Years 3 to 4
Languages
ASLANFREF10Y34
Years 3 to 4 French Achievement Standard
9 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 4, students use French language to initiate structured interactions to share information related to the classroom and their personal world. They use modelled language to participate in spoken and written activities that involve planning. They locate and respond to key items of information in texts using strategies to help interpret and convey meaning in familiar contexts. They use modelled language and basic syntax to create texts.
Students imitate sound combinations and rhythms of French language. They demonstrate understanding that French has non-verbal, spoken and written language conventions and rules to create and make meaning. They recognise that some terms have cultural meanings. They identify patterns in French and make comparisons between French and English. They understand that the French language is connected with culture, and identify how this is reflected in their own language(s) and culture(s).
Foundation to Year 10 sequence
The 9 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 4, students use French language to initiate structured interactions to share information related to the classroom and their personal world.
Content descriptorAC9LF4C01 Communicating meaning in French
initiate exchanges and respond to modelled questions about self, others, and classroom environment, using formulaic expressions
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration initiating and exchanging greetings, offering wishes for particular occasions, situations or times of day in formal and informal contexts, for example, using Bonjour, Madame Patou, comment allez-vous? Salut, Nicole, ça va? Pas mal, et vous? Bonne nuit, Papa! Bonjour, Messieurs; Bonne fête, Hafiz ! À demain, Mademoiselle; À bientôt! Bonne année! Bon courage!
- Elaboration responding to instructions, asking for help or clarification, for example, Encore une fois; montre-moi; chantez plus fort; regarde les photos, écoutez, écrivez/tapez la phrase; Pardon/Excusez-moi Madame/Monsieur, je ne comprends pas; répétez, s’il vous plaȋt; j’ai une question, j'ai besoin d'aide.
- Elaboration using print or digital photographs, short videos or recordings to exchange and respond to information about self, family, friends or interests, for example, J’ai deux sœurs et j’ai un frère, Je suis fils/fille unique; J’aime les sports et les voyages, mais j’adore la musique! Et toi, parle de ta famille, ... Raconte-moi ...
- Elaboration expressing likes and dislikes, for example, J'aime le chocolat mais je déteste le fromage; il aime la classe de musique mais il n'aime pas le cours de sciences.
- Elaboration using common responses to frequently asked questions or comments, for example, responding with très bien, voilà, oui, bien sûr, d’accord, hein, Bah ... oui! imitating modelled intonation and stress patterns
- Elaboration using cohesive devices, such as the conjunctions et, mais and ou or interjections as fillers, for example, ah bon … voilà … eh bien … alors … to enhance interactions
- Elaboration experimenting with gestures when performing role-plays such as when praising each other, for example, Super! Pas mal. Bon travail! Excellent! Bravo! or shrugging or making a c’est fou or chut! gesture to enhance interactions
- Elaboration exchanging simple correspondence with peers such as notes, invitations or birthday cards in print or digital form
They use modelled language to participate in spoken and written activities that involve planning.
Content descriptorAC9LF4C02 Communicating meaning in French
participate in activities that involve planning with others, using a range of familiar phrases and modelled structures
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration asking and answering questions relating to concepts such as time, place or number, including days of the week, months, date and seasons, for example, Ça fait combien? Ça fait cinq; Quelle heure est-il? Il est dix heures; Aujourd’hui c’est vendredi? Non, c’est jeudi; Quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui? C’est l’hiver, il fait très froid.
- Elaboration introducing French currency, Euros, to purchase items (magazines, fruit, vegetables, etc.) at an imagined market or shop, for example, Ça coute combien? C'est cinq euros. Le vélo noir/la bicyclette noire, c'est combien? 1 kilo en plus, s'il vous plaȋt. Vingt grammes de ... moins ...
- Elaboration working together in collaborative tasks such as designing a poster for a specific event, creating a picture book or word wall, and sharing decisions about content, vocabulary and design, for example, collaboratively deciding ceci ou cela? qu’est-ce que tu préfères? Là ou là? petit ou grand?
