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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Years 5 and 6

Years 5 and 6 Band Description

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both their first language and French. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining greater awareness of the world around them. Learners are noticing additional similarities and differences between French language and culture and their own.

French language learning and use

Learners’ communicative capabilities are stronger, and their pronunciation, intonation and phrasing are more confident and accurate. They control and access wider vocabulary resources and use a range of non-verbal strategies to support communication. Shared tasks develop social, cognitive and language skills and provide a context for purposeful language use. Focused attention to grammar, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted at least in part in French. Learners use ICT to support their learning in increasingly independent and intentional ways, exchanging resources and information with each other and with young people in French-speaking communities, accessing music and media resources, and maintaining blogs and web pages. Oracy development at this level includes active listening to a range of input from different sources. Learners develop conversational and interactional skills such as initiating and sustaining conversation, using turn-taking protocols, and ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning. Individual and group oral presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information, rehearsing and resourcing presentations, and selecting language appropriate for particular audiences. French is used increasingly for classroom interactions, routines and exchanges, for demonstrating understanding and for communicating simple information.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use French with each other and the teacher for an increasing range of purposes. They have some access to French speakers and cultural resources in wider contexts and communities through the use of ICT. Language development and use are typically incorporated into collaborative and interactive tasks, games and activities, and learners are supported to use French spontaneously when interacting with each other.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of oral and written texts. They use cues and decoding strategies to assist comprehension and to make connections between contexts, ideas and language within and between texts. They create their own texts for a range of purposes and audiences, such as emails, dialogues, notes and letters, presentations and performances. With support they build cohesion into their spoken and written texts in terms of both content and expression. They write more accurately and fluently, extending their writing from simple phrases to more elaborated sentences and different types of text. They use modelled language and co-produce shared texts such as class stories, journals or captions for storyboards. They have some access to texts created for young French speakers, such as stories, cartoons, magazines, websites, music clips and television programs.

Features of French language use

Learners increase their range of French vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and textual knowledge. They are aware of the role of liaisons and accents and are familiar with frequent vowel–consonant combinations (-ille, -ette, -tion). They use present tense forms of regular -er, -ir and -re verbs, a small number of irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire), and some reflexive verbs (se lever, s’habiller). They use plural forms of nouns and adjectives and some possessive adjectives. They move between statement and question forms and use simple negative constructions. They develop a metalanguage to describe patterns, rules and variations in language structures. Learners are building awareness of the relationship between language and culture, and exploring ideas relating to identity and communication. They question stereotypes, explore how attitudes are shaped by cultural perspectives, and consider their own cultural and communicative behaviours.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support, including modelling and scaffolding, is incorporated into task activity and focused language learning. Support includes provision of models, stimulus materials, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists, dictionaries and electronic reference resources.

The role of English

While the use of French in the classroom increases at this level, the use of English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability. The language of response around learning tasks depends on the nature of task demands. French is used for communicating in structured and supported tasks, and English for open-ended tasks that involve discussion and reflection and develop understanding of language and culture.


Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Socialising

Interact using descriptive and expressive language to share ideas, relate experiences and express feelings such as concern or sympathy

[Key concepts: communication, exchange, interests; Key processes: expressing, comparing, socialising] (ACLFRC037 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • interacting via different modes of communication to exchange personal information and opinions, express views, agree or disagree, for example, Excuse-moi, Sophie, mais…à mon avis, je pense que…bien sûr…, d’accord…, au contraire…
  • using communication strategies such as active listening skills, turn-taking cues, and requests for clarification or more detail to support the exchange of ideas and information, for example, Ah oui? c’est vrai? c’est intéressant…dis-moi…
  • comparing routines, interests and favourite activities, using language associated with time, sequence and location, for example, J’arrive à l’école à 8h 30; le samedi je fais du cheval; le soir, je fais les devoirs et je joue aux jeux vidéos
  • identifying and describing key friends or family members, using simple descriptive and expressive language, for example, C’est mon frère — il est sympa! C’est ma tante Lilianne — je l’adore! C’est mon grand-père — il est très vieux
  • apologising and expressing concern or sympathy to friends and family members, for example, Pardon, excuse-moi; je suis désolé; fais bien attention! mon pauvre ami…
Participate in guided tasks such as organising displays, developing projects or budgeting for events

