Vocabulaire 2.1

Français I

les maths

l’algèbre (f.)

• algebra

la géométrie

• geometry

les langues (f.) (étrangères)

• (foreign) languages

• The names of languages are masculine in French.

le français

• French

l’espagnol (m.)

• Spanish• The ‘‘gn’’ is pronounced ‘‘ny.’’

l’allemand (m.)

• German

le latin

• Latin

les sciences (f.) naturelles

• natural science• astronomy• biology• chemistry• earth science• physics• cross-disciplines (like

biochemistry)

les sciences naturelles

• sometimes referred to as • la biologie-géologie or • les sciences de la vie

et de la terre (SVT)• This area of study

includes both lectures and a lab.

la biologie

• biology

la chimie

• chemistry

les travaux (m.) pratiques (de chimie)• (chemistry) lab

la physique

• physics

les arts (m.) plastiques

• art class

la musique

• music

la chorale

• choir

la fanfare

• band

la danse

• dance

l’éducation (f.) physique et sportive (EPS)• physical education in

conversation, say

le sport

le sport

• gym

le cours de développement personnel et social (DPS)• health

la géographie

• geography

l’éducation (f.) civique

• government

l’histoire (f.)

• historyWe can’t havehistory without

you (toi)!

l’informatique (f.)

• computer science

le cours• course• la cour = courtyard• Don’t say the –s.

les cours facultatifs

electives

les cours obligatoires

required courses

Extra school subjects

See p. R12 in the back of your book. (The edge of the page is blue and says “Additional Vocabulary.”)

On the right-hand side of the page, you’ll see “School Subjects.”

les devoirs (m.)

• homework• devoir = to have to• homework = “have to’s”

l’élève (m. or f.)

• student

le professeur

• teacher• always masculine (Use le.)

le / la prof

• teacher• informal

Oui, beaucoup.

• Yes, very much.

Moi aussi.

• Me too.

Moi, non.

• I don’t.

Non, pas trop.

• No, not too much.

Moi non plus.

• Neither do I.

Moi, si.

• I do.

Pas moi.

• Not me.

Note culturelle (p. 53)

• Unlike the American educational system, the grade levels in the French system are numbered in descending order:

Educational Systems

AMERICAN• Middle School

– 6th grade– 7th grade– 8th grade

• High School– 9th grade– 10th grade– 11th grade– 12th grade

FRENCH• Le collège (10-11 yrs.

old)– sixième (6e)– cinquième (5e)– quatrième (4e)

• Le lycée– troisième (3e)– seconde (2e)– première (1ère) – terminale

le baccalauréat

• Nicknamed le bac• National exam taken at

the end of study at a lycée

• Not all students take le bac.

• If a French student plans to go on to a university, (s)he must take and pass le bac.

le baccalauréat

• An extremely difficult oral and written test that covers all major subjects

• Students spend the final year of le lycée, la terminale, preparing for this exam.

le baccalauréat

• Three major categories of this exam:– le bac général– le bac technologique– le bac professionnel

le baccalauréat

• Each category is divided into a more specialized series of exams, depending on a student’s chosen field of study.

• For example, a student specializing in literature would take le bac général littéraire, or simply le bac L.

le baccalauréat

• If a student is majoring in literature, (s)he needs to score higher in literature, philosophy, and languages than in math in order to pass.

• Students who don’t score high enough must try to get a better grade by taking oral exams.

le baccalauréat• If students fail, they must

repeat their last year at the lycée (terminale) before retaking le bac.

• Students who don’t have their bac need to pass a college entrance exam called l’ESEU (Examen spécial d’entrée à l’université) in order to be admitted to college.

le baccalauréat vs. ACT / SAT

• How do you think le bac compares with our ACT or SAT?

FYI

• passer un examen = to take a test

• To say, “I passed the bac.” you would say, “J’ai réussi au bac.”