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APARC English Classes

Pre-school and primary classes take place on Wednesday mornings at the Bois St Denis Primary school in Chantilly.

The times are:

Secondary level classes are integrated into the timetable at the collège and lycée.

CLASSES

Requirements to join Classes:

• Students are expected to be good enough in English to participate actively in class, and need to have some knowledge of the cultural background of an English-speaking country. In order for their proficiency to be maintained, it is essential that some English be spoken at home.
• The family must be a member of APARC.
• Secondary students must either live in the catchment area for Collège des Bourgognes (6ème to 3ème) and Lycée Jean Rostand (2nde to Terminale), or ask for a 'dérogation' (dispensation).
• Children entering the APARC structure in Kindergarten or CP will be assessed, within the classroom situation, by attending for serveral mornings, the dates having been previously arranged by the coordinator and teacher concerned. The Primary/Kindergarten coordinator should be approached in the first instance.
• New students, planning to enter the Primary classes in CE1, CE2, CM1 or CM2, require testing by the teacher concerned. This takes the form of an oral and written test adapted to the level, plus a morning's attendance in the class. A non-refundable assessment fee of €60 is charged. The Primary/Kindergarten coordinator should be approached in the first instance.
• From 6ième onwards it becomes more difficult for newcomers to integrate into the APARC structure unless the students are bilingual (French/English) and from 5ième there is the added problem that the APARC students have studied German as their foreign language and, after 6 hours a week for a year, they have already attained quite a high level. Exceptions are possible and there is a written test for each level followed by an interview with the APARC Head Teacher and the French Principal of the Collège for any potential candidates who have successfully completed the written entry tests. A non-refundable assessment fee of €60 is charged. The Collège Coordinator should be approached in the first instance.
• For entrance into the International Section at the lycée, the students must pass an entrance test (in English if they have not come directly from the Aparc section at the College Des Bourgognes; in French if they are coming directly from an English-speaking country). The International Section is state funded and therefore no entrance test fee is charged, however, students are expected to buy their own text and literature books.

CLASS CONTENT

Pre-School classes offer pre-reading activities which include nursery rhymes, stories, songs, practical activities and role-play.

Primary classes introduce reading, writing and self-expression in English.

Secondary classes continue the reading, writing, self-expression and grammar. In addition to this, pupils are given some background, that is to say an introduction to the geography and history of the English-speaking world. Specific attention is paid to reinforcing their English vocabulary (which at this stage typically lags behind their French vocabulary) by concentrating on life outside the classroom.

How APARC Classes work at the Collège and Lycée

When they get into 6ème at the College des Bourgognes, APARC pupils are given 4 hours in their timetable for anglais pour anglophones. These four hours are on top of their normal schedule, but spread over the week. The first foreign language is currently German. APARC pupils join the section européenne - allemand, which means that 2 extra hours of German are taught (German culture and everyday life), so they will stay together in the same class until they take their IGCSE at the end of Collège..

In 4ème anglais pour anglophones becomes APARC pupils' second foreign language (langue vivante 2), when the other pupils of their class choose either English, Spanish, or Italian.

In 3ème the students begin the two-year curriculum that leads to the IGCSE in literature and language.

When the APARC pupils go to the Lycée Jean Rostand in 2nde, they should sign up for Allemand LV1 European at the lycée as this will ensure that they are not put into Anglais LV1. They should also sign up for the International Section as an option. During the course of 2nde they will study towards IGCSE English language and literature (the literature IGCSE is not an option for students who do not come from the College des Bourgognes as they will have missed half the curriculum). The students have four hours of English per week split equally between language and literature, plus two hours of Geography/History in English per week. The international IGCSE is taken in May. Results are known at the end of the summer.