Level 3 French

Year 13 French

Year 13 is all about justifying and challenging ideas and opinions, and looking at world issues.

In Year 13, we…

• learn one common French expression every week. e.g. « Se noyer dans un verre d'eau. »
• regularly read the news in French.
• continue with French Fridays.
• produce marketing videos about helping the environment.
• have a debate around the best form of renewable energy.
• read a famous French book.
• have a high enough level of French to write essays and formal letters in French.
• increase our knowledge of tenses from 10 to 26! (Don't worry, it's much easier than it sounds.)
• have the opportunity to either take B1 DELF or B2 DELF. B1 is the level required to gain French citizenship and B2 to attend university in France.
• become more knowledgeable about the world.
• have 10 fortnightly vocabulary lists. By the end of the year, we will know over 1400 words.
• learn about issues in the French-speaking world and consider how we can help improve the world.
• have the opportunity to sit Scholarship French.
• read French poems and fables.
• research topics that may or may not challenge our opinions.
• take a trip to a French café in Newmarket.
• and tearfully say goodbye to each other in November after 5 years journeying together.

Se noyer dans un verre d'eau

Our topics in Year 13 are:

- La Bretagne - learning about the region in France and finding similarities between Breton culture and Māori culture.

- Poems and Fables by Jacques Prévert and Jean de La Fontaine.

- The Environment - different types of pollution, small actions to improve it, renewable energy.

- Le Petit Prince by de Saint-Exupéry.

Why should I keep studying a language/French?

It's enriching and fun.

It's your second tutor group.

It brings you new experiences.

You can stretch your brain in new ways.

You become close friends with your classmates.

You have made it this far, it would be a shame to stop.

You learn more about yourself and your own culture(s).

French is an official language in many international organisations.

It's the last step in being able to say everything you want to say in French.

Learning a language helps you to understand English/your other language(s).

Not many people who grow up in NZ speak French, so it will mean you stand out. This is particularly important if you are entering competitive industries. You need to be different to your peers so that they know why to choose you rather than someone else.

Having Year 13 French will make university a lot easier if you study French at university too (even if it's just a couple of courses).

You will be able to keep French on your CV for a long time by studying it at Year 13, whereas it will drop off your CV quite quickly if you only study it to Year 12.

Languages are extremely relevant if you are thinking of entering politics, doing law, business, medicine or sport.

Who knows where life will take you! You may end up in a job working with French clients or moving to a French-speaking country.

Politics: you are likely to need to talk to people from other countries to achieve what you want to achieve or to learn about what other countries do.

Business: Our closest neighbour is New Caledonia, which is French-speaking. French Polynesia is also close by. Many NZ businesses wanting to expand look at these places as we are their closest big neighbour, which means they want our products and businesses. It's much easier to expand to those countries if you speak their language.

Medicine: People from New Caledonia and French Polynesia are regularly transported to NZ for medical care. Refugees also need medical care. Can you imagine how scary it would be if you don't understand the doctor or the nurse?

Law: French-speaking refugees come to NZ. They may need your help.

Sport: Many training camps, clubs or competitions run out of Europe and in particular around France, Switzerland, Andorra and Belgium, where French is spoken. It makes it a lot easier to contracts and to work with teammates if you speak French.

An example of a Year 13 interaction: