Helen Aguilar-Williams
French 1, 4AP
Room: B113 Welcome to the 2013-2014 School Year! williamsh@esuhsd.org (408) 347-7257
AP Students: To leave me a recording please call (408) 347-7178

My sincere hope is you’ll enjoy many aspects of your learning in our class this year. Help me to make your way easier by talking to me about your needs or concerns in our class. I am available for a conference with your parent/guardian by appointment. Important Note: Students and parents are highly encouraged to review the EVHS Green Sheet Policies and Practices (available on Schoolloop) for full District disclosure on all major policies and procedures at Evergreen Valley High School. This includes specific information on Grade Distribution, Examination Dissemination and Return, Attendance, Make-up Work and Academic Integrity. Students and parents are also strongly encouraged to keep a copy of this course syllabus and the EVHS Green Sheet Policies and Practices document on file for the entire school year for reference.

Course Descriptions

French I, and French 4AP, will be taught implementing the best practices of the pre-AP program sanctioned by the College Board, to prepare students to take the AP Language and Culture test in French their senior year. These courses meet the standards for foreign language learning at the district, state and national levels employing Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities from the ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning guidelines for the California Language Learning Continuum. The California State World Language Content Standards are also incorporated into the curriculum, as well as the Common Core Standards for Learning.

Students will develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and culture in the target language. These classes fulfill the requirements for foreign languages as college preparatory classes. All lessons and homework assignments are in French promoting as much target language use as possible using the most successful methods used for language acquisition promoted by the California Language Teachers Association, the Foreign Language Association of Santa Clara County and our school district.

GradesThe grade scale is as follows: 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, 59% or below = F. Grades are weighted as follows: Each activity will be given a point value and will be assigned to one of the following categories on the grade book program you will have access to at all times.

Listening: (20%)
Listening exercises and assessments will consist on brief essays, narratives and stories. Student participation will develop this skill and improvement will be assessed through the correct answering of questions and conversations.

Speaking (20%)
Students will be able to converse using common vocabulary pertaining to food, clothing, work, school, health, transportation and recreation. Daily student participation is key to develop this skill as well as to assess progress. Speaking skills will be evaluated through in-class participation in the target language, dramatizations and presentations.

Reading: (20%)
Reading comprehension skills will be developed through regular readings that will increase in complexity from paragraphs and narratives to poetry and stories. Comprehension will be assessed through the correct answering of questions, conversations and writing.

Writing (20%)
Writing skills will be developed through daily writing of paragraphs, responses, brief essays, narratives and stories. Students will be able to employ the present, past and future tenses.

Culture (20%)
Familiarity with the culture from French-speaking countries will be developed. This includes geography, foods, holidays, art, music, literature, history, customs and clothing from the French-speaking world. This information will be presented in a variety of ways, from exploration in virtual