French

Course summary

The French department aims to stimulate lasting curiosity in both the French language and the culture of the Frenchspeaking world. By the end of the course, our intention is that all students will have developed the language skills needed for effective, sophisticated communication in French, whether in conversation or in writing. Students will also develop their reading, listening and translation skills in order to give them access to a wide range of materials, such as novels in French or French newspapers. The use of authentic sources and of interaction in French is an integral component of our teaching. Grammatical competence and the ability to manipulate language accurately and appropriately are a prerequisite for study in higher education and we place strong emphasis on these skills in the Upper School. The course includes the study of literary texts and films, as well as translation, grammar and an individual research project. Core topic areas include current trends and issues of French-speaking societies and political and artistic culture in the French-speaking world. All topic areas are studied with reference to France and French-speaking countries. Students studying French with us will regularly go beyond these topic areas and will have the opportunity to research areas in which they are interested.