teaching portfolio-Maya Smith

Teaching Portfolio
Maya Angela Smith
University of California, Berkeley
Department of French
2012
Table of Contents
1. Statement of Teaching Philosophy
2. Teaching Responsibilities
a) Courses
b) Sample Evaluations
3. Efforts to Improve Teaching
a) Pedagogical Training
b) Workshops
c) Curriculum Development
d) Innovations in Teaching
4. Appendices
 Appendix A- Sample Syllabus
o French R1B
o French 142 AC
 Appendix B- Sample lesson plan
o Example 1: French 142 AC lesson plan for first day of class
o Example 2: French 3-Creative writing song activity
o Example 3: French 4-Teaching Intertextuality and Recontextualization through Music
1. Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is one of the most rewarding tasks for an academic because you get to impart your
knowledge and passion to others. A student in a class is more than just a learner of a single
subject, s/he also learns about his or her relationship to the surrounding environment. As a
teacher, I aim to create a space where students can become critical thinkers and conceptualize the
world through both personal experiences and through broader sociological processes. When
teaching language courses, this goal is achieved through language appreciation,
linguistic/pragmatic/transcultural competence, understanding of different cultural aspects, and
contemplation of linguistic identity. When teaching content courses, I focus on modeling for
students the ways to question the material at hand, to analyze and synthesize data from different
sources, to look at the big picture, and to apply what is learned in class to the outside world.
I have found that the most important aspect of teaching is to ensure student engagement, and I
use different teaching methods to get the most out of class. Creating a good learning environment
is the first and foremost goal, which I achieve through clear learning objectives and awareness of
classroom dynamics. With regard to learning objectives, I share with the class my expectations
by enumerating them on the syllabus and discussing them on the first day of class and
periodically throughout the course. I make it clear how I assess their progress so that students
can monitor their own development. I hand back assignments in a timely manner and make sure
to offer comprehensive feedback. It is important to acknowledge what the student does well but
to also suggest ways of improvement. I am aware of how I critique students’ work, using
language meant to inspire but which adequately expresses their progress. Concerning classroom
dynamics, my main goal is to set up an environment where everyone is comfortable speaking.
This is particularly important in a foreign language classroom where lots of insecurities come to
the surface. The main way to create a strong environment is to use varied activities that allow for
different learning types to excel. I use a combination of group work, individual exercises, and
full class activities to keep students engaged. Varying activities also minimizes the chances for
students to be put on the spot. For instance, when asking difficult questions either in the foreign
language classroom or in a content course, I often start with free-writes where students can
reflect and formulate their words before sharing them in small groups. Small groups allow for
scaffolding, more chances to talk, and the completion of a really specific task. I will then have
the class come together to discuss the topic at hand. Students are always more willing to share
when they feel confident in what they have to say and how they say it.
I have the most experience in the French language classroom, and as I have already mentioned,
the foreign language classroom can be a particularly difficult environment with regard to class
confidence and to the range of abilities. Confronted with this range of different learning abilities,
I adjust to diverse learning styles by varying my teaching strategies in a flexible way. Activities
include textual analysis and creative writing, structured-based tasks that focus on key elements
and dialogue prompts that force them to use all they have learned from the language. I emphasize
the significance of culture so that my students gain a sense of the tremendous diversity in the
Francophone world. I show students that although they are learning standard French, it is
important that they also become aware of other varieties of French across different regions as
well as within linguistic communities. I also use contemporary music to pique curiosity and
increase motivation. Musical activities allow for language reinforcement, including vocabulary
building, grammar practice, and pronunciation improvement; listening comprehension; exposure
to authentic texts; access to cultural, social, and historical knowledge; musical appreciation. One
activity I use requires students to write their own lyrics in French based on the genre and the
topic of the song I have played for them. For another activity, they research the different cultural
references mentioned in a song, figuring out what the references mean to the intended audience
and describing the effect these references have on the song. I have found that my emphasis on
cultural aspects in the language classroom engages students and is an essential part of any
foreign language curriculum. My efforts to provide students with a wider and more varied
perspective on what French language and culture mean in a transnational context has been met
with enthusiam by students as well as by faculty. In recognition of my unique approach to
teaching, I was awarded Berkeley’s Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award in 2011.
While I am constantly looking to improve and to find creative and innovative ways to approach
the subjects I teach, I recognize that my teaching strategies are effective in promoting student
learning. Periodically, I have students provide me with anonymous feedback addressing
questions such as what activities they have found the most beneficial, where they have improved,
where they still need improvement, what they would like to see more of, and so on. This forum
allows students to be pro-active in their learning in addition to allowing me to gauge their
perceptions of the class. I also take advantage of electronic spaces such as b-space so that
students can offer suggestions to me and to other students. Students can post newspaper articles
of current events, teaching/learning resources, proposals for classroom activities, and
suggestions. I address any feedback to the class. If it is a suggestion that I think should be
incorporated into the classroom, I do so. I also explain to students why I do things the way that I
do in order to allow for transparency. I think students should have an idea of the type of teaching
strategies I employ and why I feel they are effective. I find that my teaching strategies are
adapting and growing as I gain experience and receive feedback from students and faculty
members who observe my classes.
