Alberta · Grade 7
French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program)
Alberta’s Grade 7 French course, from La boîte à outils — Grade 7 Foundations to Le français au Canada et dans le monde.
- Units
- 6
- Lessons
- 10
- Skills
- 20
- Provincial exam
- None
- Official curriculum
- Alberta Education
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.
Unit 1 · 8 skills
La boîte à outils — Grade 7 Foundations
Les verbes essentiels
Avoir, être, faire, aller in the present
I can use avoir, être, faire and aller in the present tense with every subject pronoun.
Skill 1.1
Regular –er verbs in the present
I can conjugate regular –er verbs like aimer, étudier and regarder in the present tense.
Skill 1.2
Articles, genre et possession
Articles and agreement
I can match le/la/l'/les and un/une/des to a noun's gender and number.
Skill 1.3
Possessive adjectives
I can say whose things are whose with mon/ma/mes, ton/ta/tes, son/sa/ses, notre/nos.
Skill 1.4
Questions et négation
Saying no: ne … pas
I can make any present-tense sentence negative with ne … pas.
Skill 1.5
Asking questions
I can ask questions with est-ce que, rising intonation, and the question words (qui, où, quand, combien…).
Skill 1.6
Expressions et prépositions de lieu
Expressions with avoir and faire
I can use everyday expressions with avoir (J'ai douze ans) and faire (Il fait beau).
Skill 1.7
Prepositions of place
I can say where things are with sur, sous, dans, devant, derrière, à côté de — including au/du contractions.
Skill 1.8
The official wording · 8 outcomes
- 1.1
- present tense of avoir, être, faire, aller with all personal subject pronouns
- 1.2
- conjugation pattern of regular –er verbs in the present tense
- 1.3
- number (singular versus plural) and gender (agreement of definite articles— le, la, l', les, and indefinite articles— un, une, des, with nouns)
- 1.4
- possessive adjectives— mon, ma, mes; ton, ta, tes; son, sa, ses, notre, and nos
- 1.5
- negative sentences using ne… pas
- 1.6
- question words— qui, qu'est-ce que, où, combien, comment, quand, quel/quelle, à quelle heure
- 1.7
- expressions with avoir (e.g., J'ai douze ans.
- 1.8
- prepositions of place and prepositional phrases— à, sous, sur, dans, devant, derrière, à côté de
Key ideas
The big four are irregular — memorize them as tunes: j'ai/tu as/il a…, je suis/tu es…, je fais/tu fais…, je vais/tu vas…
Definite = the (le crayon, la classe, l'école, les livres); indefinite = a/some (un crayon, une classe, des livres).
The sandwich: ne + verb + pas — Je ne regarde pas la télé.
Avoir owns age and states: J'ai douze ans. J'ai faim.
Each one anchors a job: avoir = having (and age!), être = being, faire = doing/making (and weather), aller = going.
Watch out for
- Regularizing the big four ("je aller" ✗ — je vais; they must be memorized).
- Guessing gender from the object ("desk is masculine because…") — it belongs to the word; memorize article+noun together.
- Dropping the ne in writing (spoken French does; written Grade-7 French does not).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 4 skills
L'école
Comprendre l'école en français
Understanding classroom French
I can understand classroom commands and school talk in spoken French.
Skill 2.1
Reading school documents
I can read school documents like a supply list and pull out what I need.
Skill 2.2
Parler de mon école
Talking about school subjects
I can name school subjects and talk about my school day in structured French.
Skill 2.3
Labelling a school floor plan
I can label a school floor plan in written French.
Skill 2.4
The official wording · 4 outcomes
- 2.1
- understand a classroom command
- 2.2
- understand a list of required school supplies
- 2.3
- identify a number of subjects taught at the school
- 2.4
- label a school floor plan
Key ideas
Commands come in a small set that repeats daily: Ouvrez vos livres, Écoutez, Levez la main, Asseyez-vous — learn the set, own the classroom.
The subjects kit: les mathématiques, les sciences, le français, l'anglais, l'éducation physique, les études sociales.
Catch the VERB first — it carries the instruction; the rest refines it.
Opinion frames make it yours: Ma matière préférée, c'est… / J'aime… mais je n'aime pas…
School-document vocabulary: les fournitures scolaires (supplies), un cahier, une trousse, des ciseaux, l'horaire (timetable).
Watch out for
- Translating every word of an instruction instead of catching the action verb.
- Translating subject names word-for-word ("les études sociales", not "les sociales études" — adjective order).
- Confusing écoutez (listen) and écrivez (write) — near-twins with different jobs.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 2 skills
Les gens autour de moi
Ma famille et mes amis
Understanding talk about people
I can understand spoken French about people — who they are, their age and profession.
Skill 3.1
Describing people
I can describe people orally with colour, physical traits and qualities (les yeux verts; il est mince; elle est sympathique).
Skill 3.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 3.1
- identify a family member, his/her profession and his/her age
- 3.2
- name, list, describe, ask and answer questions, give simple directions, indicate basic needs or preferences orally
Key ideas
The family kit: la mère, le père, le frère, la sœur, les grands-parents, l'oncle, la tante.
People-facts pattern: name + relation + age + job — C'est ma tante. Elle a quarante ans. Elle est médecin.
