French is spoken by over 200 million people worldwide and in terms of the number of countries where it is spoken is second only to English. As one of the important languages of the Pacific region and the official working language of a number of international institutions French has much to offer in career terms. As the most widely taught second language after English and the language of the world's No 1 tourist destination, it also has much to offer for lifestyle and leisure, with France being a world leader in areas such as fashion, entertainment, cuisine, science, technology, literature and the arts.

French is offered as a beginners' course in the 3rd Form and can be studied through to NCEA Level 4 and Cambridge International Examination A2 level following AGS's dual pathway policy.

While an increasing number of our students enter Auckland Grammar with varying degrees of prior knowledge of French, all students are taught beginners' French in the 1st term in the 3rd Form.

Starting from the beginning of Term 2 in the 3rd Form, all French classes are then streamed according to their ability in French based on their results in the reclassification examination and this policy continues right through to the 7th Form whenever there is more than one class at a particular level. From Term 2 in the 3rd Form there are two separate examinations to cater for different ability levels.
 

While the focus at AGS remains unashamedly academic, the emphasis in French lessons is on the mastery of the spoken and written language for practical purposes. To this end as much learning as possible takes place in French. A student leaving AGS after 5 years of learning French should expect not only to give a good account of himself in his everyday dealings in a French-speaking country but also be able to read widely in French and discuss a range of major issues with French-speaking people.

Staff:

The French Department staff for 2011 are as follows:

Mr S J Hoare, HOD French
Ms F Watson, French (on leave)
Mr K White, French and Latin
Mr M Liddell, French, Latin and Classical Studies 

The French Department also employs a part-time French assistant, Ms A Surble, who works mainly with smaller groups of boys to give more individualised speaking practice and provide a valuable link with the French-speaking world.