[Key concepts: task, collaboration, budget; Key processes: planning, organising, budgeting] (ACLFRC038 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Sustainability
  • designing and completing collaborative projects such as building a model of the place du marché in a French village or designing an environmentally friendly cour de récréation, and composing spoken, written or digital instructions and specifications, using, for example, devant, à côté de, 500 mètres, trois étages
    • Sustainability
  • planning and organising activities such as outings or performances, using expressions related to place, time and numbers, for example, quelle date? où? quand? à quelle heure? combien de…?
  • budgeting for virtual shopping expeditions, consulting online catalogues and websites, comparing prices and values, and discussing intended purchases, for example, je vais acheter…, j’espère trouver…qu’est-ce que tu cherches?
  • creating displays, presentations or performances for family, friends or school community to showcase their progress in learning and using French
  • allocating roles and organising class or school activities such as an appeal or fundraiser, creating timelines, schedules or programs
Use questions, statements and responses to participate in learning activities, to indicate understanding and to monitor learning

[Key concepts: mindful learning, process, outcome; Key processes: discussing, planning, monitoring, reflecting] (ACLFRC039 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • indicating understanding or asking for help, using comments such as Oui, je comprends; non, je ne comprends pas; c’est trop compliqué! c’est quoi ça?
  • consulting each other when completing individual or group activities, for example, c’est juste? montre-moi; comme ça? comment ça s’écrit?
  • negotiating tasks and shared activities, for example, Tu préfères lire ou écrire? moi, je préfère travailler sur l’ordinateur
  • checking on progress during learning tasks or activities, using comments and questions such as C’est fini? Pas encore, bientôt..; tu comprends, toi?
  • sharing ideas about the experience of learning and using French, comparing what they can and cannot do, for example, Je sais compter jusqu’à cent; je sais chanter 5 chansons; Tu aimes parler en français? c’est difficile! Je n’aime pas parler au téléphone. J’adore jouer au foot en français!

Informing

Gather and compare information from a range of sources relating to social and cultural worlds

[Key concepts; environment, communication, social behaviours; Key processes: researching, reading, listening, collating, evaluating] (ACLFRC040 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Sustainability
  • extracting points of information from sources such as websites, books and magazines on social and environmental issues such as le recyclage or la conservation de l’eau, and recording key phrases and vocabulary for use in group projects
    • Sustainability
  • conducting surveys with peers and family members to report on social behaviours such as preferred modes of communication, for example, le téléphone, le courriel, les conversations face à face, les textos
  • drawing from a range of informative texts such as videos, books and websites to collect and compare information on topics such as family life, housing or schooling in different cultural contexts, for example, la campagne, les villes, les appartements
  • viewing subtitled video clips on different francophone communities, commenting on key facts and features, and recording new vocabulary and expressions for use in shared texts
  • working with simple informative texts such as advertisements, video clips or features in teen magazines to share impressions of the lifestyles of young French speakers in different contexts
Convey information and ideas in different formats to suit specific audiences and contexts

[Key concepts: content, audience, purpose; Key processes: organising, comparing, selecting] (ACLFRC041 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating a website for a contact group of French students, posting information on own interests and experiences (for example, les vacances, les amis, les sports, les médias), and using resources such as sound, visuals or graphics to highlight elements which may be unfamiliar to French students
  • constructing a visual, digital or narrative profile of the local community for people arriving from overseas, collecting information from public and community texts such as fliers, newsletters, advertisements and brochures
  • creating a video to present information or ideas to a particular audience, such as a virtual tour of the school or classroom for exchange student groups
  • creating an interactive display or performance to inform younger children of the benefits of learning French

