I possess many outside-of-school experiences that have deepened my French content knowledge. One of the most poignant of these experiences was living and studying in Paris in the Summer of 2007 through UCLA's Travel Study Paris session. Actually being immersed in the dialect and practicing my language with native speakers truly enhanced my listening comprehension and oral production skills of the language. My experience in Paris also awakened me to the culture of Parisian natives and important French history, art, and food. Living in an actual francophone part of the world was paramount to me. It really catapulted my passion in teaching the French language and culture to my students. I continually emphasize to them that this greater francophone world does exist! (
Below: Enjoying Le Jour de Bastille under the Eiffel Tower, a blonde me in front of the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, and eating escargot in a quintessential French cafe.)
Our class discussion of Deborah Ball's "The Subject Matter Preparation of Teachers" really opened my thoughts about what is necessary in learning to teach the subject matter one is supposed to have mastery of. I really appreciated Tammy's comment regarding additional schooling to be a teacher of subject matter - is it really a viable suggestion to require additional teacher-training and education in subject matter when most teachers' salaries cannot afford the tuition and time off of continuing education? Tom also made an interesting comment about the perception of the teacher in the United States - if we were to add years to our education in mastering our subjects, would this change society's perception of us? Would we suddenly be as revered as professionals of other extensively-schooled fields, such as doctors? Would we now have more respect as academic scholars, like teachers in some other parts of the world?
In developing my inquiry, I have narrowed my topic to French/Francophone Cinema, but have not necessarily developed a clear question.
Some possibilities: What can francophone cinema teach to a high school audience that the textbook cannot? What are the benefits of showing and studying francophone cinema in the high-school level classroom? What films or film clips can I use to emphasize/reinforce vocabulary being taught in-class?
For experiential evidence, I have at least
five experiences planned:
1) Visiting the San Francisco Film Society and possibly viewing a contemporary French film while there,
2) Interviewing a faculty member of UC Berkeley's film department, particularly someone who specializes in French film,
3) Visiting the Pacific Film Archives in Berkeley, CA,
4) Viewing "Les Intouchables," a contemporary French film about modern-day Paris and race relations,
5) Viewing 2-3 other francophone films and listing the themes of educational value that are present. If I can follow through successfully with all of these experiential plans, I think I will have an interesting and rewarding product at the end of this program.
SEE MY COMMENTS FOR COLLEAGUES:
Yadira Zapata -
unahistoriadeunamaestra.blogspot.com
Mike Rose -
Mikejas.blogspot.com
Juliana Wegher -
masterbloggersmc.blogspot.com
Alana,
ReplyDeleteI think that you have one of the most interesting topics for your capstone project. I took a course on Italian cinema when I was in college and not only did i love the films that i was exposed to, but it completely changed my understanding of the language. I honestly dont think that teachers use foreign films as teaching resources in foreign language nearly enough, and I am very excited to see how your students respond!
Alana, just like you I too had an experience abroad that truly ignited my passion for teaching a world language, and all it entails. It is something I only hope my students get to experience some day too.
ReplyDeleteI also think you really narrowed in on great comments made in class in regards to the Ball article. The discussion did made me wonder if the perception of teachers can be changed, and what can(feasibly) be accomplished to do so? Is it more schooling? Is is more specialization? I know that in Taiwan (where my friend currently teaches English) a teacher can make the same salary as a doctor. It really puts things into perspective.
Alana, I am so glad that you uploaded pictures of your experiences! I can see how studying abroad would really heighten your knowledge of the language and culture. Although teachers or students alike may not have the opportunity to study abroad, it serves as a great reminder that there are many outside resources available in the Bay Area. We live in such a rich part of the world as far as culture goes and it is a shame that many teachers do not have the opportunities or funds to share these experiences with their students.
ReplyDeleteI think your inquiry question proves to be one that will both enhance the techniques you use as far as cinema in the classroom. But, I also think that along your research journey you will learn much about the effects of movies and cinema in the classroom. We live in a technology driven world with students who love anything electronic. There are many amazing films and documentaries that can be utilized in any subject. I am excited to see where your project takes you and cannot wait to hear more about it!
I think French films is a great topic for your research. I think that exposing students to films they would never seek out yet actually enjoy after watching is hitting a home run. There are some real good ones out there that give a great insight into French culture. Also, watching the film with English subtitles could reinforce their language acquisition.
ReplyDeleteAlana,
ReplyDeleteI think you're topic will be so beneficial for both your own research of French film and your future students. I also considered a similar topic on using Mexican and Spanish film in the classroom. I took a Mexican film class in college in which we researched and watched films from the silent film era up through "Amores Perros" and contemporary Mexican cinema. We examined how the Mexican culture portrayed in films related to what was historically taking place at the time. We also examined more specific aspects of Mexican film, like the role of women in Mexican society. It gave me a great reference for teaching.
I also think it would be interesting to study the language in foreign films, like accent, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and the relationship between language an culture.
Or, as other people have commented above, researching the benefits and possible disadvantages to watching film as second language learners would be interesting. You could research how L2 learners orally process that language through film, and how hearing native speakers affects their acquisition of the language.
Hey there Alana. First I want to start by saying that this research and development seems like such an awesome idea! Incorporating film in any subject can be a great way for students to really make connections between the subject matter and their own lives.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have a really good idea of where you want to go with your research topic and it seems that you are very passionate about it. In what way do you plan on teaching this subject? Would it be incorporated in a French class or would be a be a separate class like an elective? Also, would it be for more advanced French students or could anyone take this class?
I am also very interested to see how you implement the films into your curriculum. This is something that I want to do in developing my history curriculum. Let me know how it goes.
-Lauren Lahey
Alana,
ReplyDeleteAs stated in my previous correspondence with you, I am intrigued by your research area and am eager to hear about your progress. And, I think Lauren's comment about a potential French Cinema elective could be another avenue to explore!