In PYP Year 3, CGS students have the opportunity to start learning French. Having already started English as the principal foreign language in the Kindergarten, French is introduced smoothly, as students are already aware of certain elements and mechanisms of a foreign language.
The teaching approaches selected for the children’s first contact with French are based primarily on oral communication without neglecting written discourse. Accent, intonation and contact with the culture and daily life of French-speaking countries are given particular weight during lessons and are developed through participation in the units of enquiry of the PYP.
In PYP Years 4 & 5 students develop their communication skills in French by enriching their vocabulary and better understanding the mechanisms of the language.
Depending on the students’ progress and how well they respond to the requirements of the curriculum, different sets are created at the beginning of PYP Year 5 to cover the learning needs and personal learning styles of each student.
By the end of PYP Year 6, our students have acquired the knowledge that corresponds to MYP Phase 1, which correlates with the A1 language standard level of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At the end of the academic year, students who so desire have the option of sitting the DELF A1 JUNIOR / DELF A1PRIM examinations offered by the Institut Français de Grèce.
In the MYP, students continue learning French through the MYP programme with the aim of acquiring the B2 language level in MYP Phase 4. At the same time, their participation in the Foreign Language Club offers them the opportunity to prepare for and sit A2, B1 or B2 examinations.
In MYP Year 5 students can maintain contact with French at C1 level (MYP Phase 5) by making use of a two-hour session offered in the morning programme.
The language level attained at the end of MYP Year 5 enables students attending the IB DP programme to choose French B either at Standard Level or at High level. For students whose language level is at a lower level, French Ab Initio lesson is offered alongside French B.