Creating

Share responses to characters, events and ideas in texts such as stories, cartoons or films, making connections with own experience and feelings

[Key concepts: character, plot, imagination, feelings; Key processes: interpreting, expressing, comparing] (ACLFRC042 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating storyboards to represent key events in different types of imaginative texts, including captions or word bubbles to capture moods or feelings, for example, la peur, le bonheur, l’étonnement
  • comparing favourite characters in plays, stories or cartoons, and listing words or expressions associated with their role or personality (for example, timide, gros, géant, minuscule, rigolo, belle) and explaining how they can relate to them
  • introducing a character from a story, cartoon or television series that reminds them of themselves, a close friend or a family member, using performative, narrative or graphic modes of presentation
  • responding to questions about characters, events or effects in different types of imaginative texts such as puppet shows, stories and films, using modelled language to express reactions, for example, c’est triste, j’ai peur, elle est folle!
Present, reinterpret or create alternative versions of songs or stories, adapting events or characters to different modes or contexts

[Key concepts: adaptation, genre, plot, character; Key processes: imagining, creating, interpreting] (ACLFRC043 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • introducing new elements to a familiar story, for example, a new neighbour in Astérix’s village in Gaul, an additional ailment for Nicolas in Le Petit Nicolas: Je suis malade, or an alternative ending to a traditional tale such as Cendrillon
  • teaching younger children French versions of familiar nursery rhymes and songs with repetitive phrases and actions, for example, comptines such as A vous dirais-je Maman, La chanson de l’alphabet
  • illustrating and captioning alternative versions of traditional stories or songs such as La Fée Quenotte or Les Trois Petits Cochons, for example, transposing them to contemporary or Australian contexts
  • adapting French children’s stories, songs or cartoons to suit particular audiences, for example, scripting, rehearsing and performing a puppet show version of Pirouette Cacahuète or children’s songs such as Ah les crocrocro…, Coucou, Petit Loulou

Translating

Translate simple texts from French to English and vice versa, noticing which words or phrases require interpretation or explanation

[Key concepts: meaning, translation, word borrowing; Key processes: comparing, interpreting, translating] (ACLFRC044 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • finding and using phrases that have direct translations between French and English, for example, Bonsoir/ ‘good evening’, un beau jour/ ‘one fine day’, Messieurs-Dames/ ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’
  • creating French versions of Australian school signs and notices, considering why some words or expressions require freer translation than others, for example, the swimming pool, the sports oval, the tuck shop, the library, the office
  • interpreting expressions in familiar texts such as greeting cards or story titles that do not translate easily into English (for example, bonne fête! Quelle porcherie!), and considering how these expressions reflect aspects of French language or culture
  • translating and explaining the meaning of words or expressions associated with celebrations in French-speaking regions of the world, for example, le poisson d’avril, la bûche de Noël, le Ramadan, Aïd el-Fitre, la Toussaint, la Fête de la Musique
Create own bilingual texts and learning resources such as displays, websites, newsletters or word banks

[Key concepts: bilingualism, word borrowing, meaning; Key processes: identifying, classifying, selecting, explaining] (ACLFRC045 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating parallel lists of informal French and English expressions for everyday interactions with friends and family, for example, à tout à l’heure! /‘ See you later’; génial/ ‘cool’; salut, ça va!/ ‘Good day!’; Amuse-toi bien/ ‘have fun’; bisous/ ‘love’
  • composing bilingual texts such as posters for class or school assembly performances, events or displays, for example, Les pays francophones, les fêtes françaises, le 14 juillet
  • using bilingual dictionaries and electronic translation tools to compose bilingual texts such as captions, menus or school timetables, comparing results and noticing problems associated with translation
  • constructing and co-maintaining a bilingual website with a sister-school or contact group of young English learners in a French-speaking community
  • creating bilingual texts for younger readers based on models such as Oops et Ohlala, involving one English-speaking and one French-speaking character and incorporating instances of possible intercultural miscommunication

Reflecting

Compare ways of communicating in Australian and French-speaking contexts, and identify ways that culture influences language use

