French I, Semester 1

Learning a language is a multi-faceted experience in which you are introduced to a whole new set of words and ways of expressing yourself with words, along with new cultures formed by people who have been speaking that language for centuries. The French-speaking world spans France, Monaco, and parts of Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg in Europe, as well as parts of the United States, Canada, and various African countries, all with varied ethnic and political histories and cultures. In French 1A, you'll be introduced to several common situations in which people communicate, such as exchanging names and greetings, describing people by physical and personality traits, and describing family members and aspects of your social life. You'll start with basic sentence structures and grammatical tools, and you'll communicate by listening, speaking, reading, and writing in French as you internalize new vocabulary and grammar. You'll also learn about some regions of the French-speaking world where the central characters of each unit are visiting. You will build on this semester's work as you advance in your French studies: everything that you learn about a language and the cultures in which it is spoken will serve as a foundation for further learning.