Not an Extravagance: Reflections on Using French Texts to Teach French History

Under the umbrella of Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum (FLAC), a longstanding interdisciplinary program at our institution, a French historian and a French faculty member have collaborated in the development and teaching of a French language component for a survey course in modern French History. In this article, we outline the institutional and departmental contexts for the creation of French FLAC in History, offer advice on the selection of appropriate original-language texts, share samples of learning aids, and offer reflection on the long-term contributions of FLAC to student learning and the vitality of our French and History programs.