- Elaboration giving and following directions and plan directions such as À gauche! Tout droit! Prends la première rue.
- Elaboration playing games that involve active listening, memory, information exchange and negotiating turns, for example, C’est à toi? Oui, c’est à moi. C’est ton tour. C’est mon tour.
- Elaboration praising each other, for example, using Super! Pas mal. Bon travail! Excellent! Bravo! when working collaboratively on class tasks that require following instructions such as cooking activities or other step-based activities such as a craft activity
They locate and respond to key items of information in texts using strategies to help interpret and convey meaning in familiar contexts.
Content descriptorAC9LF4C03 Communicating meaning in French
locate and respond to key information related to familiar content obtained from spoken, written and multimodal texts
Elaborations (10)
- Elaboration responding to a story, song, cartoon, comic or simple narrative by retelling, re-enacting the main events or taking on the role of a character or matching pictures and descriptive statements
- Elaboration listening to short spoken texts with some unfamiliar language and identifying points of information, for example, discovering the name and number on a recorded phone message, the age of a child being interviewed or identifying some items on a recorded shopping list or information in a weather report from a French-speaking location
- Elaboration responding to simple notes, invitations, birthday cards, etc. in print or digital form
- Elaboration learning that First Nations Australian languages change according to connections and relationships between people, and giving examples of how this occurs in French
- Elaboration locating information about activities in a French school context such as l’emploi du temps, la lecture, l’orthographe, le vocabulaire, les mathématiques and comparing with their own daily schedule
- Elaboration reading simple narratives and responding to images that evoke positive or negative emotions, such as affection, sadness or anger, and making connections with their own experiences by using stem statements such as Je suis fou/folle quand …; Je suis content(e) si …; J’ai peur de …
- Elaboration collecting and using favourite exclamations, words or expressions from texts such as Terrrrible! Ça y est! Pas vrai! Quoi de neuf?
- Elaboration collecting information from print or digital sources about topics of interest such as favourite animal species, for example, les animaux domestiques/sauvages, and creating a display with names and appropriate adjectives
- Elaboration viewing an imaginative text, listening for key words and phrases, responding to questions about characters and events
- Elaboration discovering and exploring print or digital maps of Australia to identify historical names or places with a French connection, for example, Recherche Bay in Tasmania; Esperance in Western Australia; La Perouse in Sydney
Content descriptorAC9LF4C04 Communicating meaning in French
develop strategies to comprehend and adjust French language in familiar contexts to convey cultural meaning
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration learning to use a dictionary to find unknown words in texts to assist comprehension
- Elaboration using multimodal resources to build vocabulary to describe actions or feelings by accessing and presenting information of interest such as les fêtes d’anniversaires, les vacances, les copains
- Elaboration responding to factual and imaginative picture and digital books, short-scripted plays or animations that use familiar French words by creating a class display of the key information and providing a glossary of new words and expressions
- Elaboration collecting and using French words and expressions that do not translate easily into English such as Bon appétit, bon voyage, voilà! chic!
- Elaboration engaging with a familiar story and writing or acting out a plausible different ending, using new words, expressions and gestures to convey key messages of the story
- Elaboration refusing an invitation politely, without offending, using formulaic and modelled expressions, for example, Je voudrais bien mais …, désolé(e), malheureusement …
They use modelled language and basic syntax to create texts.
Content descriptorAC9LF4C05 Communicating meaning in French
create and present informative and imaginative spoken, written and multimodal texts using formulaic expressions, simple phrases and sentences and modelled textual conventions
Elaborations (9)
- Elaboration using simple words and expressions selected from word banks and modelled statements to create personal profiles, highlighting key characteristics and features such as Je suis australienne et grecque, je suis sportive, je suis courageuse, je parle anglais et grec, j’ai beaucoup de cousins.
