Students who enroll in AP French Language should already have a good command of French grammar and vocabulary and have competence in listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Although these qualifications may be attained in a variety of ways, it is assumed that most students will be in the final stages of their secondary school training and will have had substantial course work in the language.

The course should emphasize the use of language for active communication and help students develop the following:

• The ability to understand spoken French in various contexts;
• A French vocabulary sufficiently ample for reading newspaper and magazine articles, literary texts, and other non-technical writings without dependence on a dictionary; and
• The ability to express themselves coherently, resourcefully, and with reasonable fluency and accuracy in both written and spoken French.

Course content can reflect intellectual interests shared by the students and teacher (the arts, current events, literature, sports, etc.). Materials might well include audio and video recordings, films, newspapers, and magazines.

The course seeks to develop language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) that can be used in various activities and disciplines rather than to cover any specific body of subject matter. Extensive training in the organization and writing of compositions should also be emphasized.

Last Revised: July 18, 2005