The describing kit: eyes/hair colours (les yeux verts, les cheveux blonds), build (grand, petit, mince), qualities (sympathique, drôle, gentil).
Adjectives agree: il est grand / elle est grandE; and most colour+trait adjectives FOLLOW the noun (les yeux verts).
Watch out for
- Missing that professions drop the article (Elle est médecin, not "un médecin" here).
- Confusing beau-père (stepfather/father-in-law) family terms with beau = handsome.
- Putting the adjective before the noun English-style ("les verts yeux" ✗ — les yeux verts).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 2 skills
La météo
Quel temps fait-il ?
Understanding a weather report
I can understand a spoken French weather report — conditions and temperatures.
Skill 4.1
Describing the weather
I can describe the weather and the seasons of a French-speaking place.
Skill 4.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 4.1
- identify the general weather conditions for the day, or the morning and evening temperatures mentioned in a radio broadcast
- 4.2
- describe the seasonal weather for a French-speaking area of the world
Key ideas
The conditions kit: il fait beau/mauvais/froid/chaud, il pleut (raining), il neige (snowing), il y a du vent/du soleil.
Temperatures anchor the report: moins dix (−10), zéro, vingt degrés — catch the numbers and the day is decoded.
Season frames: en hiver / au printemps / en été / en automne + il fait…
Places give it purpose: describe the seasonal weather of a Francophone place (En hiver à Québec, il fait très froid et il neige).
Watch out for
- Missing moins (minus) and reading −10 as 10 — in Alberta that matters!
- Confusing il pleut (rain) and il neige (snow) under fast speech — anchor both.
- Using à with seasons ("à hiver" ✗ — en hiver, au printemps; the pair must be memorized).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 5 · 2 skills
Fêtes et célébrations
Les fêtes
Reading invitations and celebration texts
I can read an invitation or celebration text and find the date, time and place.
Skill 5.1
Writing about holiday traditions
I can describe holiday traditions in written French.
Skill 5.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 5.1
- identify the date, time and place of a party in an invitation
- 5.2
- describe holiday traditions
Key ideas
Invitations answer three questions: quand (le 3 juin), à quelle heure (à 15 h), où (chez Sophie) — scan for them.
Celebration texts add the what and how: le nom de la fête, where, when and how it is celebrated.
The traditions frame: Pour [la fête], nous + verb — Pour Noël, nous mangeons un grand repas. On donne des cadeaux.
On is the easy "we/people": On chante. On décore la maison.
Watch out for
- Reading French dates backwards (le 3 juin = June 3rd — day first).
- Missing chez (at someone's place) — two letters that carry the whole location.
- Conjugating on as plural ("on chantent" ✗ — on takes the il/elle form: on chante).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 6 · 2 skills
Le français au Canada et dans le monde
Où parle-t-on français ?
Where French is spoken
I can identify where French is spoken in Canada and the world, and where Francophone education exists.
Skill 6.1
Comparing ways of life
I can compare ways of life across cultures — weather proverbs, and the school day in Canada versus France.
Skill 6.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 6.1
- identify geographical areas where French is spoken in Canada and other parts of the world
- 6.2
- compare and contrast weather proverbs in English and in French
Key ideas
The Francophone map: in Canada (Québec, parts of New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta's francophone communities) and worldwide (France, Belgique, Sénégal, Haïti…).
French education is available here: Francophone schools in Alberta, la Faculté Saint-Jean in Edmonton, l'Université Laval, l'Université d'Ottawa.
Proverbs carry culture: French and English both read the sky (Après la pluie, le beau temps ≈ every cloud has a silver lining) — comparing them shows how cultures think.
Same institutions, different rhythms: many French schools have no class Wednesday afternoon — comparing school days reveals culture in the everyday.
Watch out for
- Thinking French in Canada = Québec only (New Brunswick is officially bilingual; Alberta has francophone communities and schools).
- Thinking French is a Europe-only language (Africa has more French speakers than Europe).
- Judging differences as wrong instead of reading them as culture ("no school Wednesday afternoon" isn't laziness — it's a different rhythm).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Plan the term
Pick your term and the days you study. Each unit gets its share of the weeks and comes back a week later for a review. The last two weeks go over the whole course.
The official curriculum
This page follows Alberta’s own curriculum for French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program).
Study it in MapleMind
MapleMind teaches French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program) one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.
Course Companion
Your year in one workbook
A fun way to keep French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program) organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.
- Pages
- 34
- Fillable fields
- 1,357
- Price
- $4.99
Questions about French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program)
What is French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program)?
Alberta’s Grade 7 French course: 6 units and 20 skills, from La boîte à outils — Grade 7 Foundations to Le français au Canada et dans le monde.
What units are in French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program)?
1. La boîte à outils — Grade 7 Foundations, 2. L'école, 3. Les gens autour de moi, 4. La météo, 5. Fêtes et célébrations and 6. Le français au Canada et dans le monde.
Is there a provincial exam for French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program)?
No. Alberta gives no provincial exam for French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program).
What comes after French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program)?
French as a Second Language 8 (Nine-Year Program).
Can MapleMind help with French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program)?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program), step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.
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