2. Teaching Responsibilities
a) Courses
Term
Course
Fall 2007
French 1 (First year- elementary level)
Spring 2008
French 2 (First year- elementary level)
Fall 2008
French 2 (First year- elementary level)
Spring 2011
French 3 (Second year- intermediate level)
Summer 2011
French 142 AC: Cultures of Franco-America*
Spring 2012
French 4 (Second year- intermediate level)
Fall 2012
French R1A (Reading and Composition)**
Spring 2013
French R1B (Reading and Composition)***
Ratings: 7 = highest score, 1 = lowest score.
Enrollment Rating
17
6.24
18
6.36
18
6.25
18
6.25
14
6.58
14
6.27
16
*This upper division course satisfies the American Cultures requirement for UC Berkeley
students. The course takes substantial account of at least three distinct cultural groups. I helped
design the course and syllabus for the French department. I taught the course as a
lecture/discussion mixture.
** This French literature in translation course, which I developed, satisfies the university’s
reading and composition requirement and considers a broad range of literary, cultural, and filmic
texts by French and Francophone authors from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century.
***This course, which I developed, explores language as social practice in which speakers’ notions
of identity influence how they use and relate to language. Interdisciplinary in nature, this course
borrows from different fields, most notably linguistics, sociology, and French cultural studies.
b) Sample Evaluations
(Upon request, packets of student evaluations can be sent directly from the French Department,
University of California, Berkeley.)
French 4 Spring 2012
“Maya was a great instructor, very good at feeling out each individual’s learning style and
accomodating appropriately.”
“She was encouraging without being dogmatic, helpful without being patronizing…I never felt
worried about speaking in this class and trying my best while knowing that I wasn’t perfect.”
“I have learned so much from this class and it has been completely thought-provoking. In fact, it
is because of this class that I have chosen to go ahead and major in French. My teacher gave me
the confidence to finally speak in class.”
“The class was organized well, Maya’s schedule/agenda fit the time well and doesn’t feel as if
time was in any way wasted.”
“I learned a lot from the course mostly because Maya was careful to articulate and clearly
explain the most complex topics.”
French 142 AC Summer 2011
“I really enjoyed this course! It was thought provoking, very informative, and I could really see
how passionate Maya was about the subject. I appreciated her style of teaching primarily because
it was one that encouraged us to work together, participate in discussions and share our thoughts
while becoming more connected with each other and more understanding of the materials
assigned for our readings.”
“I enjoyed this class more than any other I’ve taken at Berkeley. The discussions were always
thought-provoking and made me consider and learn of different perspectives I otherwise
wouldn’t have known about.”
“Maya was wonderful. I have not seen another instructor at Berkeley be more accessible and
helpful. She was always sensitive to individual differences and circumstances.”
French 3 Spring 2011
“In this one semester of French 3 at UC Berkeley I am quite sure I have learned more than I have
in all four years of high school French combined. The course has been extremely effective and
rigorous…I believe my French has improved greatly, and I see the importance more than ever to
continue to practice and learn a foreign language.”
“Maya has been an extremely effective instructor and has supported all of the individual students
in this class. She has encouraged and made sure everyone has the opportunity to speak, and
makes sure everyone understands the materials and discussions—all in French.”
“The discussions were always interesting and Maya was a thoughtful moderator. She was always
patient, which allowed people to feel comfortable enough to participate”
“Maya was a wonderful GSI who cared deeply about the progress of her students. She was
always accessible and tried hard to make the course work for everyone.”
“Maya was very nice and helpful. She was knowledgeable about the material and tried really
hard to relate and be there for the students. She was very understanding and helpful. She was
good about making sure that we all understood what she wanted and expected…”
“I greatly enjoyed the cultural aspects of each chapter and the variety of types of readings.”
“Maya held consistent office hours and was always available to address individual issues. She
was also very responsive to our mid-semester evaluations.”
3. Efforts to Improve Teaching
a) Pedagogical Training
Pedagogy Seminars



Fall 2007
Pedagogy 301 and Pilot Program
o Gained an understanding of the principles of first- and second-language
acquisition and the theoretical underpinnings of commonly used language
teaching methods
o Received training in teaching, in creating and adapting instructional materials, and
in designing tests for use in the Lower Division Program in French.
o The two-hour weekly meetings consist of a one hour lecture/discussion and a one
hour practicum.
o Pilot program served to model appropriate teaching and met for one hour on a
daily basis. I sat in on a French 1 class being taught by the senior lecturer.
Spring 2008 Pedagogy 302 and Pilot Program
o Learned teaching methods used in French 2 and how to effectively implement
techniques specifically designed for the French language classroom at Berkeley.
o Discussed issues in language pedagogy and gained experience in creating and
adapting instructional materials.
o Attended periodic French 2 classes taught by the senior lecturer as part of the ongoing pilot program.
Spring 2011 Pedagogy 303
o Gained an understanding of the teaching methods used in French 3 and 4 in order
to effectively implement techniques specifically designed for the French language
classroom at Berkeley.
o Created and shared lesson plans
o Built an upper division French department syllabus
b) Workshops
 Fall 2011
Statement of Teaching Philosophy Workshop
o Introduced to what a statement of teaching philosophy typically addresses and
how to begin developing one.
o Engaged in several activities that help in writing a statement of teaching
philosophy.
