Students become familiar with the sounds of French, including pronunciation, rhythm, pitch and stress. They recognise similarities with many English words, noting differences in pronunciation (attenti...
Students become familiar with the sounds of French, including pronunciation, rhythm, pitch and stress. They recognise similarities with many English words, noting differences in pronunciation (attention, menu). They approximate the pronunciation and phrasing of single words and short phrases, including vowel sounds such as -eau, -on, -ère and u, and unfamiliar consonants such as r and soft g. They understand and apply elements of French grammar such as subject-verb-object word order, simple verb forms, gender and number agreement of nouns and adjectives, pronouns and prepositions. Students understand that language is organised as text, and that texts use different structures and language features to achieve different purposes. They create their own texts, mainly using the present tense of regular and common irregular verbs, enriched by the use of adjectives and adverbs. They understand that language use reflects and shapes values and attitudes, and explore how language choices determine how people, events or circumstances are represented.
Students are encouraged to listen to, speak, read and write French in a range of interactions with the teacher and each other. They use the language for interactions and transactions, for practising language forms, for developing cultural knowledge and for intercultural exchange. There is code mixing and code switching, as students use all available resources to make meaning and express themselves. They use English when they need to, with teachers modelling back the French that would have served the required purpose. Rich and varied language input characterises this first level of learning, supported by the use of gestures, vocal and facial expressions, and concrete materials. Students experiment with sounds, intonation patterns and body language, using high-frequency words and expressions, gradually broadening their range of language functions. They notice how French is used differently in different contexts and how French speakers communicate in ways that may be different to their own. As they adjust language use to suit different purposes, contexts and situations, they notice how culture shapes language. They make cross-curricular connections and explore intercultural perspectives. They focus on the different systems (grammar, vocabulary, sounds) that structure language use, and reflect on their experience as French language learners and users. They gradually build a vocabulary and grammatical base that allows them to compose and present different kinds of simple texts.
By the end of Level 8, students use French to interact with each other, teachers and online French-speaking contacts, to exchange information, opinions, experiences, thoughts and feelings about themselves, their families and friends. They initiate and sustain conversation by using active-listening skills and responding to others’ contributions (c’est vrai ...; ah oui, en effet ...; pas possible!). They respond to familiar questions and directions (Qu’est-ce que c’est? Qui est-ce? Posez la question à ...), and request help or clarification (Pardon? Pourquoi? Peux-tu répéter?). They approximate French sound patterns, intonation and rhythms, including novel elements of pronunciation such as -r, -u and -ille. They use the present tense and present + infinitive form to make statements and...
By the end of Level 8, students use French to interact with each other, teachers and online French-speaking contacts, to exchange information, opinions, experiences, thoughts and feelings about themselves, their families and friends. They initiate and sustain conversation by using active-listening skills and responding to others’ contributions (c’est vrai ...; ah oui, en effet ...; pas possible!). They respond to familiar questions and directions (Qu’est-ce que c’est? Qui est-ce? Posez la question à ...), and request help or clarification (Pardon? Pourquoi? Peux-tu répéter?). They approximate French sound patterns, intonation and rhythms, including novel elements of pronunciation such as -r, -u and -ille. They use the present tense and present + infinitive form to make statements and ask questions about self, peers, family and interests (je suis italien-australien; j’habite à Cairns; j’ai une sœur et deux frères; j’aime chanter; et toi?). They locate factual information from a range of texts and use non-verbal, visual and contextual cues to help make meaning. They describe familiar objects, contexts and experiences (la maison, le quartier, l’école), using appropriate subject-verb and noun-adjective gender and number agreements and vocabulary to describe appearance (grand, petit, belle, bizarre), character (sympa, compliqué) and quantity (les numéros, beaucoup de ...). They use modelled sentence structures, formulaic expressions and high-frequency vocabulary to create texts such as captions, emails, posters or short narratives and presentations. They use conjunctions and connectives (such as puis, ensuite and mais), and prepositions of place and time (such as sous, sur, devant, après and avant) to build cohesion and extend sentence structure. They translate short texts and explain French gestures, expressions or signs to friends and family. They recognise that languages do not always translate directly, and that interpreting and translating involve meaning (values, ideas, attitudes) as well as parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adverbs). They adjust language use to suit contexts and situations (for example, use of tu or vous, different forms of address), and respond in culturally appropriate ways to interactions with French speakers or resources.
