French - Beginning II (French II)

All-Gender Course; Prerequisite - Successful completion of at least one year of high school French;  Full-year course
COURSE DESCRIPTION
French – Beginning II students strengthen and extend their ability to describe, express, and compare events happening in the present. Over the course of the year, students will develop their proficiency by learning how to narrate a story that happened in the past (using the past tenses of passé composé and imparfait) and how to communicate about what will happen in the future (using the futur proche and the futur simple). Other important concepts of the course include reflexive verbs, object pronouns, and interrogative pronouns. Students will have an opportunity to develop their skills in speaking, listening, writing and reading, and will gain an understanding of the regions of France and of Francophone cultures around the world.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY

“Ultimately, this online course has led me to improve in a multitude of aspects in my learning; I am more aware of due dates and deadlines and I have more responsibility because I have to do my own work and remember deadlines without constant reminders.”

"Throughout this whole class so far, technology has enabled me to use many different resources like the textbook, videos and movies to understand the lecture better. I also feel like an online class works with the busy schedule I have.”​

WHAT STUDENTS DO
Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage with classmates and connect with their teachers through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
  • Set goals that drive their learning. Students reflect regularly on their growth, and meet on video chat with their online teacher to review progress towards their goals.
  • Have choice in how they learn new content and practice new skills. Students are given agency to determine the best ways for them to learn.
  • Apply what they are learning to the real world. Learning is meaningful and connects to concepts outside the classroom.
  • Practice constructive engagement in a diverse and changing world. Students interact with classmates from across the country and around the world.
  • Gain academic maturity. Online learning takes greater discipline and independence than a traditional face-to-face classroom. Teachers support students to build this skill.
MEET A TEACHER FOR THIS COURSE
OUR RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH TO TEACHING LANGUAGES ONLINE
​One Schoolhouse designs competency-based courses with the student-teacher relationship as the cornerstone of our personalized pedagogy.  While students excel in our language AP courses, for many years we did not offer full sequence language courses because there was little research to support the efficacy of online language learning at the early levels.  The research shows that fewer than 1% of Americans are proficient in the language they studied in traditional classrooms. Not wanting this outcome for One Schoolhouse students, our goal is to inspire deep learning so we strive to ensure that the online learning experience increases the effectiveness of second language acquisition. In recent years, we have honed our approaches to delivering the four language competencies – reading, writing, listening, and speaking – in the online space, and have therefore endeavored to build out our Chinese, French, and Latin sequences.  The limitations of other online language programs are mitigated by the centrality of the student-teacher relationship, including interactive sessions where students speak, listen, and translate with their peers and teacher, at One Schoolhouse.  J.C. Narcy-Combes’s research on second language learning online shows that, “meaningful interaction will trigger learning processes,” which we know to be true anecdotally, and that, with intentional design, students can be taught to learn language effectively online.  Carrier et. al. have more recently shown that educational technologies and online learning are rapidly transforming second language acquisition, and that intentional practice can create a highly effective digital experience.  Because One Schoolhouse students have pathway options where they can practice in the target language at their own pace, get feedback from their teacher, interact with peers from around the country, and demonstrate their mastery through both traditional assessments and creative projects, students have the full complement of research-based learning activities in their online courses that you would expect to find in any independent school language program.  Additionally, our language teachers have advanced degrees from American universities, are trained in both their language and the best pedagogical practices for delivering language online, teach in independent schools around the US, and are AP readers.  ​
SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES
Examples of signature activities and projects for this course are:
  • ​Discussion: After perusing the website of a contemporary “artiste engagée”,  students engaged in discussion about what they learned, what they were able to glean from context before looking up words, and then post about artists and writers they knew about who were engaged in activism through their art. 
  • Oral History Project: In order to use the passé composé and imparfait, students are asked to interview a family member or someone from an older generation about their past and then recount the story in French, using the two tenses. 
  • Partner assignments: Students connect with others in the class to have conversations and do skits based on the unit we are studying. Examples are role playing as a travel agent and traveler and comparing chores they have to do in their home. 
  • Mastery activities: Create your ideal car and describe it on video, compare restaurants, make a proposal for a smartphone app. 
COURSE APPROVAL
This course is approved by the NCAA. 

One Schoolhouse is fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through December 1, 2025; we are an approved online publisher for the University of California. 
Lisa Loeb
she/her/hers
Foreign Language Teacher
BA Bates College
​MSEd University of Pennsylvania