 Fall 2012
Working with Student Writing
o Learned how to identify more objectively what knowledge and skills a writing
assignment is asking students to demonstrate
o Learned how to evaluate—with accuracy and efficiency—the level of
understanding in student essays.
c) Curriculum Development
 Fall 2008
Creation of French 142 AC upper division French department course
o Participated in a graduate seminar whose purpose was to create a French
department course that fulfills UC Berkeley’s American Cultures requirement
o Designed a course that takes into account three different cultural groups (the
American indigenous populations, their interaction with French settlers, and how
they were conceptualized in French texts; Creole and Cajun cultures in Louisiana,
their ever-changing racial and cultural categorization, and their existence in a
larger American narrative; and African-Americans in Interwar Paris as they
searched for the mythical colorblind society.)
o Addressed theoretical and analytical issues relevant to understanding race,
culture, and ethnicity by focusing on the politics of representation. In other words,
we created a space in which students can work to understand the processes
through which categories of race are shaped over time through the interplay
between Anglo- and Franco-American cultures and ideologies, even as these
categories are challenged from the perspectives of minority populations.
o Gathered primary and secondary source documents which include a wide range of
genres (i.e. novels, poetry, short stories, music, film)
o Created sample lesson plans
 2012
Development of syllabi for Reading and Composition courses
o “Dealing with Death”
o “The Intersection of French Language and Identity”
d) Innovations in Teaching
 Fall 2011
Berkeley Language Center Fellowship
o Explored the pedagogical implications of music in the foreign language classroom
by designing a course curriculum that uses music to explore textualization.
o Created activities that uncover and highlight themes of intertextuality,
recontextualization, recognizability, and (re)appropriation through close readings
of songs and other cultural texts to which they may be linked.
o Produced sample lesson plans that can be used by any instructor in the French
department.
4. Appendices
 Appendix A- Sample Syllabus
o Reading and Composition: The Intersection of French Language and Identity
o French 142 AC: The Cultures of Franco-America
 Appendix B- Sample lesson plans
o Example 1: French 142 AC lesson plan for first day of class
o Example 2: Song activity for French 3
o Example 3: French 3 lesson plan with film activity
Appendix A- Syllabus for language and identity course
Maya Smith
[email protected]
The Intersection of French Language and Identity
Description
This course explores language as social practice in which speakers’ notions of identity influence
how they use and relate to language. Interdisciplinary in nature, this course borrows from
different fields, most notably linguistics, sociology, and French cultural studies. The aim of the
course is to inform students of the social aspects of the evolution of the French language,
highlight the dynamic relationship between language and identity, and present a detailed picture
of the diversity in the Francophone world. Students will read texts in English and will learn how
to write in different academic genres, including a reaction journal, an annotated bibliography, an
abstract, and a research paper.
Part I: Notions of Identity
Week 1: Achieving identity through language The lectures and readings from this week
(Sapir, 1921; Benveniste, 1966; Kramsch, 2004; Bucholtz & Hall, 2004) explore the idea that
identity is constructed through language, which is our main symbolic system and the main mode
of transmitting culture. Students will learn about the structuralist and post-structuralist
approaches to identity studies.
Week 2: Identity and cultural citizenship A look at how identity is created through discourse.
In particular, we will look at the construction and maintenance of national identity (Anderson,
1993; Billig, 1995) and its relation to notions of individual identity.
Week 3: Performing identities, taking subject positions Exploring terminology such as
identity vs subjectivity or subject positions, we will look at both the individual and societal
factors in the construction of identity (Bourdieu, 1991; Kramsch, 2008; Gal, 1991; Kramer,
2004).
Week 4: Colonizing the Other through language Themes from this week include
globalization and its effects on standard, national, ethnic, cultural and local dialectal languages;
the commodification of language; linguistic imperialism and the loss of linguistic minorities; and
the investment of nonstandard target languages by immigrant populations (Derrida, 1998; Heller,
1999; Fanon 1967; Ibrahim, 1999).
Week 5: Constructing bilingual identities in discourse The readings from this week
(Kramsch, 2007; Zentella, 1997; Woolard, 2004; Gardner-Chloros, 2009) explore how language
is more than just the transmission of ideas. It also highlights the speaker’s relationship to a text
and to an interlocutor. We will also look at code-switching and the contexts in which it occurs.
Week 6: Identity construction in second language acquisition A discussion of how acquiring
a second language entails much more than learning a language’s vocabulary and grammar.
Societal institutions, power relations, and the learner’s personal connection with the second
language through the lens of the first language contribute to a dynamic and complex identity
formation as well as to the acquisition of a second language (Norton, 1997; Leung et al, 1997;
Kramsch, 2009; Pavlenko & Lantolf, 2000; Menard-Warwick, 2006; Kinginger, 2004).
Part II: The Case of France
Week 7: General overview of language in France This week commences the second part of
the course which applies the themes from the first half to a specific example, the French
language and its speakers. We will start with an overview of the French language and an
exploration of how it came to be what it is today (Price, 1971; Milroy & Milroy; 1991).
Week 8 : Early Modern France : From the Renaissance to the Revolution We will look at
the evolution of the French language, paying particular attention to linguistic variation in the
early modern period (Ayres-Bennett, 1996 ; 2002 ; 2004).
Week 9: A move toward standardization The French language is often cited as a prime
example of the process of standardization. We will explore Haugen’s (1966) model for
standardization and how it can be applied to the French language. We will look at the linguistic
and social implications of standardization (Lodge; 1993; 2002; Ayres-Bennett, 1996).