- Elaboration making a list for the ingredients and quantities for a simple recipe such as crêpes (200 grammes de farine, un verre de lait, etc.) using the imperative verb forms ajoutez, mélangez, versez, servez for the recipe
- Elaboration creating and performing alternative versions of stories or action songs using voice, rhythm and gestures to animate characters, or using support materials such as drawings or story maps to create visual context
- Elaboration creating simple descriptions in French and matching them to appropriate First Nations Country/Place locations in their local area or elsewhere in Australia
- Elaboration creating their own instructional or procedural tasks such as designing treasure hunts, Où se cache le trésor?
- Elaboration creating short imaginative texts designed to amuse or entertain, for example, creating fantasy stories featuring imaginary creatures with names created out of 2 or more real animal names such as le chevaloon, le lapinat, les moutaches
- Elaboration using a map of France or a French-speaking country, and props to record and present La météo. À Paris, Il fait chaud. À Nouméa, il pleut. Prends un parapluie aujourd'hui.
- Elaboration creating a class profile, chart or database using multimodal resources about likes, dislikes and interests (les sports préférés, les plats de choix, etc.), and checklists, surveys or question cues such as Tu préfères le brie ou le camembert? Combien de …? À quelle heure ...?
- Elaboration presenting a visual presentation with captions about daily routine using formulaic reflexive verbs, for example, creating captions such as Le lundi, à sept heures je me lève.
Students imitate sound combinations and rhythms of French language.
Content descriptorAC9LF4U01 Understanding language and culture
recognise and use modelled combinations of sounds, pronunciation and intonation patterns of French to form words and phrases
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration creating an alphabet bank, collecting words that begin with each letter such as ‘h’: l’hiver, l’homme, l’hôtel; ‘m’: mai, mardi, le mouchoir; ‘p’: le pain, Papa, le poisson
- Elaboration recognising and practising the most common vowel sounds such as ‘ou’- vous, jour; ‘oi’ - toi, voiture; ‘on’ - bonbon, mon; ‘ai’ - aimer, j’ai; ‘ain’ - train, demain and ‘eau’ - château, beau
- Elaboration understanding how changes in voice and body language can change the meaning of words, for example, Tu aimes les devoirs? (simple question); Tu aimes les devoirs! (expressing surprise, disbelief); C’est mon petit frère (statement); C’est mon petit frère! (pride); Tu peux commencer (permission); Commence! (instruction)
- Elaboration understanding that some letters blend to make single sounds such as ‘ille’, ‘eau’ or ‘qu’
- Elaboration observing differences in pronunciation of word endings shared with English such as ‘-tion’ and ‘-ent’ in attention, situation, commencement, accident
- Elaboration recognising that certain French letters, accented vowels and combinations of letters produce the same sound in French such as ‘é’, ‘ez’, ‘er’ and ‘ç’ and ‘s’
- Elaboration noticing that the letters ‘k’ and ‘w’ are rarely used in French and usually occur in loan words
- Elaboration recognising that some final consonants in French words are usually silent such as le rat, le tapis, vert, chez, and some are usually pronounced such as chic, actif
They demonstrate understanding that French has non-verbal, spoken and written language conventions and rules to create and make meaning.
