Saskatchewan Education gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the following pilot teachers in the development of this Curriculum Guide.
| Sheila Pool Prairie West S.D. #75 |
Patricia Rogers Saskatoon S.D. #13 |
| Carol Hollinger Potashville S.D. #80 |
Sue McQueen Saskatchewan Valley S.D. #49 |
| Carol Reeve Estevan R.C.S.S.D. #27 |
Cécile Buehler Humboldt S.D. #104 |
| Tracy Loustel Estevan Rural S.D. #62 |
Cheryl Palko Hudson Bay S.D. #52 |
| Jane Fisher Broadview S.D. #18 |
Donna Willer Prince Albert Rural S.D. #56 |
| Valerie McNab Broadview S.D. #18 |
Linda Miller Kerrobert S.D. #44 |
| Susan Nedelcov-Anderson Weyburn Central S.D. #73 |
Marylie Svendsen Lloydminster S.D. #99 |
| Jocelyn Nadon Yorkdale S.D. #36 |
D'Arcy Harris Lloydminster S.D. #99 |
| Louise Morrison Yorkdale S.D. #36 |
Vicki Schafer Northern Lakes S.D. #64 |
| Laura Thibault Swift Current S.D. #94 |
Bernadette Hartman Lloydminster S.D. #99 |
| Marilyn Wirsche Herbert S.D. #79 |
Denise Cornish Meadow Lake S.D. #66 |
| Carmen F. Hysuick Borderland S.D. #68 |
Sylvette Wandler Kerrobert S.D. #44 |
| Joanne Piché Regina R.C.S.S.D. #81 |
Nancy Cross Kerrobert S.D. #44 |
| Denise Thoner Long Lake S.D. #30 |
Clare Novicki St. Gabriel's R.C.S.S.D. #23 |
| Elaine Pack Regina R.C.S.S.D. #81 |
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| Kim Engel Gray S.D. #101 |
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| Ruth Zuk Saskatoon S.D. #13 |
Aim
This describes, in very general terms, the important understandings which the student will gain during K-12.
Goals
Goals show the scope of purposes and indicate what students will achieve over the course of their schooling. The aim can be achieved through meeting the goal.
Foundational Objectives
These are statements of the desired outcomes which students are intended to achieve in a particular year. Students who have achieved the Foundational Objectives throughout their schooling will have attained the goals of the program. The Foundational Objectives should be the main focus of evaluation.
Learning Objectives
These describe in specific terms what the students will do to achieve the Foundational Objectives of the unit. Learning objectives are expressed in terms of student outcomes and give focus to daily lesson planning.
The aim of the Core French program is to develop in the student a better knowledge of the French language and culture, and communicative competence in French in proportion to the amount of time spent learning the language.
This understanding and appreciation will be developed within the multicultural reality of Saskatchewan.
In addition to the "three R's" we expect students to learn to be responsible members of our democratic society, to understand and relate to others, to develop a positive self-concept and life style and to learn and grow throughout their lives. Briefly, we expect our schools to give students both the academic and social foundations which will equip them to become responsible citizens in our society and to develop the potential of each person to the fullest extent.
Language learning occupies an important place in the building of these foundations. Through the exploration of the French language and culture, particularly as manifested in our country, we can reasonably expect students to broaden their horizons and to learn more about our nation.
The goals of the Core French program can be divided into three parts:
Attitudinal
The Core French program will enable students to develop a positive attitude towards the French language and Francophone peoples throughout the world, and more particularly, throughout Canada.
Linguistic
The Core French program will enable students to increase, within realistic limits, their ability to communicate effectively in French and, consequently, to take advantage of vocational and leisure opportunities or meet post-secondary requirements. It will also enable students to gain a better understanding of language and language learning in general.
Cultural
The Core French program will enable students to develop an understanding and an appreciation of the French Canadian language and culture within the multicultural context in Canada.
The development of listening and speaking skills is the primary focus of the Core French program at the K-5 level. Reading and writing are introduced later to reinforce listening and speaking. There is little formal study of the structure of the target language in Grades K-3 although some attention will be given to this aspect of language learning in Grades 4 and 5. By the end of Grade 12, students will have a basic competence in both oral and written aspects of French on which to build later in life if they need or desire to do so.
