French
At Waring, French is more than an academic subject. The language is alive and present. All our French classes, from beginners through advanced, are conducted entirely in French by native or near-native speakers. This is a rare and highly effective approach to language acquisition. Most students leave Waring nearly fluent.
WARING’S FRENCH PROGRAM
Award-winning, Immersive, Alive.
Our program begins with partial immersion in Core (Grades 6 and 7). At that level, the focus is on developing quick comprehension and acquiring authentic French pronunciation. Early on, our students are comfortable improvising basic conversations naturally. In a typical class, meeting four times a week, you can see older and younger students gossiping in French, singing pop songs, watching excerpts of the news, playing games, or discussing French literature in depth. Every year, our Waring students rank at the top on the national French contest, Le grand concours. Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors excel on the SAT II French test and French AP exam. Students who attain a sophisticated command of the language before their Senior year may choose to enroll in a post AP course. The most competent Juniors and Seniors may apply to serve as French Teaching Assistants.
French Pedagogy at Waring
Click the article below to read about how we teach French at Waring and how our “never in English” language immersion program is backed up by science and research.
More Than an Academic Course
In Group 2 (Grade 9) students participate in a four-week exchange program in Angers, France. Every February, all students participate in a French poetry recitation contest judged by members of the French Consulate. Under the guidance of their teachers, each class prepares original French skits for performance in All-School Meeting, thus challenging the performers as well as the audience.
Travel is very much a part of the Waring French experience. Students travel to the province of Québec, to Angers, to Paris, and also to Provence in order to enhance their language skills and deepen their understanding of other disciplines. Waring often inspires graduates to pursue language studies abroad in college and beyond while fostering global awareness.
Anna Marie Smith
French Department Chair
Anna Marie teaches French and music at Waring. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Stetson University and a Master of Arts in French studies from Bowling Green State University. Teaching gives Anna Marie the opportunity to share her passions and to witness growth in young minds.
A colleague describes Anna Marie, a woman of many talents and interests, as “a concert-piano-playing auto mechanic who speaks French, tap dances, and has the straightest posture I have ever seen.” Anna Marie enjoys gardening, working on her car, flying single-engine airplanes, reading, walking the beach, sewing, sailing, cooking, and the Alexander technique. She joined Waring in 2013.