Week 10: Modern French In light of this move toward standardization, the French language
continues to have irregularities and variation. We will explore this idea this week (Gilliéron &
Edmont, 1902 ; Rickard, 1981).
Week 11: The French language and its relation to identity Returning to ideas from the first
half of the course, we will look at the relationship between French language and identity,
focusing specifically on identity insecurity (Ager, 1990; 1990; Sanders, 1993; Ayres-Bennett &
Jones, 2007).
Week 12 : Linguistic Diversity and Variation We will look at contemporary linguistic
variation in France, specifically the other languages that exist within its borders (Battye, 2000;
Armstrong, 1998 ; Salhi, 2002 “France and her Linguistic Minorities” (pp. 137-166)).
Week 13: Language, Immigration and Youth Readings from this week will look at language
from an immigration perspective, focusing on how France’s growing social diversity is
influencing its linguistic diversity (Sanders, 1993; Doran, 2004; Salhi, 2002 “Le français des
banlieues” (pp. 107-136)).
Week 14 : French in the World This week will explore the French language from a global
perspective, looking at la Francophonie in different world regions (Wright, 2004; Chaudenson,
2003; Salhi, 2002 Chs: “Introduction: French Within and Without France” (pp. 1-11), “Diversity
and Uniformity: Linguistic Fact and Fiction in Morocco” (pp. 335-376), “Language Planning in
Algeria: Linguistic and Cultural Conflicts” (pp. 377-410)).
Bibliography
Part 1
Anderson, B. (1983). Imagined Communities. Ch. 2 ‘Cultural roots’ 1-36. Ch. 10 ‘Census, map, museum’
163-185.
Benveniste, E. (1966). Subjectivity in language. Reprinted in Paul du Gay, Jessica Evans and Peter
Redman (Eds.) Identity: A reader. London: Sage, 2000:39-43.
Billig, M. (1995). Banal Nationalism. Ch. 2 ‘Nations and languages’ 13-37. Ch. 4 ‘National identity in
the world of nations’ 60-93.
Bourdieu, p. (1991). Language and Symbolic Power, excerpts.
Bucholtz, M and K. Hall. (2004). Language and identity. In A. Duranti (Ed.) A companion to linguistic
anthropology. Oxford: Blackwell 369-394.
Derrida, J. (1998). Monolingualism of the Other. Ch.1, 6-7.
Fanon, F. (1967). Black Skin, White Masks. Trsl. Charles Lam Markmann. New York: Grove Press. Ch.4
The so-called dependency complex of colonized peoples.
Gal, S. (1991). Between speech and silence. The problematics of research on language and gender. In
Micaela di Leonardo (Ed.) Gender at the Crossroads of Knowledge: Toward a new anthropology
of gender (pp. 175-203). Berkeley: UC Press,
Gardner-Chloros, P. (2009). Sociolinguistic factors in Code-switching. In B. Bullock & A. J. Toribio
(Eds) The Cambridge handbook of linguistic code-switching. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Heller, M. (1987). The role of language in the formation of ethnic identity. In J. Phinney and M.
Rotheram (Eds.) Children’s Ethnic Socialization (pp. 180-200). Newbury Park: Sage.
Heller, M. (1999). Alternative ideologies of La Francophonie. Journal of Sociolinguistics 3:3, 336-359.
Ibrahim, A. (1999). Becoming Black: Rap and hip-hop, race, gender, identity and the politics of ESL
learning. TESOL Quarterly 33:3, 349-370.
Kinginger, C. (2004). Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Foreign Language Learning and identity
reconstruction. In A. Pavlenho & A. Blackledge (Eds.) Negotiation of Identities in Multilingual
Contexts (pp. 219-242). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters
Kramer, J. (2004) “Taking the veil” New Yorker.
Kramsch, C. (2004). Language, thought, and culture. In Alan Davies & Catherine Elder (Eds.). The
Handbook of Applied Linguistics (pp. 235-261).
Kramsch, C. (2007). Multilingual, like Franz Kafka. Intl Journal of Multilingualism.1-17.
Kramsch, C. (2008). Pierre Bourdieu: a biographical memoir. In J.Albright & A.Luke (Eds.) Bourdieu
and Literacy Education (pp.33-49). London: Routledge.
Kramsch, C. (2009). Third culture and language education. In Li Wei & Vivian Cook (Eds.)
Contemporary Applied Linguistics. Vol.1 Language Learning and Teaching (pp. 233-254).
London: Continuum.
Leung, C, Harris, R. & Rampton, B. (1997). The idealized native speaker, reified ethnicities, and
classroom realities. Contemporary issues in TESOL (543-560). London: Thames Valley
University, Centre for Applied Linguistic Research.
Menard-Warwick, J. (2006). Both a fiction and an existential fact: Theorizing identity in second language
acquisition and literacy studies. Linguistics and Education 16, 253-274.
Norton, B. (1997). Language, identity, and the ownership of English. Special issue of the TESOL
Quarterly on Language and Identity 31:3,.409-431.
Pavlenko, A. and Lantolf, J. (2000). Second language learning as participation and the (re)construction of
selves. In Lantolf, James P. (Ed.) Sociocultural theory and second language learning (pp. 155178). Oxford U Press.
