What is French
French is one of the two official languages of Canada. It is a romance language that is a descendent of the Latin of the Roman Empire. Language is inextricably bound to culture, reading, writing, listening, speaking, and interacting which are essential competencies and the foundation of language acquisition.
French Curriculum
The Know-Do-Understand learning model serves as the foundation for the Core French curriculum. Content (Know), Curricular Competencies (Do), and Big Ideas (Understand) are the three ways that students learn. The "Understand" part of the Know-Do-Understand learning model is the "Big Ideas," which are principles learned through experience with the curriculum's Content and Curricular Competencies. Big Ideas are the curriculum's "aha!" and "so what?" moments, signifying deeper learning. Students build on the Big Ideas from prior years and uncover new Big Ideas every year. As students advance through the grades, the curriculum broadens and deepens their learning as demonstrated by the example below. The things that students should be able to "Do" with their content knowledge are known as curricular competencies. "Doing" is crucial in the highly process-driven process of language acquisition. The Curricular Competencies column of the Core French curriculum contains more components than the Content column because the objective is language proficiency rather than language learning. Through intentional classroom communication, students gain proficiency in listening to understand, communicating effectively, confidently and fluently presenting their ideas in French, and comprehending the relationships between language and culture. Every year, students also improve their Curricular Competencies. The following example shows how the curriculum develops along with the students and broadens and deepens their learning.
Grade 8
Thinking and Communicating
Understand the connections between French letter patterns and their pronunciation.
Identify, anticipate, and pronounce groups of letters that produce the same sound (such as au, aux, eau, ô, os), rhyming words, letter patterns with consistent pronunciations (like ai, gn, -ille, -ment, oi, th, -tion, ui), silent letters, as well as liaisons and elisions.
Comprehend Key Information and Supporting Details
Answer questions including who, what, where, when, how many, how, and why within various texts.
Here, “text” encompasses all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication, including both authentic and adapted materials such as advertisements, articles, biographies, blogs, brochures, cartoons, charts, conversations, diagrams, emails, essays, films, forms, graphs, indigenous oral histories, instructions, interviews, invitations, letters, narratives, news reports, novels, nursery rhymes, online profiles, paintings, photographs, picture books, poems, presentations, songs, speeches, stories, surveys, and text messages.
Use Various Strategies to Support Communication
Employ strategies to understand and convey meaning that vary depending on the context and individual learner.
Examples include interpreting body language; paying attention to intonation and expression; paraphrasing, rephrasing, restating, and repeating; substituting words; using cognates, context clues, images, parts of speech, prior knowledge, reference tools, similar words in the first language, and text features.
Seek Clarification
Use a range of statements and questions to clarify meaning, such as “Je ne comprends pas,” “Répétez, s’il vous plaît,” “Répète, s’il te plaît,” “Peux-tu répéter?,” “Que veut dire…?,” “Comment dit-on…?,” and “Comment écrit-on…?”
Exchange Information and Ideas Using Complete Sentences, Orally and in Writing
Comprehend and Retell
Understand key information and events in oral and written stories and retell them either orally or in writing.
Narrate
Use common time expressions to demonstrate logical sequence when telling simple stories.
Personal and Social Awareness
Explore and share information about Francophone communities worldwide.
Investigate and discuss connections between Indigenous communities and the French language.
For example, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in Canada where French is spoken (such as the Huron Wendake Nation, Innu Nation, Micmac Nation, and Mohawk Nation in Quebec; Métis communities in Baie St. Paul, Manitoba; Fort Nelson, British Columbia; and Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan), as well as Indigenous communities around the world where French is used (including those in the Gabonese Republic, French Guiana, and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire).
Discussions might include how First Peoples writers in Quebec, like those from the Innu Nation, have utilized French prose and poetry to highlight the harmful impacts of colonization on their families and communities.
Explore How Francophone Cultures Are Expressed Through Creative Works
Describe Cultural Aspects of Francophone Communities
Explore Ways to Engage
Engage with Francophone communities and individuals through various experiences such as blogs, classroom and school visits (including virtual or online visits), clubs, concerts, courses, exchanges, festivals, films, pen-pal letters, magazines, newspapers, plays, social media and other online resources, and stores or restaurants offering service in French.
Grade 9
Thinking and Communicating
- Interpret meaning and comprehend key elements, supporting details, as well as time and place, from various types of texts.
- Apply a variety of strategies to aid communication, including methods to understand and convey meaning, which will differ based on the context and the individual learner.
- Examples of these strategies include interpreting body language; paying attention to intonation and expression; paraphrasing, rephrasing, repeating; substituting words; using cognates, context clues, images, parts of speech, prior knowledge, reference tools, similar words in the learner’s first language, and text features.
