French Language Department
This is the department page for French language at Palmerston North Boys' High School. The Department of French is one of the most prestigious in the region, as our high student achievement confirms, with high-quality teaching and an international level of experience and talent. We are strongly committed to carrying out teaching into all areas of French language and culture.
French Language Department Content
Year 9
Students learn about greetings, introductions, school, the time, weather and seasons, food, sport and leisure getting around town. They also learn to talk about family, friends, pets, birthdays and celebrations and their life. French history and culture are part of the course, as well as comparing French life with New Zealand life.
Year 10
Building on Year 9 skills, students learn about daily routines, houses and homes, school life, towns and cities, shopping for food, leisure and social activities, sports injuries and personal relationships. They learn to talk about past events, the environment, the future and the people in the French-speaking world.
Level 1
NCEA level 1 allows students to use and expand their knowledge gained in the junior school and continue to learn about life in France and French-speaking cultures. There is an emphasis on interacting and making meaning, in line with Levels 1-6 of the National Curriculum. The following topics are studied: holidays and travel, making social arrangements, enjoying time with family and friends, entertainment, geography and weather, health, school and community routines, their home town, region and country, and describing people and things.
Level 2
There is an emphasis on interacting and making meaning in this course. Students delve into the world of French cinema and literature, as well as study a French-speaking community outside France in detail. They also look at personal relationships, health issues for teenagers, technology, leisure, media, music and future plans.
Level 3
This course aims to enhance listening, reading, speaking and writing skills, as well as to encourage an understanding of the way of life in French-speaking countries. Students study a region of France in detail and they also look at racism issues, crime and punishment, the environment, the creative arts of France, and the world of work.