Students understand the dynamic nature of contact between languages and cultures in the contemporary world. They recognise the significance of French as a world language and the distribution of communities of French speakers in different countries and regions. They recognise similarities between French and English (same alphabet and basic sentence structure, many words in common), and some differences (pronunciation and intonation patterns, non-verbal language, grammatical gender forms and politeness protocols). They recognise French words used in English (‘menu’, ‘mousse’), English words used in French (le weekend, le football), and understand how languages and cultures influence and interact with each other (technology, globalisation, popular culture). They recognise that French has its own rules for pronunciation, grammar and non-verbal communication and that they need to adjust language to suit different situations and relationships (formal and informal language, different text types). They use metalanguage to explain features of language, texts and grammar, making connections with terms such as ‘verb’, ‘adjective’ and ‘tense’ that are used in English learning, and incorporating new concepts such as grammatical gender for talking about French. Students recognise that languages are connected with cultures, and that French language reflects ways of behaving and thinking as does their own language.
Students expand their range of vocabulary beyond their immediate world. They make clearer distinctions between sounds and intonation patterns. They develop more detailed grammatical knowledge, using...
Students expand their range of vocabulary beyond their immediate world. They make clearer distinctions between sounds and intonation patterns. They develop more detailed grammatical knowledge, using additional tenses (le passé composé, le futur proche), some reflexive verb forms and additional irregular verbs. They become more familiar with features of different types of text including informative, transactional and expressive. They use this understanding to guide their own text production. They use French with increasing accuracy and fluency, drafting and editing texts to improve structure and effect. They make connections more confidently between texts and cultural contexts.
French is used for classroom interactions and transactions, for explaining and practising language forms and for developing cultural understanding. Students explore different modes and genres of communication, with particular reference to their own current interests. They use modelled and rehearsed language in familiar and unfamiliar contexts and increasingly generate original and personal language. They make cross-curricular connections and explore intercultural perspectives and experience.
By the end of Level 8, students use written and spoken French to interact with teachers, peers and others and exchange experiences, opinions and views. They use descriptive and expressive language to talk and write about immediate environments, personal interests and feelings and technical language to discuss issues of wider interest (for example, les nouvelles téchnologies, les rapports entre les générations, le travail, la musique). They ask, give and follow directions and instructions, using phrases such as prenez la deuxième rue à gauche ..., suivez le boulevard jusqu’à ... and choisissez la photo. They locate and analyse information from different sources presenting it in modes and formats suitable for the intended audience. They use strategies such as emphasis, repetition and summary...
By the end of Level 8, students use written and spoken French to interact with teachers, peers and others and exchange experiences, opinions and views. They use descriptive and expressive language to talk and write about immediate environments, personal interests and feelings and technical language to discuss issues of wider interest (for example, les nouvelles téchnologies, les rapports entre les générations, le travail, la musique). They ask, give and follow directions and instructions, using phrases such as prenez la deuxième rue à gauche ..., suivez le boulevard jusqu’à ... and choisissez la photo. They locate and analyse information from different sources presenting it in modes and formats suitable for the intended audience. They use strategies such as emphasis, repetition and summary to support fluency and expression in shared reading, performances, discussions and debate. They plan, draft and present imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using simple and compound sentences to structure arguments, and to explain or justify a position. Students use regular verbs in the passé composé form independently as well as high-frequency irregular verbs such as faire, être and avoir. They use declarative, imperative and interrogative verbs in affirmative and negative forms. They interpret and translate language which has colloquial or cultural associations in either French or Australian English, providing alternative expressions when equivalence is not possible (for example, à tout à l’heure, good on ya!). They make appropriate language choices when communicating in French in different contexts and situations.
Students use metalanguage to explain language features and elements, using appropriate grammatical terms (tenses, genres, agreement). They identify how language features such as vocabulary, tenor and register serve different purposes in different modes. They make connections between texts and contexts, comparing expression and representation in similar texts from different cultural contexts (for example, invitations to celebrations or ceremonies, postcards or letters between friends). Students identify the relationship between language and culture, understanding that personal and community identity are expressed through cultural expression and language use. They reflect on their own ways of communicating, considering how these might be interpreted by others.
The VCAA has recently published the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0. To view the revised curriculum, familiarisation resources and support material, go to the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 website.