Sapir, E. (1921). Language, race and culture. In Harris, R. and B. Rampton (Eds.) Language, Ethnicity
and Race Reader. London: Routledge, 2003: 28-36.
Woolard, K. A. (2004). Code-switching. In Duranti, A (Ed.) A companion to linguistic anthropology (pp.
73-93). Blackwell
Zentella, A. C. (1997). Growing up bilingual. Puerto Rican Children in New York. Oxford: Blackwell.
Chapters 4, 5, 12.
Part 2
Ager, D. (1999). Identity, Insecurity and Image. France and language. Clevedon:
Ager, D. (1990). Sociolinguistics and Contemporary French. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
excerpts.
Armstrong, N. (1998). The sociolinguistic gender pattern in French: a comparison of 2 linguistic levels.
French Language Studies 8: 139-158.
Ayres-Bennett, W and M. C. Jones (Eds). (2007). The French Language and Questions of Identity.
London: Legenda, excerpts.
Ayres-Bennett, W. (1996). A History of the French Language through Texts. New York: Routledge,
excerpts.
Ayres-Bennett, W. (2002). An Evolving Genre: Seventeenth-century Remarques and Observations on the
French Language. In Ayres-Bennett, W. and R. Sampson (Eds.) Interpreting the History of
French: A Festschrift for Peter Rickard on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. New York:
Rodophi.
Ayres-Bennett, W. (2004). Sociolinguistic Variation in Seventeenth-Century France. Cambridge:
Cambridge UP. Chs: “Spoken and Written French” (17-60); “Social and Stylistic Variation” (61108); “Women’s language” (111-180).
Battye, A. (2000). The French language today : a linguistic introduction (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Ch: Varieties of French (pp. 25-310)
Chaudenson, R. (2003). Creolistics and sociolinguistic theories. International Journal of the Sociology of
Language 160: 123-146.
Doran, M. (2004). Negotiating Between Bourg and Racaille: Verlan as Youth Identity Practice in
Suburban Paris. In A. Blackledge and A. Pavelnko (Eds.), Negotiation of Identities in
Multilingual Contexts. Cleveldon: Multilingual Matters.
Haugen, E. (1966). Dialect, language, nation. American Anthropologist, 68(4): 922-935.
Lodge, A. (1993). French: From Dialect to Standard. New York: Routledge. Chs: “Variation, change,
and standards” (1-28); “The Latinisation of Gaul” (29-53); “The Dialectalisation of GalloRomance” (54-84); “Selection of norms” (85-117); “Elaboration of function” (118-152);
“Codification” (153-187); “Acceptance” (188-229); “Maintenance of the standard” (130-160)
Lodge, A. (2002). The Medieval Sources of Standardisation in French. In Ayres-Bennett, W. and R.
Sampson (Eds.), Interpreting the History of French: A Festschrift for Peter Rickard on the
occasion of his eightieth birthday. New York: Rodophi.
Milroy, J. and L. Milroy. (1991). Authority in Language: Investigating Language Prescription &
Standardisation. London: Routledge, excerpts.
Price, G. (1971). The French Language Past and Present, NY: Arnold, excerpts.
Salhi, K. (Ed.) (2002). French In and Out of France. Bern: Peter Lang.
Sanders, Carol. (Ed.) 1993. French Today: Language in its Social Context. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, excerpts.
Wright, S. (2004). Language policy and language planning; From nationalism to globalization. New
York: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter: “French: The Rise and Fall of a Prestige Lingua Franca”
Sample syllabus example 2
French 142AC: The Cultures of Franco-America
Maya Smith
[email protected]
Description:
In this course, we will consider a broad range of literary and cultural texts that emerge out of the long
history of the French in North America and of Americans in France. Our readings will include novels,
poetry, and short stories—including the earliest known work of African American fiction, written in
French and published in Paris in 1837. Alongside these literary texts produced by French writers in
America and American expatriates in France, we will consider travel narratives and missionary
accounts describing interactions between European and Native American populations; historical,
ethnographic, and political writings; as well as popular cultural forms such as music, comic strips, and
films. Throughout the semester, our discussions will focus on the politics of representation—which is
to say that we will work to understand the processes through which categories of race are shaped over
time through the interplay between Anglo- and Franco-American cultures and ideologies, even as
these categories are challenged from the perspectives of minority populations. As we trace these
processes of racialization, we will be particularly attentive to intersections between race and class,
gender, and sexuality; at the same time, we will consider the ways in which all of these categories of
identity are inflected by language, by regional and national forms of belonging and exclusion, and by
the presence of “mixed-race” communities.
Requirements:
attendance and participation (including leading class discussion) 25%
reaction journals and short writing assignment 15%
midterm exam 10%
annotated bibliography 10%
research paper (7 pages) 20%
final 20%
Required Texts:
Greer, The Jesuit Relations
Chateaubriand, Atala and Rene
French 142 AC Reader from Krishna Copy Center, 2111 University Ave
Assignments:
Reaction Journal (4-5 pages)
Three times throughout the term you will be asked to turn in a 4-5 page (double-spaced) commentary
on the assigned readings. You should tease out common themes from the group of readings,
summarizing the main ideas and relating them to questions raised from other readings or life
experiences. Make sure to include 2-3 quotes, detailing their significance. Cite them properly and
include a bibliography.
