Lower School FRENCH with Madame Hutson
Bonjour et Bienvenue! Hello and welcome to the Lower School French Program. I am your child’s French teacher, Mrs. Kathy Hutson, a.k.a. “Madame Hutson.” This is my eighth year teaching French at LCDS, and the program grows richer each year. I have seen returning students grow physically, academically and emotionally, and this is a great reward for me. I am excited to see new faces and looking forward to introducing them to the beautiful French language and its associated cultures. I look forward to another great year with all the children as we explore new areas of French language and cultures.
About me….
I am a graduate of George Mason University, and a native of Iran. My first language was Farsi, my second language English, and my third language French. For someone who learned another language out of necessity, I have discovered the broad spectrum of exchanges learning languages can provide. After spending my senior year in Paris as an undergraduate, I discovered many of my strengths, which ironically for a shy child, were in communication and cultural understanding. I look forward to helping develop an interest in cultures other than their own, and inspire them to become global citizens. My wish is that students and parents alike find the same joy and gratification in languages and cultures that I have.
Overview of Program
The Lower School French program is a progressive track of study that enables children to hone their language skills with developmentally appropriate materials, methods and activities. There are two main objectives in the Lower School French Program. One objective is to foster appreciation of the French language and French-speaking cultures to enable students to respect and accept diverse peoples, experiences and environments with confidence and self-reliance. The program also aims to take advantage of young children’s ability to develop native or near-native accents by emphasizing speaking and pronunciation skills, which students can transfer to many other languages.
To develop French Language skills, the program emphasizes speaking, listening and comprehension. To provide a positive experience with foreign languages, PK, JK, K and 1st grade students are instructed primarily through role-playing, movement games and hands-on activities. Second and third graders engage in simple reading and writing activities in preparation for more formal writing and reading in the 4th and 5th grades, making a natural progression to the Upper School program. In addition 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders engage in speaking activities commensurate with their abilities. Students in all grades engage in a variety of games and activities to accommodate various learning styles. At all grade levels, children are exposed to pictures, stories and films from a variety of French-speaking cultures to foster an appreciation for world cultures and languages. In addition, geography and map skills are an integral part of cultural lessons.
Mme. Hutson
kathy.hutson@lcds.org
703-777-3841
