Creative Approaches to Teaching French and Francophone Culture Remotely

In second-language programs at all levels, instructors strive to make their students proficient not only in using the language they are studying but also in understanding the culture of the speakers of that language. The ACTFL guidelines call for students who can function situationally at appropriate levels for their stage of learning, including exhibiting a cultural awareness of and appreciation for the diverse speakers who use this language. Contemporary textbooks reflect these guidelines by including lessons which focus not only on the home country of the language (French/France; Spanish/Spain; Chinese/China) but also on the multiple areas of the world where this language is the common unifying factor. This enables the second-language learner to use newly acquired language skills in a correct and culturally appropriate manner.

However, there is a significant population of students who are excluded from acquiring this knowledge simply because they are not studying a second language. In an effort to reach these students, the English and Modern Language Studies Department at Pace University has developed a series of hybrid courses which they call 'culture' courses. These courses are taught in English. The content focuses on exploring different elements of the culture—both capital C and small c—of a country whose primary language is not English. While it is hoped that this type of course will encourage language study, it is also seen as a way to enhance students' understanding of and appreciation for divergent ways of thinking and working in a global environment.

Though Pace offers culture courses in Spanish and Latin American Studies, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Russian cultures, this discussion will explore in detail several French culture courses offered to undergraduates at any point in their studies. These courses are primarily taught online, usually asynchronously, thereby allowing the student to work at a pace which corroborates with their busy academic schedule or work commitments. In the current pandemic, effective online courses are especially needed. The course can also be taught in the face-to-face or hybrid format (a mix of remote and on-site) with some adjustments to the content or schedule. Using a variety of sources, including film, fiction, non-fiction and internet, the syllabus for each French culture course allows the student to explore differing aspects of contemporary French and Francophone culture through the voices of important contemporary authors, directors, or experts in the field. Read in translation or viewed with subtitles, the texts and films chosen present many of the contemporary concerns of the French-speaking world as interpreted by those who know it best.

The origin of the culture course at Pace dates back to pre-digital times when students unable to take a language course could fulfill the Second Language Requirement by taking two culture courses. Though created by necessity, the culture course has evolved into an integral and well-liked offering, and has moved largely to an online delivery modality. French and Francophone culture courses that have been taught remotely include these diverse offerings: The Second Sex: Images of Women in French Literature and Film; A Different Voice: Francophone Women Writers; The French-Speaking World Seen Through Its Films; Yé Cric!: Francophone Voices of the Caribbean; Paris: The City of Light in Film and Fiction; Our Northern Neighbors: French Literature of Québec.

Under Pace's current Core Curriculum, culture courses fulfill all or some of these areas: Western Heritage; World Traditions and Cultures; Humanistic and Creative Expressions. Additionally, many culture courses are "writing enhanced," another Core Curriculum requirement. Writing enhanced courses require an effective amount of writing to help students learn course content. Writing is evaluated, along with content, based on evaluative criteria from a rubric. Online courses are ideal for writing, as virtually all student products in the remote classroom are written. The University Writing Center provides tutoring support to students, and is available virtually, as well as on campus.

Enrollments in online culture courses are capped at twenty students to allow for substantial interaction between the instructor and the student, and for the entire class, to get to know one...