different contexts
  • comparing aspects of Australian and French children’s lifestyles, such as ways of playing games, buying and eating food or interacting with family members, for example, school cantine meals, daily greetings in the family
  • using French versions of spontaneous exclamations or interactions, for example, Aïe! instead of ouch!, or ça va! plus hand gestures or facial expressions when responding to a greeting
  • including some French words and expressions in English conversation when it feels appropriate (for example, bon…voilà, pardon, merci, attention!), noticing changes in behaviour, voice or body language when speaking French
Describe themselves, the people they are close to and the ways they communicate, using simple statements and gestures

[Key concepts: identity, self, communication; Key processes: describing, explaining, presenting] (ACLFRC011 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • making simple statements about themselves, including where they come from, their age and appearance, for example, je suis australien et italien, j’habite à Darwin, je suis fils unique, je suis petit et mince
  • identifying languages they speak or are familiar with, for example, je parle vietnamien, anglais et français, comparing ways of interacting in familiar situations in different languages
  • noticing their own use of words, expressions or behaviours that make them who they are, such as using words from different languages, ways of celebrating or talking that may not be familiar to other people

Systems of language

Recognise and reproduce the sounds and rhythms of spoken French, noticing how they are produced and how they are represented in words and symbols

[Key concepts: pitch, stress, intonation, letters, pronunciation; Key processes: listening, distinguishing, reading, recognising] (ACLFRU012 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • building phonic awareness by recognising and experimenting with sounds and rhythms, focusing on those that are novel and initially difficult such as u (tu), r (très rapide) and -ion (attention!)
  • listening closely to distinguish between sounds such as bon, bien and beau or chien, chat and champ
  • understanding that intonation patterns create different meanings, as in the distinction between statements, questions and exclamations (Tu as six ans. Tu as six ans? Tu as six ans!)
  • developing pronunciation, phrasing and intonation skills by singing, reciting and repeating words and phrases in context
  • becoming familiar with the French alphabet, noticing similarities and differences to English, for example, double-v, i-grec, and the possible confusion between g and j
Understand some first elements of French grammar, such as simple verb and gender forms, definite articles, pronouns and prepositions

[Key concepts: words, sentences, grammar, patterns, rules; Key processes: recognising, naming, selecting] (ACLFRU013 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • understanding the French subject-verb-object structure (je mange la pomme; tu as le cahier) and the different patterns of adjective-noun order, with some adjectives coming before and some coming after the noun (le beau manteau, la grande école, le papillon rose)
  • noticing and using definite and indefinite articles in singular or plural forms (for example, la fille, le concert, les croissants; un chapeau, une chaise, des amis), including the l’ form for nouns beginning with a vowel or letter h, for example, l’hiver, l’école
  • becoming aware of grammatical gender, noticing and using masculine or feminine forms of nouns and adjectives, for example, le chien, la maison, le petit garçon, la petite fille, le copain, la copine
  • using appropriate pronouns to identify people, for example, Je m’appelle Adam, et toi, tu t’appelles comment? C’est lui?
  • recognising and using some prepositions in simple sentence structures, for example, elle est devant la maison, je suis sous la chaise
  • developing number knowledge for numbers 0–20 and ordinals (premier, deuxième)
  • responding to and using simple imperative verb forms, for example, viens ici! écoutez bien!
  • using singular forms of common verbs in the present tense (for example, je suis chinois, tu as trois frères, il aime le football, Papa est grand) and some forms of irregular verbs such as aller, venir and faire
  • using simple questions and statements, for example, Qu’est-ce que c’est? Qui est-ce? Tu t’appelles comment? C’est un poisson. Je préfère les fraises
Understand that language is organised as ‘texts’, which take different forms and use different structures and features to achieve their purposes

[Key concepts: genre, text, meaning; Key processes: noticing, applying] (ACLFRU014 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • understanding that texts can be spoken, written, digital, visual or multimodal and that they can be very short (Stop! or a hand gesture to signify Arrête!) or much longer (Il était une fois…)
  • recognising that different types of text have different features (for example, rhythm and repetition in action songs and rhymes) and use different language, for example, formal or informal forms of address (Bonjour, Monsieur; Merci beaucoup, Madame; Salut, Annie!)
  • comparing similar texts in French and English such as counting games or street signs, identifying elements in the French texts which look or sound different
  • developing a language to talk about language and texts (metalanguage), and naming familiar types of text (story, poem, recipe, list) and talking about how they work, for example, using the story-starter Il était une fois…; rhyming and repeating words in songs such as Trois p’tits chats…