In addition, students will acquire a better knowledge of their own language (usually English) because much of the grammar is common and many English words come from French or share common roots in Latin.
The program is based on the cultural experience of the students. In Saskatchewan, this gives a multicultural basis to the Core French program. Students then move towards an appreciation of the culture of French speaking peoples. In doing so, they learn to accept the fact that other ways of expressing thoughts and doing things are equally valid and acceptable.
It should be stressed that these three objectives do not exist in isolation but rather form an integrated whole. They are all intertwined and may be represented schematically as follows:
Expectations of a Core French Program
Realistic expectations are important for a number of reasons:
| to determine details of a program (type of teacher required, appropriate resource material); | |
| to evaluate the effectiveness of the program; | |
| to provide parents with the information they need to choose the program option suited to their child's needs; and | |
| to guide parents, students, teachers, administrators and trustees in assessing progress and achievement. |
The Gillin Report (1976) defined for the first time more realistic expectations for second language programs. It pointed out that students need a minimum of 1200 hours to attain a basic level of second language proficiency, oral and written. It also indicated that one would need 5000 hours of second language instruction to become functionally bilingual.
As a result of the report, parents and students began to see why it is unreasonable to expect that a 4 year High School program (300-400 hours), a 6 year program (500-600 hours) or even a 9 year program (700-800 hours) will produce students proficient in all four language skills. Expectations became more realistic and therefore attainable. Today, more parents accept that a Core French program will not produce a fully bilingual student and people are aware that something less than functionally bilingual is still a worthwhile goal.
Since some of the program goals are attitudinal, indicators such as the following, as well as the communicative competence of the students, can help to determine to what degree success has been met:
| Students are enthusiastic about learning French. | |
| There is a supportive classroom atmosphere. | |
| Students desire to know more about the Francophone way of life. | |
| Students experience success in day-to-day activities. | |
| Students are involved in language use. | |
| Students derive satisfaction from achievement. | |
| Students express the idea that it would be good to know another language and the people who speak it. |
"A person who has failed to acquire minimal proficiency in at least one foreign language has missed an experience which is essential to understand the world he lives in" (Grittner, 1969).
This statement by Frank Grittner summarizes the basic reason behind learning other languages. If we want our young people to mature into well-rounded and responsible adults, it is important that they be given opportunities to broaden their horizons, to learn about their nation and to explore another language and another culture.
Learning a second language should, therefore, have instant appeal, and acquiring new communication skills should be both an enjoyable and challenging experience. However, as with all courses that improve and expand human understanding, nothing can be achieved without considerable effort. Undertaking to learn a second language can be a delightful voyage full of expressions and ideas, a voyage where one should be glad to go slowly and savour the trip.
Learning a second language promotes the ability to listen critically, to analyze, to reconstruct and to apply acquired knowledge to new situations, thus enhancing the development of problem-solving skills. When properly taught, it is the most effective medium by which one can acquire a sensitivity to language. This in turn leads to an appreciation of the unique richness and unique limitations of one's own language. Once a second language is learned, other languages are more accessible and more easily mastered.
Growing global interdependence is a reality which cannot be overlooked. With widespread mobility, knowledge of more than one language is becoming increasingly valuable: tourists, technicians, business people, civil servants, diplomats, athletes - people from all walks of life - are travelling more frequently. In learning another language, we enable ourselves to consider critically the ideas as well as the cultural similarities and differences of the world.
This can be a positive force in creating wholesome attitudes towards the people represented by that language, and can broaden our understanding of people and the world.
While the knowledge of any second language has its value, the learning of French as a second language is appropriate to Canadians not only because it is a language of world stature, but because it is the mother tongue of many of our fellow Canadians and one of the two official languages of our country. Learning both languages encourages the growth of communication and respect, both of which are needed to bind this nation together. Because of the limited time factor, native-like fluency and bilingualism are not realistic objectives of the Core French program. However, such a program will give the students access to the thought and literature of French speaking people and enable them to recognize the influence and contribution of French language and culture to the Canadian and world civilization and to the Arts. It will also provide a sound foundation, oral and written, upon which a person can build later in life if he or she has a need or desire to do so.