Content descriptorAC9LF4U01 Understanding language and culture
recognise and use modelled combinations of sounds, pronunciation and intonation patterns of French to form words and phrases
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration creating an alphabet bank, collecting words that begin with each letter such as ‘h’: l’hiver, l’homme, l’hôtel; ‘m’: mai, mardi, le mouchoir; ‘p’: le pain, Papa, le poisson
- Elaboration recognising and practising the most common vowel sounds such as ‘ou’- vous, jour; ‘oi’ - toi, voiture; ‘on’ - bonbon, mon; ‘ai’ - aimer, j’ai; ‘ain’ - train, demain and ‘eau’ - château, beau
- Elaboration understanding how changes in voice and body language can change the meaning of words, for example, Tu aimes les devoirs? (simple question); Tu aimes les devoirs! (expressing surprise, disbelief); C’est mon petit frère (statement); C’est mon petit frère! (pride); Tu peux commencer (permission); Commence! (instruction)
- Elaboration understanding that some letters blend to make single sounds such as ‘ille’, ‘eau’ or ‘qu’
- Elaboration observing differences in pronunciation of word endings shared with English such as ‘-tion’ and ‘-ent’ in attention, situation, commencement, accident
- Elaboration recognising that certain French letters, accented vowels and combinations of letters produce the same sound in French such as ‘é’, ‘ez’, ‘er’ and ‘ç’ and ‘s’
- Elaboration noticing that the letters ‘k’ and ‘w’ are rarely used in French and usually occur in loan words
- Elaboration recognising that some final consonants in French words are usually silent such as le rat, le tapis, vert, chez, and some are usually pronounced such as chic, actif
Content descriptorAC9LF4U02 Understanding language and culture
recognise French language conventions, grammatical structures and basic syntax in familiar texts and contexts
Elaborations (12)
- Elaboration using an increasing range of adjectives, including bizarre, magnifique, formidable, and additional gender forms and agreements such as blanc/blanche, gros/grosse, le chat blanc, la souris blanche
- Elaboration using some adverbs to elaborate on simple statements, for example, elle mange lentement, je chante doucement, il parle très vite
- Elaboration using prepositions such as à gauche, à droite, à côté de to indicate direction or location
- Elaboration strengthening vocabulary knowledge by making connections with known words such as le marché, le supermarché, le marchand
- Elaboration recognising word patterns and building word clusters such as number knowledge from 60–100 and ordinal numbers
- Elaboration recognising and beginning to use common verb conjugations such as regular ‘-er’ verbs
- Elaboration using modelled common irregular verbs such as être, avoir, aller, faire: Je suis intelligent(e); Tu as quel âge? Comment allez-vous? Je fais le petit déjeuner. Il va à la plage.
- Elaboration recognising modelled ‘-ir’ verb phrases such as J'ai fini! Je n'ai pas fini! Avez-vous fini?
- Elaboration developing an awareness of verb tenses, and some direct object pronouns such as Je l'aime with reflexive verbs, with modelled support such as Je me lève. Je me brosse les dents.
- Elaboration expressing negation in simple sentence structures and colloquial expressions such as Je ne sais pas; Elle ne mange pas; Tu ne viens pas? Pas du tout!
- Elaboration recognising the difference between definite and indefinite articles, and how to refer to a specific or unspecific person, place or object such as Tu manges la pomme, j’achète un livre, une vache énorme, le climat français
- Elaboration observing the relationship between subject pronouns and verb endings using je/tu/il/elle with present tense of verbs associated with familiar actions and environments, for example, understanding the relationship in il chante bien, je suis fatigué, tu aimes le yaourt, elle est en classe.
They recognise that some terms have cultural meanings.
Content descriptorAC9LF4U04 Understanding language and culture
identify connections between French language and cultural practices
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration recognising that there are many different variations of French spoken in different cultural contexts in countries and regions of the world such as le Québec, le Sénégal, le Maroc, la Suisse, la Réunion, la Nouvelle Calédonie, involving different accents, dialects and vocabulary, for example, understanding that un pain au chocolat is une chocolatine in the south of France
- Elaboration identifying elements of French language that feel most different from their own (pronunciation of some sounds, gestures such as la bise, facial expressions, etc.) and describing what they are confident in, what they feel unsure of, and what they most enjoy
- Elaboration noticing how they communicate with each other, their families and teachers, and understanding that language carries information about the people who use it, and that common expressions often reflect cultural values, for example, understanding that French terms of affection used with children often relate to either food or animals, mon petit chou, mon lapin, ma puce
- Elaboration exploring representations of information, such as symbols used in cultural expressions of First Nations Australians, and making connections with those of French language and culture
- Elaboration identifying ways in which French language and culture (cuisine, fashion, etc.) influence the lives of Australians
They identify patterns in French and make comparisons between French and English.