[Key concepts: difference, language, culture; Key processes: noticing, reflecting, describing] (ACLFRC046 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • observing interactions between French speakers and comparing them with interactions in similar Australian contexts, for example, students in a school cantine selecting une entrée, un plat principal et un dessert; and people interacting in the street, in shops or at réunions de famille, using either tu or vous forms of address
  • exploring how children from French-speaking communities around the world use different words and expressions (for example, tchop for manger, chamboul for la chambre, n’damba for le football in Cameroun; le chum (tchomme) for le copain, and l’avant-midi for le matin in Québec), and considering why such variations exist
  • reflecting on instances when interactions in French have felt awkward or difficult (for example, using polite or gendered forms of language), and explaining why this might be the case for speakers of Australian English
  • planning a virtual or actual visit to a French school, and deciding on strategies for effective communication, for example, planning how to ‘read’ cultural information and to adjust own behaviour if required
Reflect on aspects of own identity and language use, for example, by creating personal or group profiles or portfolios

[Key concepts: identity, community, bilingualism; Key processes: identifying, presenting, explaining] (ACLFRC047 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating a self-profile, using captioned photos, slide presentations, posters or concept maps to highlight key characteristics, relationships and ways of using language
  • preparing a class profile to exchange with French-speaking students, showing language backgrounds, interests and personalities represented in the class, and using captions and symbols such as flags, emoticons, and words from different languages
  • exploring the idea of stereotypes associated with languages and identities, discussing how groups of people tend to think about themselves and others, and how stereotypes affect attitudes and communication and can be inaccurate
  • comparing own ways of using language with those of peers, considering how family and community shape identity and communication, for example, using more than one language, celebrating or expressing feelings in various ways
  • considering whether learning and using French impacts on identity either in or out of the classroom

Years 5 and 6 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 6, students use written and spoken French for classroom interactions and transactions, and to exchange personal ideas, experiences and feelings. They ask and answer questions in complete sentences in familiar contexts (For example, Est-ce que je peux … ? Tu peux..… ?), using appropriate pronunciation, intonation and non-verbal communication strategies. They use appropriate forms of address for different audiences, such as tu forms with friends and family members, and vous for teachers and other adults or when more than one person is involved. They gather and compare information from a range of texts. They identify key points and supporting details when reading and listening, and interpret and translate short community texts such as signs or notices. They create connected texts such as descriptions, conversations and picture books, using structured models and processes of drafting and re-drafting. They convey information in different formats to suit specific audiences and contexts. Students use present tense verb forms, conjunctions and connectives (such as et, mais, parce que, plus tard, maintenant), positive and negative statements (such as j’ai trois amis, je n’ai plus d’amis), and adverbs such as très, aussi, beaucoup, un peu and lentement. They recognise and use with support verb forms such as le futur proche (je vais + l’infinitif) and le passé composé (j’ai + regular forms of past participle) as set phrases. They identify l’imparfait when reading (for example, c’était, il était). They use possessive pronouns and adjectives with modelling and support, and prepositions to mark time and place (such as avant, après, devant, derrière).

Students identify differences between spoken and written forms of French, comparing them with English and other known languages. They identify differences in commonly-used text types (for example, greetings, instructions and menus), commenting on differences in language features and text structures. They use metalanguage for language explanation (for example, formal and informal language, body language) and for reflecting on the experience of French language and culture learning. They identify relationships between parts of words (such as suffixes, prefixes) and stems of words (for example, préparer, préparation; le marché, le supermarché, l’hypermarché). Students make comparisons between French and their own language and culture, drawing from texts which relate to familiar routines and daily life (such as la vie scolaire, la famille, les courses, les loisirs, la cuisine). They explain to others French terms and expressions that reflect cultural practices (for example, bon appétit, bonne fête). They reflect on their own cultural identity in light of their experience of learning French, explaining how their ideas and ways of communicating are influenced by their membership of cultural groups.


Years 5 and 6 Work Sample Portfolios