- Request clarification using different phrases and questions such as “Je ne comprends pas,” “Répétez, s’il vous plaît,” “Répète, s’il te plaît,” “Peux-tu répéter?,” “Que veut dire…?,” “Comment dit-on…?,” and “Comment écrit-on…?”
- Participate in conversations—whether virtual, online, or face-to-face—with peers, teachers, and members of the broader community about familiar topics, which may include personal, local, regional, national, and global interests.
- Exchange ideas and information using complete sentences both orally and in writing.
- Tell stories using common time expressions and transitional words to demonstrate logical sequence across past, present, and future time frames.
- Develop personal and social awareness by exploring and sharing information about the connections between Indigenous communities and the French language. This includes First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in Canada where French is spoken (such as the Huron Wendake Nation, Innu Nation, Micmac Nation, and Mohawk Nation in Quebec; Métis communities in Baie St. Paul, Manitoba; Fort Nelson, British Columbia; and Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan), as well as Indigenous communities worldwide where French is used (for example, in Gabon, French Guiana, and Côte d’Ivoire).
- Discussions may include how First Peoples writers in Quebec, like those from the Innu Nation, have utilized French prose and poetry to highlight the negative impacts of colonization on their families and communities.
- Investigate how Francophone cultures are expressed through creative works.
- Explore cultural practices and traditions in various Francophone regions and their significance in shaping identity.
- Describe similarities and differences—including the purposes of activities, celebrations, customs, holidays, and traditions—between one’s own cultural practices and those of Francophone communities in different regions.
- Examine the importance of storytelling as a means to seek and share knowledge, beliefs, customs, perspectives, traditions, values, and worldviews. Through stories, history is shared and a sense of identity is strengthened within personal, family, and community contexts.
- Engage with Francophone communities and individuals through various experiences such as blogs, classroom and school visits (including virtual or online visits), clubs, concerts, courses, exchanges, festivals, films, pen-pal letters, magazines, newspapers, plays, social media and other online resources, and stores or restaurants offering service in French.
Grade 10
Thinking and Communicating
Investigate and interpret meaning by understanding key elements, supporting details, as well as time and place from various types of texts.
Apply a variety of strategies to aid communication, including those that help comprehend and express meaning. These strategies will differ based on the context and the individual learner. Examples include interpreting body language, paying attention to intonation and expression, paraphrasing, reformulating, reiterating, repeating, substituting words, using cognates, context clues, images, parts of speech, prior knowledge, reference tools, similar words in the learner’s first language, and text features.
Seek clarification by using different statements and questions such as “Je ne comprends pas,” “Répétez, s’il vous plaît,” “Répète, s’il te plaît,” “Peux-tu répéter?,” “Que veut dire…?,” “Comment dit-on…?,” and “Comment écrit-on…?”
Make deliberate word choices to convey meaning effectively. This includes understanding subtle differences in verb forms (e.g., “J’avais peur” versus “J’ai eu peur”), pronouns (e.g., “on” versus “nous”), word order within sentences (e.g., “ma propre chambre” versus “ma chambre propre”), and words with similar but not identical meanings (e.g., “les chaussures” versus “les souliers”; “retourner” versus “revenir”; “sortir” versus “partir”).
Participate in conversations—whether virtual, online, or face-to-face—with peers, teachers, and members of the broader community on familiar topics. These topics can be personal, local, regional, national, or global in nature.
Stories
Stories are narrative forms that can be oral, written, or visual. They may be simple or complex and can stem from real or imagined experiences. Stories serve to seek and share knowledge, entertain, convey history, and reinforce a sense of identity. Examples include Indigenous oral histories, personal stories, skits, picture series, songs, and student-created narratives.
Personal and Social Awareness
Explore regional variations in French, such as accents, slang, idioms, and other vocabulary.
Investigate Francophone cultural expressions and recognize the links between language and culture. These connections are evident in regional dialects, the historical origins of words, idiomatic expressions, and creative works like architecture, dance, filmmaking, music composition, painting, poetry, prose, sculpture, and theatre.
Understand that language and culture have been shaped by interactions between First Peoples and Francophone communities. For example:
- The Michif language, which blends First Nations and French vocabulary and structures, reflecting a unique Métis culture.
- Chinook Jargon, historically used for trade along the West Coast.
- First Peoples writers in Quebec, such as those from the Innu Nation, who use French prose and poetry to highlight the negative impacts of colonization on their families and communities.
Explore the lives and contributions of Francophone Canadians.
Recognize the importance of stories as a means to seek and share knowledge, beliefs, customs, perspectives, traditions, values, and worldviews. Through stories, history is shared and a sense of identity is strengthened within personal, family, and community contexts.
