Courses

Nova Scotia · Grade 5

Core French, Grade 5

Nova Scotia’s Grade 5 French course, from Oral Communication to Writing.

Learn thisPractice test
Units
3
Lessons
5
Skills
13
Provincial exam
None
Official curriculum
Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

Unit by unit

Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.

Unit 1 · 6 skills

Oral Communication

Saying More and Listening for Meaning

  • Speaking in connected sentences

    I can speak two connected sentences in French about myself, joining ideas with 'et' (and) or 'mais' (but).

    1.1

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  • Listening actively for meaning

    I can listen to a short spoken French message and respond with a short sentence, relying less on pictures than in Grade 4.

    1.2

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Getting Useful Info, Smoother Speech, and Describing More

  • Selecting useful information

    I can listen in a short French conversation and pick out two useful pieces of information, such as a name AND a favourite activity.

    1.3

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  • Building oral fluency

    I can keep a short back-and-forth French conversation going smoothly, without long pauses.

    1.4

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  • Speaking accurately

    I can speak familiar French correctly and self-correct simple mistakes, like negation ('ne...pas') and plural 'les'.

    1.5

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  • Describing my world with detail

    I can describe a familiar topic from my life in several French sentences, adding a detail and a simple opinion.

    1.6

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The official wording · 6 outcomes
1.1
communicate orally in French
1.2
communicate orally in French in a variety of authentic situations
1.3
communicate orally in French in a variety of authentic situations
1.4
communicate orally in French
1.5
communicate orally in French in a variety of authentic situations
1.6
communicate orally in French in a variety of authentic situations

Key ideas

  1. Connectors join ideas: 'et' = and, 'mais' = but, 'parce que' = because.

  2. Hold two details at once: who + what they like.

  3. 'J'aime le soccer et j'aime la lecture.' links two likes.

  4. Listen across two sentences, not just one.

  5. 'mais' shows a contrast: 'J'aime les chats mais je prefere les chiens.'.

Watch out for

  • Using 'et' where 'mais' is needed for a contrast.
  • Catching only the first detail and missing the second.
  • Making one long run-on instead of two clear joined sentences.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 2 · 4 skills

Reading, Listening & Viewing

Reading Longer French Texts

  • Making meaning from a longer text

    I can understand a short French story with several sentences, and tell its beginning, middle, and end.

    2.1

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  • Using more reading strategies

    I can combine reading strategies - using context, cognates, subtitles, and rereading - to understand a new French text.

    2.2

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Reading Aloud and Acadian Celebrations

  • Reading aloud with expression

    I can read a familiar French text aloud with expression, saying trickier sounds and liaisons correctly.

    2.3

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  • Acadian celebrations in Nova Scotia

    I can describe how Acadians in Nova Scotia celebrate their culture - the fete nationale de l'Acadie and the tintamarre - and name more Acadian regions.

    2.4

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The official wording · 4 outcomes
2.1
read, listen to and view a range of French texts
2.2
read, listen to and view a range of French texts in a variety of authentic situations
2.3
read, listen to and view a range of French texts
2.4
view a range of French texts in a variety of authentic situations

Key ideas

  1. Story shape: 'au debut' (at the beginning), 'au milieu' (in the middle), 'a la fin' (at the end).

  2. Liaison links words: 'nous allons' sounds like 'nou-z-allons'.

  3. Find the main idea AND a supporting detail: 'l'idee principale', 'un detail'.

  4. Trickier sounds: nasal 'an/en' (grand), 'gn' (montagne), 'oi' (moi).

  5. Reread a text more than once to deepen understanding (guide L427).

Watch out for

  • Retelling only the end and skipping the beginning/middle.
  • Ignoring liaisons so speech sounds choppy.
  • Confusing the main idea with a small detail.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 3 · 3 skills

Writing

Writing a Longer French Text

  • Writing a personal paragraph

    I can write a short French paragraph about a familiar topic, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, following a model.

    3.1

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  • Writing more fluently with variety

    I can make my French writing flow by varying my sentences - mixing short and longer ones and using connectors.

    3.2

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  • Revising for accuracy

    I can reread my French writing and fix simple agreement (gender/number) and present-tense verb mistakes.

    3.3

    Learn itPractice testActivities
The official wording · 3 outcomes
3.1
write texts in French in a variety of authentic situations
3.2
write texts in French
3.3
write texts in French in a variety of authentic situations

Key ideas

  1. A paragraph has an opening sentence, some middle detail sentences, and a closing sentence.

  2. Follow the model's structure but fill it with your own life.

  3. Connect sentences with et / mais / aussi.

  4. Stay on one familiar topic (my weekend, my pet, my family).

  5. Vary sentence length so writing isn't choppy.

Watch out for

  • Writing a list of unconnected sentences with no opening or closing.
  • Switching topics in the middle of the paragraph.
  • Writing every sentence the same short length.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

The official curriculum

This page follows Nova Scotia’s own curriculum for Core French, Grade 5.

Core French 4-6 OutcomesNova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development · curriculum.novascotia.ca · Read August 1, 2026

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches Core French, Grade 5 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.

Citizenship 9 in the MapleMind app on a tablet: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their starsCitizenship 9 in the MapleMind app on a phone: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their stars
Pictured: Citizenship 9, another Nova Scotia course, partway through Unit 2.

Practise it

Course Companion

Your year in one workbook

A fun way to keep Core French, Grade 5 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
23
Fillable fields
1,101
Price
$4.99
See the Course Companion

Questions about Core French, Grade 5

What is Core French, Grade 5?

Nova Scotia’s Grade 5 French course: 3 units and 13 skills, from Oral Communication to Writing.

What units are in Core French, Grade 5?

1. Oral Communication, 2. Reading, Listening & Viewing and 3. Writing.

Is there a provincial exam for Core French, Grade 5?

No. Nova Scotia gives no provincial exam for Core French, Grade 5.

What comes after Core French, Grade 5?

Core French, Grade 6.

Can MapleMind help with Core French, Grade 5?

Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Core French, Grade 5, 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.

Before this course

After this course

Get ready for Core French, Grade 5

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