Short writing assignment (1-2 pages)
Annotated Bibliography
As you begin reading sources for your research project, you should choose 4-5 in order to write an
annotated bibliography. These sources must be different from those read in class. Each annotation
should provide a succinct summary as well as make connections to other readings. This exercise is
similar to the reaction journals in that you are trying to situate readings in a larger framework as well
as within your own unique experience. This assignment will also prove useful when you write your
research project. Annotated bibliographies will be posted on the bspace forum.
Research Paper
The course will culminate in an independent research project based on a concept discussed in the
class. Research topics should be discussed with the instructor but can take the form of 1) a historical
project or 2) a contemporary project that ties in the topics on the class with a present day issue. The
paper should be 7-8 pages.
**Late work results in a penalty of 10 pts/day even when absent. No makeup exams for absences**
Unit One: Introduction & Early Encounters
In this unit of the course, we will begin to discuss the historical development of racial categories in North
America, paying particular attention to the ways in which identities that we now name as Native American,
African American, and European American were produced in part through early French travel narratives
and legal codes, as well as cultural attitudes and colonial administrative practices.
Unit Two: Writing l’Amérique
In this unit of the course, we will read a number of essays and novels from the 18th and 19th centuries, all
of which served to consolidate influential conceptions of American landscapes, identities and cultures. As
we read, we will discuss the extent to which racial categories figure into (or are crucially absent from)
these representations of America.
Unit Three: La Louisiane
In this unit of the course, we will study francophone and French-influenced cultures of Louisiana,
considering a number of literary texts as well as music and other popular cultural forms. We will focus in
particular on two groups understood as “minority communities” from the perspective of mainstream
Anglo-American culture: the Cajuns and the créoles de couleur, or “Creoles of Color.”
Unit Four: African Americans in France
During the first half of the 20th century, Paris emerged as an important site of cultural production for
African-American writers, artists, and intellectuals. In this unit of the course, we will discuss a number of
historical, autobiographical, and fictional texts relating to the experiences of this expatriate community.
We will be particularly attentive to the ways in which life in France allowed African Americans to reflect
upon the construction of racialized identities in the United States, and to analyze the differences between
French and American hierarchies of power.
Bibliography
“American Negroes Like Paris, Finding Prejudice at Minimum.” New York Times (1857-Current file);
Nov 29, 1966, pg. 22. ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2004).
Ancelet, Barry. Ca un and Creole usic a ers
usiciens cadiens et cr oles. Jackson: University
Press of Mississippi, 1999.
Arceneaux, Jean. Je suis Cadien. 1st ed. Merrick N.Y.: Cross-Cultural Communications, 1994.
Baldwin, James. Collected essays. New York: Library of America, 1998.
Belmessous, Saliha. “Assimilation and Racialism in Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century French Colonial
Policy.” The American Historical Review 110.2 (2005): 322-349.
Bennett, Gwendolyn. “Wedding Day.” 1926, Web. 22 Feb, 2001.
<http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/bennett/wedding.htm>
Bernard, Shane. The Cajuns: Americanization of a people. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi,
2003.
Blank, Les and Strachwitz, Chris, dirs. J’ai t au bal. 1989.
Broyard, Bliss. One drop: my father's hidden life: a story of race and family secrets. 1st ed. New York:
Little Brown and Co., 2007.
Bruce, Clint. “Betraying the Betrayed: Towards a Translation of Cajun Poet Jean Arceneaux.” Equinoxes,
Issue 2: Automne/Hiver 2003-2004. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.brown.edu/Research/Equinoxes/journal/issue2/eqx2_bruce_ang.html>
Chateaubriand, François-Ren . tala : en . Berkeley: University of California Press, 1952.
Chopin, Kate. “D sir e’s Baby.” The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Per Seyersted, ed. Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State UP, 1969, 2006.
Dalton, Karen C. C., and Henry Louis Gates. “Josephine Baker and Paul Colin: African American Dance
Seen through Parisian Eyes.” Critical Inquiry 24.4 (1998): 903-934.
Desdunes, Rodolphe. Our people and our history: fifty Creole portraits. Louisiana pbk. ed. Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State University Press, 2001.
Flaherty, Robert, dir. Louisiana Story. 1948.
Greer, Allan. The Jesuit relations: natives and missionaries in seventeenth-century North America.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000.
Hughes, Langston. The big sea: an autobiography. 2nd ed. New York: Hill and Wang, 1993.
Lanusse, Armand. “A Marriage of Conscience/Un mariage de conscience.” L’ lbu Litt raire : Journal
des Jeunes Gens, Amateurs de Littérature, Vol 1. Jennifer Gipson, trans. 1843.
Nabokov, Peter. Native American testimony : a chronicle of Indian-white relations from prophecy to the
present, 1492-2000. Rev. ed. New York N.Y.: Penguin, 1999.
Naudin, Camille. “The Black Marseillaise: Song of Peace.” Jennifer Gipson, trans. 1867.
Omi, Michael, and Winant, Howard. Racial formation in the United States: from the 1960s to the 1990s.
2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 1994.
S jour, Victor. “Le Mulâtre”/ “The Mulatto” Revue des Colonies, mars 1837, pp. 376-392.
