Rethinking the French Classroom : New Approaches to Teaching Contemporary French and Francophone Women

This volume investigates how teaching practices can address the changing status of literature in the French classroom. Focusing on how women writing in French are changing the face of French Studies, opening the canon to not only new approaches to gender but to genre, expanding interdisciplinary studies and aiding scholars to rethink the teaching of literature, each chapter provides concrete strategies useful to a wide variety of classrooms and institutional contexts. Essays address how to bring French Studies and women’s and gender studies into the twenty-first century through intersections of autobiography, gender issues and technology; ways to introduce beginning and intermediate students to the rich diversity of women writing in French; strategies for teaching postcolonial writing and literary theory; and interdisciplinary approaches to expand our student audiences in the United States, Canada, or abroad. In short, revisiting how we teach, why we teach, and what we teach through the prism of women’s texts and lives while raising issues that affect cisgender women of the Hexagon, queer and other-gendered women, immigrants and residents of the postcolony attracts more openly diverse students. Whether new to the profession or seasoned educators, faculty will find new ideas to invigorate and diversify their pedagogical approaches. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 List of contributors 9 Acknowledgments 13 Introduction 16 PART I: Exploring Identities/Exploring the Self: French Literature and Women’s Studies in the Twenty-First Century 24 1. Why Teach (French) (Women’s) Literature? 26 Why Study Literature? 27 Why Study Literature in French? 28 Why Study Women’s Literature in French? 31 Coda 32 Notes 32 References 33 2. Fractured Families: Program Growth through Innovative Teaching of French and Francophone Women’s Autobiographies 34 Why Fractured Families? 35 Notes 39 References 40 3. Worldwide Women Writers and the Web: Diversity and Digital Pedagogy 42 The Person behind the Text: Image and Intonation 42 Cultural Differences: Reading the Other 43 Learning the Language: From Text to Screen 44 Literature as a Response to Human Experience: Genre 46 Literature as a Response to Human Experience: Activism 47 Juxtapositions: Diversity and Proximity 48 Note 49 References 49 4. “Representing the Self ”: Contemporary French Lit Meets the Twenty-First-Century Student 50 The Reading List: Pros and Cons of Student Choice 51 Assessment: Group, Objective, Individual, and Creative Assignments 53 Looking Back, Moving Forward 55 Notes 56 References 56 PART II: New Beginnings, New Horizons: Women Writers in Beginning and Intermediate French Classes 58 5. Teaching French and Francophone Women Authors Online 60 Changing Perceptions 60 Idea for the Course 61 Course Development 62 Description of the Course and the Students 62 Discussion Threads 63 Conclusion 64 Notes 64 Appendix: Course Units, Readings, and Lectures 65 References 66 6. Integrating Women’s Voices and Contemporary Cultural Materials through E-journaling 68 Approaching Culture 68 Engaging Students through E-journaling 69 Integrating Women’s Voices 71 Learning Outcomes of E-journaling 73 Notes 74 References 74 E-journal Resources 74 7. Linking Beginner and Advanced Language Learners through Images of Women 76 Preliminary Considerations: The Gap in Contemporary Language Teaching 77 Textual Possibilities for the Advanced Literature Class 78 Coming Full Circle: Connecting Advanced and Beginner Learners 80 Notes 82 References 82 8. Building Bridges from Language to Civilization through Gisèle Pineau’s Un Papillon dans la cité 83 Theoretical Underpinnings 83 The Course 86 References 89 PART III: Colonial and Postcolonial French Women Writers: Teaching Diversity on Shifting Ground 92 9. Peoples, Authors, Protagonists: Teaching Francophone Women Authors through Gender Identity Themes 94 Syllabus Week 1: General Background 95 Syllabus, Weeks 2–5: From Acadian to “Cajun” and Return, 1755–80 97 Syllabus, Week 6: Condé’s Drama of Black Revolution, 1789–1802 97 Syllabus, Weeks 7–9: Quebec from Church to Factory, 1892–1918 98 Syllabus, Weeks 10 and 11: The Perils of Independence, West Africa after 1960 98 Syllabus, Weeks 12 and 13: Caught between Africa and France, Mainly Paris in the 1970s 99 Syllabus, Week 14: Overview of Feminist Authorial Strategies 100 Conclusion 100 References 100 10. Incorporating Oceanian Women Writers into the Francophone Literature Classroom 102 Notes 108 References 108 11. Making the Case for French Studies: Strategies for Teaching Gendered Multiculturalism in Contemporary French Literature 110 Teaching Images of Multicultural France 111 Defining French Multiculturalism 113 Representing Gender in Multicultural Productions 115 Notes 117 References 117 12. Teaching Algeria through the Lens of Feminism 118 Note 124 References 124 13. Teaching Hélé Béji, Postcolonialism, and the Arab Spring: Perspectives from Baudrillard, McClintock, and Giroux 126 Béji and Baudrillard on History 127 McClintock, Feminisms, Postcolonialism, and Dichotomies 129 Giroux and Béji’s Arab Spring 130 Notes 