Engage in experiences with Francophone communities and individuals.
Grade 11
Thinking and Communicating
- Explore and interpret a wide range of texts
- Recognize different perspectives
- A text may reflect the author’s personal viewpoint, which can include bias
- Use various strategies to support communication
- These strategies help in understanding and expressing meaning and will differ based on the context and the individual student
- Examples include interpreting body language; paying attention to intonation and expression; paraphrasing, reformulating, reiterating, and repeating; substituting words; using cognates, context clues, images, parts of speech, prior knowledge, reference tools, similar words in the first language, and text features
- Derive and negotiate meaning across diverse contexts
- For instance, contexts may vary by audience, purpose, setting, or formality (formal vs. informal)
- Respond personally to various texts
- For example, by sharing personal reactions, interpretations, and opinions
- Make thoughtful word choices
- Such as understanding subtle differences in verb forms (e.g., J’avais peur vs. J’ai eu peur), pronouns (on vs. nous), word order (e.g., ma propre chambre vs. ma chambre propre), and words with similar but distinct meanings (e.g., les chaussures vs. les souliers; retourner vs. revenir; sortir vs. partir)
- Adjust register to convey intended meaning
- Modify speech and writing to suit different purposes
- For example, to persuade, inform, or entertain
- Participate in meaningful conversations
- Whether virtual, online, or face-to-face; with peers, teachers, and members of the broader community
- Discuss a variety of topics of interest
- Including personal, local, regional, national, or global issues such as current events, public debates, political matters, social trends, and diverse lifestyles and relationships
- Express themselves with growing fluency, both orally and in writing
- Narrate stories
- Using a variety of time expressions and transition words to show logical progression across past, present, and future time frames
Personal and Social Awareness
- Explore regional variations in French
- Such as accents, idiomatic expressions, slang, and other vocabulary
- Investigate Francophone cultural expressions
- Examine connections between language and culture
- As seen in regional dialects, historical origins of words, idiomatic expressions, and creative works like architecture, dance, filmmaking, music, painting, poetry, prose, sculpture, and theatre
- Recognize how language and culture have been shaped by interactions between First Peoples and Francophone communities
- For example:
- The Michif language, which combines First Nations and French vocabulary and structures, reflecting Métis culture
- Chinook Jargon, historically used for trade along the West Coast
- First Peoples writers in Quebec, such as those from the Innu Nation, who use French prose and poetry to highlight the negative impacts of colonization on their families and communities
- In Canada, explore the significance of storytelling
- In personal, family, and community identity
- Engage in experiences with Francophone communities and individuals
- Identify and explore personal, educational, and professional opportunities that require proficiency in French
Grade 12
Thinking and Communicating
- Understand and interpret a range of texts
- Identify different purposes, such as to persuade, inform, or entertain
-Understand different levels of formality and viewpoints
-Recognize a text may reflect the author's personal point of view which may include bias.
- Utilize various strategies to support effective communication across different types of texts
- Derive and negotiate meaning in various contexts by considering, but not limited to, audience, purpose, setting, and formality
Personal responses to a variety of texts: reactions, interpretations, and opinions
- Use mindful word choices.
Engage in purposeful discussion—virtual, online, or in person—with peers, instructors, and members of the larger community
Discuss a wide range of topics of personal, local, regional, national or global interest, including current events, public debates, political issues, social trends and diverse lifestyles and relationships.
-Express themselves orally and in writing using various tenses, moods, vocabulary, and appropriate structures with an increase in fluency and accuracy.
-listen to, evaluate, and respond to others' opinions
Tell stories in various time expressions and transitional words that indicate logical development across past, present, and future time frames.
Stories, whether oral, written or visual, can be simple or complex, be based on real or imagined experiences, and have the purpose of sharing knowledge, entertaining, preserving history, and reinforcing identity. Specific examples include Indigenous oral histories, personal stories, skits, picture series, songs, and student-created narratives.
Personal and Social Awareness
- Explore regional variations in French
- Investigate cultural expressions within diverse communities, including Francophone, Indigenous, and other groups
- Examine the connections between language and culture
- Recognize how interactions between First Peoples and Francophone communities have influenced language and culture—for example:
- The Michif language, which combines First Nations and French vocabulary and structures, reflecting Métis culture
- Chinook Jargon, historically used for trade along the West Coast
- First Peoples writers in Quebec, such as those from the Innu Nation, who use French prose and poetry to highlight the negative impacts of colonization on their families and communities in Canada
- Engage in experiences with Francophone communities and individuals
- Identify and explore personal, educational, and professional opportunities that require French proficiency
- Seek out opportunities to continue learning French beyond graduation, such as through clubs, meet-ups, online resources, personal connections, travel, and volunteering
