Two diplomas
French Baccalaureate – German Abitur
One exam : the ABIBAC
Who is this exam targeting?
- The students whose level of German is good, but they don’t necessarily have to be excellent to join that Abibac section, since the first year (Year 10) aims to brush up their German and give them a chance to improve it.
- Motivated, open-minded students with a desire to improve their German.
- Students with an interest in German culture
- The students who want to give their studies an international dimension
Studying in the Abibac Section
YEAR 10:
German will be your first foreign language (not English) – 6 hours a week
Within the framework of a syllabus that has been agreed on by both State Education Authorities, the students consolidate what they studied before entering Lycée (High School). They take to reading complete works written in German little by little.
History and geography are taught in German – 4 hours a week
The syllabus resumes the major themes tackled in the French syllabus. It is more particularly meant to assimilate the pointed vocabulary of that school subject and be progressively able to grasp the methods used to explain documents
YEARS 11 and 12
The students follow the study path that they have chosen in the three general streams of education (L – ES or S) but 10 hours a week, all the Abibac students will be withdrawn from their different streams and be put together to follow the lessons in German that are particular to this Abibac section.
German language and literature – 6 hours a week
This course is aimed at studying complete works of German literature as well as studying the civilization of German speaking countries. One book is compulsory, namely Top Dogs by Urs Widmer, a Swiss German-speaking writer (on the curriculum in 2011,2012,1013)
History and Geography taught in German – 4 hours a week
The syllabus resumes the major chapters of the French curriculum but has been agreed on by both Authorities, the French Ministère de l’Education Nationale and its German counterpart from the Land of Baden Württemberg) The French board proposes the History curriculum while the German board proposes the Geography curriculum.
As of Year 11, students will be prepared for the written exams.
The exam
The students will sit for all the various exams of the French “baccalauréat” that are included within the streams they have initially chosen, except for the papers of German as a first foreign language and History and Geography (set in the same exam in France) which will be different and more specific to this section.
Future career paths
In a Europe, where 95 million people speak German, finding a job , for those who have a good command of German and who are familiar with German-speaking civilizations, is a reality.
Abibac makes it possible for young graduates to carry on their Higher Education in Germany without havint to take any entry test.
Abibac allows to follow a degree course at university valid in either country within the framework of UFA, the Franco-German university.
Exchanges and partnerships
In Year 10, students may decide to take part in the VOLTAIRE exchange programme with a young German youth. It involves a 6 months’ exchange in Germany. Brigitte Sauzay exchange programme involves an 8 months’ stay in Germany.
Lycée DARCHICOURT also has had a sister school since September 2010. “Hansfurler Gymnasium” in Oberkirch, in Baden-Würtemberg. Both schools will cooperate and organize meeting sessions.