British Columbia · Grade 9
Core French 9
British Columbia’s Grade 9 French course, from Listening and Viewing with Intent to Cultural Identity From a New Perspective.
- Units
- 5
- Lessons
- 13
- Skills
- 18
- Provincial exam
- None
- Official curriculum
- Province of British Columbia
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.
Unit 1 · 3 skills
Listening and Viewing with Intent
French Letter Patterns and Pronunciation
Same-sound letter groupings and rhyming words
I can recognize French letter groupings that make the same sound and use rhyming words to read new words aloud.
Skill 1.1
Consistently-pronounced letter patterns
I can recognize French letter patterns that always sound the same way, plus silent letters, liaisons, and élisions, and use them to read new words aloud.
Skill 1.2
Elements of Common Types of Texts
Recognizing elements of common types of texts
I can recognize how common types of French texts differ in format, audience, register, and purpose.
Skill 1.3
The official wording · 3 outcomes
- 1.1
- French letter patterns
- 1.2
- French letter patterns
- 1.3
- elements of common types of texts
Key ideas
Several different letter groupings all make the same 'oh' sound: au (chaud), aux (chevaux), eau (beau), ô (hôtel), os (gros) — spelled differently, pronounced the same.
Different text types have different jobs and looks: une annonce (ad) sells or informs quickly with bold words and prices; un texto/message is short and informal; un article gives facts in paragraphs with a headline.
Rhyming words share their ending sound even when spelled differently — beau, chaud, and eau all rhyme, which is a fast way to guess a new word's pronunciation.
Register shifts with audience and purpose: a text to a friend uses tu and casual words; a formal letter uses vous and more careful sentences.
Some letter patterns are always pronounced the same way: ai (mais), gn (montagne), -ille (fille), -ment (rapidement), oi (moi), th (théâtre), -tion (attention), ui (lui).
Watch out for
- Assuming a word must be spelled the same way to rhyme with another (missing that au, eau, ô, and os can all sound alike).
- Assuming all French texts read the same way regardless of purpose (treating an ad like a formal article).
- Reading 'au' or 'eau' as two separate vowel sounds instead of one blended 'oh' sound, the way English often does with vowel pairs.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 11 skills
Meaningful Conversations
Present-Tense Statements
Describing what happens now
I can use the present tense to describe what is happening now or what happens regularly.
Skill 2.1
Talking About the Past
Talking about the past with the passé composé
I can use the passé composé to talk about what already happened.
Skill 2.2
Talking About the Future
Talking about the future with the futur proche
I can use the futur proche to talk about what is going to happen.
Skill 2.3
Asking Questions
Asking yes/no questions by intonation and with est-ce que
I can ask yes/no questions in French by intonation and with est-ce que.
Skill 2.4
Asking questions by inversion and with interrogative words
I can ask questions in French by inversion and with interrogative words like Comment, Où, and Pourquoi.
Skill 2.5
Describing and Comparing
Describing items, people, places, and personal interests
I can describe items, people, places, and my own interests with real detail.
Skill 2.6
Making comparisons and contrasts
I can make comparisons and contrasts using plus que, aussi que, moins que, plus de, autant de, and moins de.
Skill 2.7
Sequencing Events and Expressing Needs
Recounting sequences of events with connectors
I can recount sequences of events using connectors like premièrement, ensuite, and finalement.
Skill 2.8
Expressing simple needs
I can express simple needs and wants in everyday situations.
Skill 2.9
Opinions and Cultural Vocabulary
Giving opinions about familiar topics
I can state and briefly support a personal opinion about a familiar topic.
Skill 2.10
Vocabulary for cultural aspects of communities
I can use vocabulary for cultural aspects of communities — celebrations, food, music, and traditions.
Skill 2.11
The official wording · 11 outcomes
- 2.1
- past, present, and future time frames
- 2.2
- past, present, and future time frames
- 2.3
- past, present, and future time frames
- 2.4
- intonated questions (e.g., Tu as faim?)
- 2.5
- inversion questions (e.g., As-tu faim?)
- 2.6
- descriptions of items, people, places, and personal interests
- 2.7
- comparisons and contrasts
- 2.8
- sequences of events
- 2.9
- simple needs
- 2.10
- opinions about familiar topics
- 2.11
- cultural aspects of communities
Key ideas
The present tense describes now or habitual actions: Elles ne sont pas à l'école aujourd'hui (they aren't at school today) — one time frame, one clear wording.
The passé composé = avoir or être (present tense) + past participle: J'ai étudié pour mon test hier soir.
The futur proche = aller (conjugated) + infinitive: Nous allons regarder un film demain.
The simplest yes/no question just raises your voice at the end of a statement — no words change: Tu as faim? (the curriculum's own example).
Description stacks: adjective + noun with correct agreement (un grand jardin, une grande maison) plus a reason or detail (parce que, avec, où).
Watch out for
- Splitting ne...pas incorrectly around the verb (ne mange pas ✗ placed wrong, or forgetting the ne entirely in writing).
- Using the present tense for something that already finished just because it feels simpler (hier je mange ✗ — hier signals passé composé: hier j'ai mangé).
