I teach French language courses and more specialized French courses. F101 through F202 (Introductory and Intermediate French courses) are language courses. So, too, are French Conversation (F321/421), French Grammar and Composition (F320/420), French pronunciation (F328). I also teach French literature (F314, F325, F326, F425, F426), civilization (F323), business French (F331), all of which are more than language courses.
As for French language courses, I consider it important to present French as a living language with a distinguished history. It is spoken in many parts of the world, and admiration for the sound of French seems to be nearly universal. For such language courses it strikes me as essential to cultivate skills in understanding the spoken and written language, as well as the active skills in expressing oneself orally and in writing. I am convinced of the value of teaching French as a vehicle of communication. French, as with all vernaculars, developed and continues to develop in particular settings and cultures. Even in Introductory French, learning about the cultures in which it is spoken is rewarding and even essential for a just appreciation of the communicative process of the language. "Bonjour," for instance, is not just "hello." It is also accompanied by a handshake, maybe even a kiss.
Students learning a living language need direct contact with the language. Resources providing nearly authentic contact are both multiple and multiplying, thanks in part to electronic / digital delivery systems and their intelligent application to FL teaching and learning. The teacher is only one resource among many, and provides the essential link between FL learners and the other resources. Regardless of level of course, I deliberately stress the resources available to students and emphasize the need for interaction on the part of each learner with the resources.
Acquiring proficiency at any level in French as a vehicle of communication comes only with repetition, practice, patience, review, fumbling, succeeding and only over a substantial period of time. It is, for example, nearly impossible to "cram" for an exam in F101-202.
For French 101, for instance, speaking is high on the list of objectives, whereas writing is ranked nearly last. The quizzes and exams provide outcomes for the class and individuals that permit one to know whether the objectives will be achieved by the course's end. Because speaking is a top priority, each student has an interview as part of each of three major exams, one-on-one with the instructor. The exams assess achievement of the objectives, that is to say, the level of the various skills and knowledge of language specific culture.
Since it is impossible to develop all language skills uniformly at the same rate, I provide a prioritized list of objectives.
These same courses satisfy general education requirements. Many enroll in F101-202 only for that reason, and there is nothing wrong with that. Nevertheless, some enroll who continue with French; many even complete a major or minor after beginning French at WKU. Since students sometimes decide to continue with the language immediately or later, I teach these courses in such a way as to prepare a solid basis in French from which they can proceed fully prepared. I list sincerely among the objectives of all language courses: "Preparation: become prepared linguistically to take more advanced French."
Indeed, one of my chief responsibilities as a teacher of undergraduates, I believe, is to provide all students with a strong foundation that they can successfully build upon in the event that they decide to take more French later. That might mean the following semester or it might mean fifteen years later. I want students to have a sense of how to continue with their study of the language in a future course or quite on the student's own.
The more specialized, higher level French courses like literature, civilization, business French, and even internships are also steeped in culture and in language. These courses I described above as "more" than language courses. Yet they are still language courses as I teach them. For literature, students are required to present orally and to write -- in French. In F331, to give another example, business French, students learn more about communication, involving both culture and language, perhaps than about business in France. Here too, the key for me is to provide the learner with the best recourses available. The resources include textbooks, handouts, assignments, Internet sites, past quizzes and exams, class meetings, and my office hours or other out of class assistance. Increasingly I have recourse to interactive and multimedia based activities and exercises, either as supplemental practice with and exposure to French or as an integral component of class activities. These resources exist for all courses I teach and are posted on my website. For particular courses, there may be in addition, special resources I make available or recommend.
The advanced courses that are more than language courses have their own individual objectives. In all, however, students are challenged to think critically, to express themselves persuasively, and to teach classmates via exposés and class discussions.
For each such course, the assessments cover the objectives specific to each course, as stated in the course syllabus, as well as advanced language communication skills.
I treat all students fairly without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability or any other potentially distinguishing index, and would invite any student to challenge me, or call to my attention any such unfairness of which I may not be aware.
Nathan Love |