Le Jour Typique du Lycéen Français
With this lesson, we will explore what a day looks like for a typical French high schooler.
L'horaire (schedule)
As we learned in the École Française Webquest, French school schedules are a little different than the typical American school schedule. The same goes for the individual schedules of high school students. Using the image below, answer the following questions about this sample schedule. Scroll over the + circles to see the definitions of new words.
- What time does school begin?
- How long do students have for lunch?
- What time does school end?
- How many hours are allotted for courses?
- How long doe each course last?
- How many courses do students take each year?
Les Études (studies)
After Seconde (10th grade), students will choose their "filière," or "série" which is the course of study that they will follow through their last two years of lycée. The chosen filière determines which final Baccalauréat exam a student takes. There are three traditional options, Littéraire (L), Scientifique (S), and Économique (ES).
Choosing the correct filière is like choosing the correct major in college, but it's difficult to change filière in the middle of your studies, so it's a very important decision.
Choosing the correct filière is like choosing the correct major in college, but it's difficult to change filière in the middle of your studies, so it's a very important decision.
Le Lycée
Watch this video tour of a French high school led by French high schoolers. These students have chosen the L course of study. As you watch, answer the following questions:
- What classes do these students take?
- How is the school organized?
- How do the students pay for lunch?
- What kinds of foods are offered for lunch?
- Where do students go when they have breaks between classes?
- How do students go home from school?
La Comparaison
Now, create a venn diagram or a three-column table in which you compare French and American high schools. Focus on the following:
- Class schedule
- Daily schedule (times, amount of breaks, etc.)
- Class structure
- School lunches
- Courses taken