Selected scenes from Josephine Baker films (Siren of the Tropics (1927), Zou Zo (1934), Princess Tam
Tam, 1935)
Smith, William Gardner . The Stone Face. New York: Pocket Books, (1964.
Spear, Jennifer M. “Colonial Intimacies: Legislating Sex in French Louisiana.” The William and Mary
Quarterly 60.1 (2003): 75-98.
Stovall, Tyler. Paris noir : African Americans in the city of light. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
Thompson, Shirley. “”Ah Toucoutou, ye conin vous”: History and Memory in Creole New Orleans.”
American Quarterly 53, no. 2 (June 2001): 232-266.
Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America : and Two essays on America. London: Penguin, 2003.
Trillin, Calvin. “American Chronicles, ‘Black or White.’” The New Yorker 14 April, 1986, p. 62. Print.
Appendix B- Sample lesson plans and activities
Example 1: French 142 AC- Lesson plan for first day of class
Trillin, “American Chronicles: Black or White”
Omi & Winant, “Racial Formation”
[thinking of race as a categories in flux over time; definitions of race, 1 drop rule and relevance
for people self-identifying; mixed race can mean black but not white; the authors don’t argue that
race is fiction or doesn’t affect people, however, the way differences are ascribed meaning is
social and political process]
Introduction (30 min): Have students introduce themselves and tell class why they are taking
course and what unique perspective they think they will bring. (15 min)
Go over syllabus and get any questions. Have them think about what text they will lead
discussion. (15 min)
Icebreaker (30 min): Bring in copy of census and have students discuss how they would fill it
out and why. (5 min) Discuss the following questions as a class: Were there difficulties in filling
it out? What are their opinions about the census? What stands out? What is missing? What
should be removed? (10 min) Free-write: Which identity markers do you identify with most,
project. How do you think others would describe you in terms of various social constructs? (5
min) Discuss in small groups (5 min). Share with whole class. (5 min)
Lead into discussion of articles. What were students’ reactions? Discuss how reaction journals
will work, other housekeeping issues.
Trillan
What is this article about? Who are the protagonists?
How does changing race on a birth certificate compare to changing other data like name, DOB,
sex, etc?
Why does Susie Phipps care about changing her legal status since everyone was now equal under
the law?
Why was Jack Westholz so keen on proving that she was black?
Who are Creoles and what is their importance in the conceptualization of race?
What was a way to escape color designations?
What does colored mean?
What did scientists argue concerning race?
Phipps lawyer Begue argued that racial classification should be based on the self-image of the
classified (p. 77). Do you agree with this?
According to Begue, what’s the central federal issue?
Omi and Winant
How can race be understood if not by skin color? (p. 54)
According to O&W, what is racial formation?
The authors mention the meaning of race in a particular discursive project- what does this mean?
What is discourse?
What was one reason why race became so inscribed in American history?
What are the consequences of racial dictatorship (p. 66)
According to Gramsci, what makes up hegemony?
What are examples of institutionalized racism today? (p. 69)
What is the neoconservative perspective of race?
What is racism and do white and non-white students talk about it differently? (p. 70) Are there
other factors that influence how someone discusses race and racism? Do you see it as part of
everyday experience or as something peripheral?
What are the authors’ conclusions about race?
What do O&W say about Affirmative Action on p. 72-3? Do you agree with them?
Time permitting: Have students read NYTimes article on multiracial identities and college aps in
groups and discuss.
Example 2: Creative writing song activity for French 3
Jacques Brel- “Ne me quitte pas” (45 min)
Pre-listening activity : (5 min) Êtes-vous jamais tomb amoureux de quelqu’un ? Qu’est-ce qui
s’est pass ? Avez-vous le trompé ? ou vice versa ? Avez-vous le laisser ? ou vice versa ?
Listening activity : (10 min) Ecrivez tous les articles définis, indéfinis, et partitifs que vous
entendez. Pourquoi on utilise chacun dans chaque exemple ?
Post-listening activity :
(5 min) Qu’est-ce qui se passe dans la chanson ? Quel est le ton ? Quelles sont les émotions
exprimées ?
(10 min) Have 5 groups each take a stanza and come up with the main idea and discuss the
images. 3 minutes to discuss and then share with class.
Writing activity : (15 min) Have 4 groups each write a letter responding to someone
who has just broken up with them to present to the class.
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel
Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le coeur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
-----------------------------------Moi je t'offrirai
Des perles de pluie
Venues de pays
Où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre
Jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps
D'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine
Où l'amour sera roi
Où l'amour sera loi
Où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
------------------------------------Je t'inventerai
Des mots insensés
Que tu comprendras
Je te parlerai
De ces amants-là
Qui ont vu deux fois
Leurs coeurs s'embraser
Je te raconterai
L'histoire de ce roi
Mort de n'avoir pas
Pu te rencontrer
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
-----------------------------------On a vu souvent
Rejaillir le feu
De l'ancien volcan
Qu'on croyait trop vieux
Il est paraît-il
Des terres brulées
Donnant plus de blé
Qu'un meilleur avril
Et quand vient le soir
Pour qu'un ciel flamboie
Le rouge et le noir
Ne s'épousent-ils pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
-----------------------------------Ne me quitte pas
Je ne vais plus pleurer
Je ne vais plus parler
Je me cacherai là
A te regarder
Danser et sourire
Et à t'écouter
Chanter et puis rire
Laisse-moi devenir
L'ombre de ton ombre
L'ombre de ta main
L'ombre de ton chien
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Example 3: French 4 Teaching Intertextuality and Recontextualization through Music
Lesson plan for Zebda- “Le bruit et l’odeur”
Pre-classroom activities to be done at home:
Provide students with French lyrics and have them watch Zebda’s “Le bruit et l’odeur”
Questions to focus on while listening/viewing the first time (without lyrics):
1) What are the general impressions you get from watching this video?
