FRENCH - Grade 8



FRENCH

Why Study French as a Matric Subject?

Knowledge of French has become more important than ever. Globalisation and the opening up of the African continent have made the acquisition of a European language a necessity today.

French is the only European language offered by Redhill and, in light of the fact that 2/3 of educated Africa speaks French today, every child should be equipped with a working knowledge of this language. It is important to note that South Africa supplies most commodities to countries such as Benin, Toga, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Niger, Congo, Gabon, Mali, Chad etc.

French is also the second official language of Canada, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria among others.

An ability to converse in and read French would clearly be an advantage to anyone entering business, fashion, the music or food industries and even the medical field.

South African diplomats are now required to learn French up to level B1 (DELF) which is equivalent, in many aspects to a level even higher than our Matric level.( Many of our Matric students reach this level and pass the B1 exam at the beginning of their Matric year.

Students who have mastered the learning of a 3rd language are often regarded as having higher-order thinking skills and are usually chosen above others in selection for bursaries and entrance to universities. In addition to this, many prime jobs require knowledge of French. One only has to look at the Mail and Guardian to see how many jobs there are where knowledge of French would be a great advantage.

French at Redhill

French is compulsory for Grade 8 and most of the Grade 9 students. Here, emphasis is on oral communication. The students use all modern methods with which they are so familiar to create their own blogs, their own movie clips and their own songs. This is a method where the student LEARN French by being ACTIVE and producing their own material. This, the students find very exciting and very much within their frame of reference. In addition to this, the French department intends to pair students with students in other Francophone countries. This will be done during on-line dialogues, using Skype or “Hangout” in the classroom. Students will also be encouraged to correspond with student of French in other countries and to learn more about the culture of other French speakers.

In the senior years emphasis is on the further acquisition of the spoken language and the modern communicative approach is adopted. Literature and appreciation of texts also play an important role. In order to increase the love of and the desire to speak French, students are exposed to as much ‘francophonie’ as possible. This is done by attending French film festivals and concerts, listening to French music, watching French DVDs and music DVDs and visiting art exhibitions whenever possible. Students also participate regularly in French workshops organized by the cultural section of the French Embassy. We have in the past welcomed slam poets and writers to our French classes.

Various teaching methods and tools are used. Students work from the latest books from France and they read articles from modern teen magazines.

Senior students enter the DELF examination (Diplôme Elémentaire de la Langue Française). This is an internationally recognised examination, which serves as a benchmark of linguistic proficiency and is graded in such a way that students can continue their studies in virtually any country in the world. Over the past few years, Redhill students have been among the top achievers in the country and have, on numerous occasions, been the recipients of a prize sponsored by the French Government.

Every second year, Redhill endeavours to organise a tour to France during which there is a short stay in a language school. This is extremely beneficial to the students as they gain confidence in using their French and these are always enormously popular and very successful.

Learning French at Redhill is not only about learning the language but about learning and appreciating a new culture.

French at Matric Level

Contrary to the perception of many, French is not a ‘swot’ subject and is certainly not content-based: there are not files of notes to study at the end of the Matric year. French is a cumulative subject and provided the student has been diligent throughout the years of study, he/she will not find the final examination too onerous.

There is a system of portfolio moderation which means students’ work, covering a range of pieces and spanning over the whole year, is submitted for moderation, before the final examination. Some of this is mediated work that can be revised and redone by the student under the direction and guidance of the teacher. This portfolio counts 25% of the final mark.

There is also an oral examination, made up of speaking and listening tasks. Once again if the learner has practised regularly and participated in discussions and classwork, he/she will cope easily with the oral examination. This exam counts 25% of the final mark.

Redhill French Teachers

We, the teachers at Redhill, are passionate about everything French and instill this very passion into the students. We attend workshops and seminars hosted by the French Government (under the aegis of the Alliance Français and the French Embassy) regularly and constantly strive to introduce novel and exciting methods into the classroom.

We are always available and willing to help students to achieve in French commensurate with their ability. It is our desire to help the students learn to love this beautiful language and find in it a means to greatly enrich their lives, both now and in the future.

The French department is proud to announce that they now have a website dedicated to each grade. Many supplementary exercises are put onto the web, as well as you tube clips and a calendar indicating homework tasks and tests. This has made learning French and keeping up with new work and tasks set even more exciting to our modern generation of learners who are so at home with technology.

Please visit our website :

Additional information

A while ago, President Zuma visited France and re-enforced the importance of French in South Africa.

Joint Communiqué on the occasion of the State Visit to France by the President of the Republic of South Africa, 2 – 3 March 2011

On the occasion of the State Visit to France of the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob G Zuma, at the invitation of the President of the French Republic, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, the two Heads of State declare as follows:

That, France and South Africa share a common vision of a world where multilateralism, international law and the conduct of relations between states on the basis of equity and fairness provide the foundation for building a more peaceful and prosperous world.  They recognise that the promotion of the freedoms and rights of all peoples all over the world is in the long-term of interest to us all.  The two countries share a fundamental commitment to promoting peace, security, stability, prosperity and democracy on the continent of Africa, in the full realisation that the success or failure of Africa cannot be divorced from the success or failure of Europe, or indeed the world.

That, the strategic partnership between France and South Africa, which was reinforced during the State Visit of President Sarkozy to South Africa in February 2008, builds on this common vision and today aims at reaching an even higher level.

Please visit the following site for more of this interesting subject.

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FRENCH

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