- Conjugating the second verb after aller ('je vais regardes' ✗ — it must stay infinitive: je vais regarder).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 1 skill
Experiences and Perspectives Through Stories
Elements of Stories
Identifying the common elements of stories
I can identify the common elements of a story and use them to understand and retell it.
Skill 3.1
The official wording · 1 outcomes
- 3.1
- common elements of stories
Key ideas
Every story has the same bones: le lieu (place), les personnages (characters), le décor (setting), l'intrigue (plot), le problème (problem), and la résolution (how it's solved).
Finding these elements first makes the rest of the story easier to follow, even with unfamiliar words in between.
Watch out for
- Trying to understand every single word of a story before identifying the elements, instead of using the elements as an anchor first.
- Skipping the resolution and stopping at the problem, leaving the story feeling unfinished.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 2 skills
Francophone Creative Works and Cultures
Traditions and Cultural Practices
Traditions and cultural practices across Francophone regions
I can explore traditions and cultural practices found in various Francophone regions and describe what they mean to those communities.
Skill 4.1
Cultural Appropriation and Plagiarism
Ethics of cultural appropriation and plagiarism
I can explain what cultural appropriation and plagiarism are, and how to engage respectfully with a Francophone culture or creative work that is not my own.
Skill 4.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 4.1
- traditions and other cultural practices in various Francophone regions
- 4.2
- ethics of cultural appropriation and plagiarism
Key ideas
Francophone regions share a language but have distinct traditions: Noël (Christmas) in Québec, le Mardi gras (a pre-Lent carnival) in Louisiana, la St-Jean Baptiste (Québec's national holiday, June 24th).
Cultural appropriation means using a cultural motif, theme, image, story, song, or tradition — like the ones you just learned (Noël, le Mardi gras, la St-Jean Baptiste) — without permission, without the right context, or in a way that misrepresents the people it comes from.
A tradition's meaning comes from what it celebrates and how — not just its name: la St-Jean Baptiste celebrates Québécois culture and identity, not just a date on a calendar.
Plagiarism means presenting someone else's words, ideas, or creative work as your own, instead of giving credit to where it came from.
The respectful move in both cases is the same: give credit, ask when you're unsure, and use accurate context — not a costume version of a tradition, not someone else's project without their name on it.
Watch out for
- Assuming all Francophone regions share the same traditions just because they share the language.
- Thinking that learning ABOUT another culture (what this whole unit does) is the same thing as appropriating it — respectful, credited learning and sharing is the opposite of appropriation.
- Treating a tradition's date or name as its full meaning, without describing what it actually celebrates.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 5 · 1 skill
Cultural Identity From a New Perspective
Indigenous Communities and the French Language
Connections between indigenous communities and the French language
I can explore and share information about connections between indigenous communities and the French language.
Skill 5.1
The official wording · 1 outcomes
- 5.1
- Explore and share information about connections between indigenous communities and the French language
Key ideas
French is spoken in specific First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in Canada — for example, the Huron Wendake Nation, the Innu Nation, the Micmac Nation, and the Mohawk Nation in Quebec, and Métis communities in Baie St. Paul (MB), Fort Nelson (BC), and Île-à-la-Crosse (SK).
French-speaking indigenous communities also exist outside Canada, in places like the Gabonese Republic, Guiana, and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.
First Peoples writers in Quebec, including writers from the Innu Nation, have used French through prose and poetry to bring attention to the negative effects of colonization on their families and communities.
Watch out for
- Assuming French in Canada is only connected to European settler communities, missing that specific indigenous nations and Métis communities also speak French.
- Treating 'French-speaking indigenous community' as one single group, when named nations (Huron Wendake, Innu, Micmac, Mohawk) and Métis communities are each distinct.
- Assuming colonization is only a historical topic with no connection to present-day writing, missing that Innu writers use French today to address its ongoing effects.
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 British Columbia’s own curriculum for Core French 9.
Textbooks
In British Columbia, each school district chooses its own textbooks: the ministry no longer recommends them. The ministry’s page
Study it in MapleMind
MapleMind teaches Core French 9 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 Core French 9 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
- 33
- Fillable fields
- 1,286
- Price
- $4.99
Questions about Core French 9
What is Core French 9?
British Columbia’s Grade 9 French course: 5 units and 18 skills, from Listening and Viewing with Intent to Cultural Identity From a New Perspective.
What units are in Core French 9?
1. Listening and Viewing with Intent, 2. Meaningful Conversations, 3. Experiences and Perspectives Through Stories, 4. Francophone Creative Works and Cultures and 5. Cultural Identity From a New Perspective.
Is there a provincial exam for Core French 9?
No. British Columbia gives no provincial exam for Core French 9.
What textbook does Core French 9 use?
Each school district in British Columbia chooses its own textbooks, so ask your teacher which one your class uses.
What comes after Core French 9?
Core French 10.
Can MapleMind help with Core French 9?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Core French 9, 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.
Get ready for Core French 9
Practise every skill of Core French 9 in MapleMind, free with daily limits.