Language variation and change

Understand that French speakers use language differently in different situations, such as in playground games, at home with the family or in the classroom

[Key concepts: language as social practice, language conventions; Key processes: noticing, comparing] (ACLFRU015 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • noticing that different kinds of language are used in different situations and with different people, for example, exchanges between children and parents (Un bisou, Papa! Je t’aime, ma puce!) and exchanges between children and unfamiliar adults (Bonjour, Madame, comment ça va?)
  • understanding that language varies according to context and situation, for example, language used for play with friends (vas-y! bravo! cours! à moi!) is less formal than language used with teachers (Pardon, Monsieur Falcon; je suis désolé; je m’excuse...)
  • understanding that language forms such as greetings vary according to the time of day or the occasion, for example, bonjour, bonsoir, bonne nuit, bonne année, bon anniversaire
  • understanding that language associated with particular interactions can vary in different cultural contexts, for example, the use of first names in Australian or American English compared to the use of titles and family names in French or Japanese
    • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
Understand that all languages continuously change through contact with each other and through changes in society

[Key concepts: language, change, word borrowing; Key processes: noticing, comparing, listing] (ACLFRU016 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
  • understanding that languages and cultures change in response to new ideas and social and cultural developments (globalisation)
  • recognising that languages borrow from each other, that many French words are used in English (for example, ‘croissant’, ‘menu’, ‘chauffeur’, ‘chef’, ‘ballet’) and many English words are used in French, for example, le week-end, le parking, le cowboy
  • understanding that some languages are continuously growing while others, such as many Indigenous languages throughout the world, are endangered or being revived
Recognise that Australia is a multilingual society with speakers of many different languages, including French

[Key concepts: multilingualism, culture, community; Key processes: discussing, observing, mapping] (ACLFRU017 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
  • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
  • understanding that the world contains many different languages spoken by many different communities of speakers and that most people in the world speak more than one language
  • exploring the range of languages spoken in Australia, including Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages, Asian languages and world languages
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
    • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
  • exploring the different languages used by peers in their class, for example, by creating a language map with greetings in each language represented in the class
  • recognising that French is an important world language, spoken in many countries in the world apart from France, including Australia

Role of language and culture

Understand that people use language in ways that reflect their culture, such as where and how they live and what is important to them

[Key concepts: language, culture, meaning; Key processes: noticing, asking questions, reflecting, explaining] (ACLFRU018 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • exploring the meaning of ‘culture’, how it involves visible elements (such as ways of eating or symbols such as flags) and invisible elements, such as how people live, what they value, and how they think about themselves and others
  • understanding that learning French involves ways of using language that may be unfamiliar (for example, using merci when refusing an offer), and also some ways of behaving and thinking that may be unfamiliar, for example, the importance of food in some family and regional traditions, or ways of expressing or describing feelings or relationships
  • noticing features of French language interactions in some texts and contexts (for example, photos, storybooks or video clips) that may be similar or different to own ways of communicating
  • identifying ways of communicating and behaving associated with Australian contexts, for example, Nippers, rip spotting, body boarding; multicultural days in primary schools

Foundation to Year 2 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 2, students interact with teachers and each other through action-related talk and play. They exchange greetings such as Bonjour! Comment ça va? Très bien, merci and respond to question cues with single words or set phrases such as Qu’est-ce que c’est? Un éléphant. Tu veux un croissant? Non, merci. They choose between options when responding to questions such as Tu veux le rouge ou le bleu? They make meaning using visual, non-verbal and contextual cues such as intonation, gestures and facial expressions. They mimic French pronunciation, approximating vowel sounds and consonant combinations with some accuracy. They identify key words in spoken texts, such as names of people, places or objects. They use modelled examples and formulaic language to convey factual information at word and simple sentence level, such as making statements about themselves, their class and home environment, the weather or date. They write simple texts such as lists, labels, captions and descriptions. Students use some pronouns, prepositions and simple present tense forms of regular verbs.

Students identify ways in which spoken French sounds different to English and know that it uses the same alphabet when written. They identify words that are written the same in both languages but pronounced differently. They know that French is the language used in France and also in many other regions of the world. They know that language is used differently in different situations and between different people. They identify differences and similarities between their own and other’s languages and cultures.


Foundation to Year 2 Work Sample Portfolios