The responsibility of a teacher is to help students appreciate and respect difference as they encounter the unfamiliar, all the while recognizing the universality that binds the human experience. As a teacher of language and literature, my main objective is to unlock opportunities for my students to encounter different ways to see, understand and live in a diverse but interconnected world.
When I teach a beginning language course in French, on the first day of class, I ask my students to reflect on how many countries have the language as an official language and to provide me with an estimate of how many people speak French in the world. Although most undergraduates are well aware of the global dimension of French, there is always someone in the class who is surprised that the course will not be entirely anchored on France and its culture. I welcome this opportunity to address the complexities at the heart of the francophone world. This usually brings to light the important ways in which different regions are linked despite geographical distances, and how current flows of people and ideas continue to impact language not just in the Francophone countries but also in the rest of the world.
I design language courses based on a communicative approach and divide class time into group activities devoted to speaking and writing. Making an effort to partner students with someone different each time, I foster an environment where collaboration multiplies the opportunities for learning. I have witnessed how much students who master the differences between passé composé and imparfait, for example, enjoy sharing their understanding with those who have not, and I make use of this natural inclination to reinforce the skills of advanced students and to give slower learners a chance to keep pace with the class.
Technology plays an important role in the way I plan my classes. When introducing vocabulary on education for instance, we explore French university websites to compare their course offerings and organization. Students are then assigned to research on their own particular questions to later present them to the class. When we discuss texts, blogs allow us to continue and deepen the exchanges outside the classroom. This prolonged sharing of ideas renders them more meaningful in the student’s lives and gives me an indication on whether they understand the material.
When it comes to literature, I think it is important to allow students to have a personal encounter with texts before providing context or exposing them to secondary material that may limit their readings. This is not just for the benefit of the students, but also for my own benefit: my understanding of texts is enriched through teaching. While leading a discussion on Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, I inadvertently suggested that a few of the issues raised by the French philosopher were perhaps no longer as relevant in today’s world. Not only was I challenged by a student who proposed that women’s situation was even more difficult in the present day since we assume that gender inequality has been eliminated, but I was made to see the ever-growing pressures experienced by younger generations of women. This experience allowed me to see my own blind spots in regards to gender issues and confirmed the ways in which great works continuously summon us to examine our ideas. To encourage students to connect to the materials and to make them meaningful in their own lives, I ask them to maintain a reading journal for every assigned text and submit discussion questions before class.
The study of languages and literature is the crucible within which students explore the construction of meaning, understand their traditions, analyze discourse and learn to make sound arguments. While they discover that no answer is ever final and recognize ambiguity, they become better prepared to accept difference and carry out civil discussions. In short, it teaches them to question what it means to be human and to live in the world.