Content descriptorAC9LF4U03 Understanding language and culture
recognise familiar French language features and compare with those of English, in known contexts
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration identifying and comparing key words in French and English versions of favourite stories, for example, comparing La chenille qui fait des trous and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, or La vieille dame qui avala une mouche and The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, and considering the rhythms and vocal effects in the 2 versions
- Elaboration understanding that French has close connections to other languages which have shared histories and many similar words such as the English, French, Italian and Spanish word for ‘the bank’, la banque, la banca, el banco, and the word for ‘art’, l’art, l’arte, el arte
- Elaboration discovering French words used in English (le restaurant, le café, le chauffeur, le ballet, le croissant, etc.) and English words used by French speakers (le coach, le blog, Internet, le football, le burger, le sandwich, le denim, etc.) and comparing how they are pronounced by French and English speakers
- Elaboration noticing and applying features of familiar types of texts (greetings, requests, weather reports, postcards, recipes, etc.), and recognising how different textual elements combine to make meaning, for example, the images, font and script of a webpage; the layout, title and illustrations in a picture book; the highlighting of names, dates and times on an invitation, and using templates and/or the appropriate scaffold
- Elaboration recognising features of a simple spoken or written text in French, such as a verbal greeting or a written message, for example, noting terms of address and ways of signing off, and making comparisons with similar texts in English
- Elaboration finding examples of shortened noun forms in colloquial French (le resto, le frigo, le foot, le prof, etc.), comparing with the use of abbreviations in Australian English (brekkie, arvo, etc.), and considering when or how they are used
They understand that the French language is connected with culture, and identify how this is reflected in their own language(s) and culture(s).
Content descriptorAC9LF4U04 Understanding language and culture
identify connections between French language and cultural practices
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration recognising that there are many different variations of French spoken in different cultural contexts in countries and regions of the world such as le Québec, le Sénégal, le Maroc, la Suisse, la Réunion, la Nouvelle Calédonie, involving different accents, dialects and vocabulary, for example, understanding that un pain au chocolat is une chocolatine in the south of France
- Elaboration identifying elements of French language that feel most different from their own (pronunciation of some sounds, gestures such as la bise, facial expressions, etc.) and describing what they are confident in, what they feel unsure of, and what they most enjoy
- Elaboration noticing how they communicate with each other, their families and teachers, and understanding that language carries information about the people who use it, and that common expressions often reflect cultural values, for example, understanding that French terms of affection used with children often relate to either food or animals, mon petit chou, mon lapin, ma puce
- Elaboration exploring representations of information, such as symbols used in cultural expressions of First Nations Australians, and making connections with those of French language and culture
- Elaboration identifying ways in which French language and culture (cuisine, fashion, etc.) influence the lives of Australians
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Years 3 to 4 French · Foundation to Year 10 sequence. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.
At a Glance
| Strand | Substrand | CDs | Elaborations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicating meaning in French | Interacting in French | 2 | 14 |
| Communicating meaning in French | Mediating meaning in and between languages | 2 | 16 |
| Communicating meaning in French | Creating text in French | 1 | 9 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding systems of language | 3 | 26 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture | 1 | 5 |
| Total | 9 | 70 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should students know by the end of Years 3 to 4 French?
By the end of Year 4, students use French language to initiate structured interactions to share information related to the classroom and their personal world. They use modelled language to participate in spoken and written activities that involve planning. Read the full standard
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
9 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Communicating meaning in French: 5, Understanding language and culture: 4).
How does this compare to Years 1 to 2?
The Years 1 to 2 French standard (ASLANFREF10Y12) covers the preceding curriculum level. Standards build progressively, with Years 3 to 4 expectations extending what was introduced in Years 1 to 2.
Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?
Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.