LANGUAGE

Bonjour les parents!  

Albert Park primary school offers a continuous French course to students across all year levels starting as early as Prep year. The students participate in a 50 minute weekly session of French where all communication taking place in the classroom is predominantly in the French language.

In our school, it is a priority to provide the students with a positive learning environment that will allow them to feel comfortable, safe and engaged. For this reason, we have implemented a new teaching method in our French program, the AIM (Accelerated, Integrated Method). This program has proven to be a revolutionary new approach to second language instruction. It is based upon the use of stories and music for the teaching of French. Specifically designed stories that are written in the form of plays become the focus for a range of motivating language activities that help students develop confidence and competence in the language as they progress through each story unit.

This approach allows language development to be supported and nurtured within the familiar, predictable context of a story that is the focus for the unit’s work. Music is integrated with the story, and in each unit of this program, students will learn to perform a play and a dance to accompany that play. The vocabulary has been carefully selected as essential for students during the initial stages of their language learning.

Another component of this program is the Gesture Approach, a technique that uses hand signs to help students learn and remember this important vocabulary found in the plays, songs and other activities. There is an equally strong emphasis on the development of all four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) through a program that meets the needs of all language learners and their learning styles. Activities are varied, so that students have the opportunity to work individually, in partners, in small groups, and as a whole class.

In order to do well in French this year, your child will:

• participate actively in class, in French only;

•  memorize the play;

•  work cooperatively within a small group while practising the play;

•  work cooperatively with others in the class while answering questions, both orally and in written form;

•  learn the gestures covered in class;

•  learn the gesture associations;

•  participate in songs, dances, and games with enthusiasm;

•  complete class work and hand it in on time;

•  keep corrections up-to-date;

•  seek help when needed.

How can you support your children’s’ learning of the French language?

Learning a language at APPS, may combine storytelling, singing and be, in general, a fun experience. Each class has a single session of 50 minutes weekly.

As parents, you can encourage your children to share with you what they learnt in class, encourage them to read French books or even watch French TV shows!! Oui Oui watch French TV shows such as, Les Adventures de Tintin, Petit Ours Brun, Trotro, Caillou or Babar (in French). You may also consider applying for a membership at the AllianceFrançaise Melbourne where you will have a free access to their library!

Last but not least you the students may practise French through apps such as: Duolingo, Gus on the Go, French words for kids (Montessori) or Jeux pour lire avec Sami et Julie Lite.

Au revoir les parents!