Im a sophomore right now and I’m currently in beginning French and we just book through the French 1 book and learn. So it’s basucally French 1. I’m thinking about skipping French 1 and 2 by learning French 2 during summer break so I can take French 3 and 4 my junior year and take AP French my senior year. My question is if that would be a good idea.
I’m a big fan of structured immersion programs for foreign language. They tend to be expensive and a ton of work, but they produce good results. My kid was successful in AP French after French 1 plus 11 weeks of immersion (across multiple summers).
If your plan is to read through the French 2 book by yourself over the summer, you will not get a good result. Foreign language has to be learned by doing.
I would go through the normal progression in your HS.
I skipped a level after an immersion program, and did miss some key lessons. This was further up the scale, maybe to French 4, where the reading was more intense than I had experienced in prior classes.
School language is usually more than just learning to read and write. Some good online course could do it, but needs to include culture, current events, and learning to properly speak.
And most importantly, to understand the spoken word at somewhere near a normal conversational pace, which you cannot learn from a book.
I think what the above are saying is if you want get some mastery of French by senior year, you plan won’t work.
Either you need to get involved in some intensive studying (like immersion) to get ahead, or give up the idea of AP French and just go with the normal school progression.
“I’m a big fan of structured immersion programs for foreign language.”
I am also.
“They tend to be expensive”
As one example, Middlebury College has a 7 week immersion program that costs $9,995. To me this counts as “expensive”. I did not see however whether they have anything for high school students. What I found was for college age students. The University of Moncton has a 3 week program for high school students (ages 13 to 15) that costs $2,625 in Canadian dollars. I am pretty sure that both include room and board in this price. Travel would be extra for either program. There are of course many other programs.
I don’t think that either of these would be sufficient as a substitute for a year of French, even with some self-study over the summer. I see these as a way to improve your ability to speak and listen to the language, when combined with study in normal French classes taken at the normal progression.
A cheaper possibility would be if a local community college or in state public university offers an appropriate level French course during the summer. But that may not be commonly available.
My parents and family speak French and I also have friends and family in France that I can talk to
They do.Again not cheap. It’s 4 weeks and $6595
https://www.middleburyinteractive.com/summer-language-academy/apply/dates-tuition
In general, 7-8 weeks of FT study during the summer is equal to 1 year of college credits during the academic year or roughly 2 years of HS equivalent. Dividing by 2 for 4 weeks equals roughly 1 year of HS study. However, much depends upon the student’s willingness and dedication. And almost every school will still require some type of a challenge exam upon return for any non-sponsored program. Bottom line, that’s a lot of money for jumping out of French 2. Personally, if I (or my parents) had that much available money to spend, I’d rather use it for immersion abroad after having achieved a higher level that HS French 1.
When you say your parents and family speak French, do you mean they speak to you in French, even if you reply in English? If that is the case, then, yes, I do think you could compact a year of French in the summer, but I would recommend that you enroll in a formal French class so you actually have outside accountability and don’t blow things off.
Otherwise, no. Don’t. You will likely end up with poor grades next year because you lack a solid foundation.
You can definitely develop the “ear” on an immersion in a foreign country. But you need to interact with local speakers, not just other lang students.
My problem was never speaking or listening. My hs jumped me ahead based on the summer program level and testing, but I missed the hs year where higher reading skills are developed. My peers could tackle a novel.
Hmm, otoh, I probably comprehended and spoke on a higher level.
So just beware what you wish for.
Are your parents native French speakers or ? Was it your first language?
It is possible. I did it. I took French 3 over the summer and moved right to French 4. (French is a passion of mine!) BUT, I did it with the help of my French teacher. We met once a week during summer for private lessons. She recognized my love for French, and gave me lessons on her own free time. She truly is a gem and a wonderful teacher. I also am one of those people who are good at learning languages, with a particularly keen ear for French.
Bon chance, mon ami!