132 References 132 PART IV: Interdisciplinary Approaches to French Studies 134 14. Breaking Down Jail and Cross-Divisional Walls: Teaching Simone de Beauvoir and Existentialist Writers in the Twenty-First-Century French and Criminal Justice Classroom 136 Introduction 136 The Value of Language and Cultural Skills in Terrorism Studies 136 Criminal Justice and French 138 Award-Winning Service-Learning Component of Cross-Divisional Courses 140 Conclusion 141 References 142 15. Francophone Women Writers outside the French Classroom: An Integrated Approach to Exploring Women’s Voices 143 Notes 149 References 149 16. Pushing Boundaries: A Feminist Interdisciplinary Approach to Team Teaching French and American Women’s Lives during World War II 150 The War and the Humanities 151 Memoir, Film, and Feminist Pedagogy 152 Team Teaching and the Shared Classroom 154 Bringing French Women’s Literature to a Larger Audience 155 Conclusion 156 Notes 156 References 156 17. Women Novelists and the Music of Paris 158 Introduction 158 Literary-Musical Milieu of the Parisian Salon: Writers and Musicians 159 Representations of Music in Literature and Literature in Music 159 Literary-Musical Milieu of the Twentieth Century 161 Conclusion 162 Notes 163 References 163 18. Introducing or Expanding Queer Content in the Contemporary Francophone Classroom 165 Setting the Scene: Resources for Providing Background on Queer Studies in France 165 Creating Queer Units for Upper-Level Francophone Courses 167 Conclusion 170 Notes 170 References 172 Index 174 Why teach (French) (women's) literature? / Eilene Hoft-March -- Fractured families : program growth through innovative teaching of French and francophone women's autobiographies / E. Nicole Meyer -- Worldwide women writers and the web : diversity and digital pedagogy / Alison Rice -- "Representing the self" : contemporary French lit meets the 21st-century student / Dawn M. Cornelio -- Teaching French and francophone women authors online / Sage Goellner -- Integrating women's voices and contemporary cultural materials through e-journaling / Elizabeth Berglund Hall -- Linking beginning and advanced language learners through images of women / Joyce Johnston -- Building bridges from language to civilization through Gisèle Pineau's Un papillon dans la cité / Natalie Edwards and Christopher Hogarth -- Peoples, authors, protagonists : teaching francophone women authors through gender identity themes / Laurence M. Porter -- Incorporating Oceanian women writers into the "francophone" literature classroom / Julia L. Frengs -- Making the case for French studies : strategies for teaching gendered multiculturalism in contemporary French literature / Rebecca E. Leal -- Teaching Algeria through the lens of feminism / Florina Matu -- Teaching Hélé Béji, post-colonialism, and the Arab Spring : perspectives from Baudrillard, McClintock, Giroux / Eric Touya de Marenne -- Breaking down jail and cross-divisional walls : teaching Simone de Beauvoir and existentialist writers in the 21st century French and criminal justice classroom / Araceli Hernandez-Laroche -- Francophone women writers outside the French classroom : an integrated approach to exploring women's voices / Shira Weidenbaum -- Pushing boundaries : a feminist interdisciplinary approach to team-teaching French and American women's lives during World War Two / Courtney Sullivan and Kerry Wynn -- Women novelists and the music of Paris / Arline Cravens -- Introducing or expanding queer content in the contemporary francophone classroom / CJ Gomolka "This volume investigates how teaching practices can address the changing status of literature in the French classroom. Focusing on how women writing in French are changing the face of French Studies, opening the canon to not only new approaches to gender but to genre, expanding interdisciplinary studies and aiding scholars to rethink the teaching of literature, each chapter provides concrete strategies useful to a wide variety of classrooms and institutional contexts. Essays address how to bring French Studies and Women's and Gender Studies into the 21st century through intersections of autobiography, gender issues and technology; ways to introduce beginning and intermediate students to the rich diversity of women writing in French; strategies for teaching postcolonial writing and literary theory; and interdisciplinary approaches to expand our student audiences in the United States, Canada, or abroad. In short, revisiting how we teach, why we teach and what we teach through the prism of women's texts and lives while raising issues that affect cisgender women of the Hexagon, queer and other-gendered women, immigrants and residents of the postcolony attracts more openly diverse students. Whether new to the profession or seasoned educators, faculty will find new ideas to invigorate and diversify their pedagogical approaches"-- Provided by publisher Focusing on how women writing in French are changing the face of French Studies, opening the canon to new approaches to gender and genre, expanding interdisciplinary studies and aiding scholars to rethink the teaching of literature, this volume provides teaching strategies useful to the classrooms and institutions.