French V

Class is conducted solely in French. It is enhanced through the daily use of SmartBoard technology in all its aspects. Communication skills in all four language areas—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—are strongly developed. Students work primarily on AP materials and numerous AP guided worksheets on the movies Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources by Claude Berri, based on two novels by Marcel Pagnol; L'enquête corse by Alain Berberian; Les visiteurs by Jean-Marie Poiré and Comme une image by Agnes Jaoui. A history of French architecture, painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the romanesque art to postmodernism is offered. Students may choose to study poems by Baudelaire, French slam poetry by Grand Corps Malade, songs by the Belgian artists Brel and Stromae, rap songs by Maître Gims, songs by the French singers Faudel, Chimène Badi and Willy Denzey, and by the Québécois artists Céline Dion, Garou, and Coeur de Pirate. Students are asked to write and correct short essays on a regular basis. Grammar is studied and is taught using a wide variety of activities, such as articles from the French newspaper Le Monde, conversations, skits, cartoons, comic books, short excerpts of films, songs, paintings, games, Internet exercises, and multimedia lessons. The course helps students to acquire the necessary tools to conduct an in-depth analysis of the readings, artwork, and movies.

Prerequisite: French IV or by permission of instructor and department chair.