This Week in Secondary School

In the Middle Years Programme at SISQ, French is taught as language acquisition, at three different levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. During this term, beginners have had the opportunity to explore how language contributes to identity formation and self-esteem. Students are now able to introduce themselves and their family. They also understand that French is spoken in many countries around the world. Indeed, this language is the vehicle of not one but many cultures, and students are ready to explore la Francophonie.

At the intermediate level, during  the first half-term,  students explored how multilingual education impacts one’s  perception of the world.They are now aware of the avenues offered to multilingual students. In the second half term, students reflected upon innovative ways to construct a sustainable world. They created a brochure of ecotourism about a French speaking region of their choice. This was an opportunity to review and discover vocabulary related to travel, transportation, weather and, of course, environment, using the present tense. Students of advanced level in the second half term, explored their first piece of literature, “Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours”, by Jules Verne. This journey was linked to the study of scientific tourism as a form of ecotourism, allowing students to reflect upon style and audience beyond mere textual comprehension. Within these topics, there was also emphasis on the approaches to learning, specifically communication and self-management. Students worked on the organisation and documentation of notes, and focussed on making their message relevant to their purpose and audience.

At SISQ, all languages taught at the acquisition level follow an identical line of inquiry, which allows students to make connections and creates an optimal environment for multilingualism.

Dr. Sophie Peralba (Head of Modern Foreign Languages)