2) What is the tone of the song?
3) Describe the group members? How do they look, act? What are they wearing?
4) What images and colors are used in the video? Why?
5) What are your reactions to the video?
6) How does this music video compare to other groups you might listen to?
What to focus on while listening/viewing the second time (with lyrics):
1) Underline words or phrases that you don’t understand. Try to figure them out by looking in a dictionary
or reference manual.
2) Are there uses of language that you have not yet encountered in French class?
3) Are there uses of language that are different than what you have learned in class?
Post-listening/viewing activities:
1) Why is the title of the song “le bruit et l’odeur”? Do a google search. What do you find?
2) Look up the bolded items [Voltaire, Dolto, Garonne, Montecassino]. What cultural references are being
made? How are they important to the message of the song?
In-class activities: Day 1
Warm up (5 min): In small groups, have students compare what they found out and their impressions of the
song.
Clarifications (5 min): Go over language and comprehension difficulties. It might make sense to give the
English translation.
Discussion (10 min): Have them share as a class their thoughts about what is going on and what they found out,
using the homework questions as a discussion guide.
Reading activity (15 min): [You can have a volunteer read aloud or have them read silently]
“Comment voulez-vous que le travailleur français qui travaille avec sa femme et qui ensemble gagnent environ
15 000 FF et qui voit sur le palier à côté de son HLM entassée, une famille avec un père de famille, trois ou
quatre épouses et une vingtaine de gosses, et qui gagne 50 000FF de prestation sociale sans naturellement
travailler. Si vous ajoutez à cela le bruit et l'odeur, eh bien le travailleur français sur le palier, il devient fou. Et
ce n'est pas être raciste que de dire cela. Nous n'avons plus les moyens d'honorer le regroupement familial et il
faut enfin ouvrir le débat qui s'impose dans notre pays qui est un vrai débat moral pour savoir si, il est naturel
que les étrangers puissent bénéficier au même titre que les Français d'une solidarité nationale à laquelle ils ne
participent pas puisqu'ils ne payent pas d'impôts.” (Chirac, 1991)
Questions:
1) Is Chirac’s speech problematic? Why or why not ? What is he arguing?
2) What are your impressions of his speech ?
3) Why does he says « Ce n’est pas pas être raciste que de dire cela » ? (“It is not racist to say this?”) What
effect does using a negative statement have on the meaning?
17
In-class Activities: Day 2
Viewing activity: (20-25 min)
Watch reportage about Chirac’s speech and answer the following questions. You can divide the class into
groups and have each group work on a few questions before discussing the questions as a class.
1) How is Chirac’s speech presented by the newscasters?
2) How is the speech contextualized within the report? Within the political arena?
3) Who are the other protagonists? What other voices do we hear? What do they argue?
4) What is the audience’s response to the speech? How is that different from the responses outside of the
context of that dinner-debate?
5) What are you reactions to the audience’s response?
6) Moving your attention to Zebda’s song, how is Chirac’s speech contextualized there?
7) What part of the speech do they focus on and use in their song lyrics?
8) What is the purpose of Zebda’s song? What do they argue?
9) Go to Zebda’s text. Name specific examples of arguments that they are making in their song? How
effective are these arguments?
Zebda- “Le bruit et l’odeur” (excerpt)
Si j'suis tombé par terre
C'est pas la faute à Voltaire
Le nez dans le ruisseau
Y avait pas Dolto
Si y'a pas plus d'anges
Dans le ciel et sur la terre
Pourquoi faut-il qu'on crève dans le ghetto ?
If I fell over
I can’t blame Voltaire
My nose in the gutter
Dolto wasn’t there
If there's no more angels
In heaven and on earth
Why must we die in the ghetto?
Plutôt que d'être issu d'un peuple qui a trop souffert
J'aime mieux élaborer une thèse
Qui est de pas laisser à ces messieurs
Qui légifèrent, le soin de me balancer des ancêtres
Rather than coming from a suffering people
I prefer to develop a thesis
Which does not allow these gentlemen
Who legislate, to invent my ancestors
On a beau être né
Rive gauche de la Garonne
Converser avec l'accent des cigales
Ils sont pas des kilos dans la cité gasconne
A faire qu'elle ne soit pas qu'une escale
One may have been born
On the left bank of the Garonne
Speaking with the accent of cicadas
There are not enough people in the projects of Gascony
To make it more than just a stopover
On peut mourir au front
Et faire toutes les guerres
Et beau défendre un si joli drapeau
Il en faut toujours plus
Pourtant y a un hommage à faire
A ceux tombés à Montécassino
One may die on the frontlines
And fight in every war
And defend such a beautiful flag
But it always takes more
Yet a tribute must be paid
To those fallen at Monte Cassino
[Refrain] :
Le bruit et l'odeur
Le bruit et l'odeur
Le bruit du marteau-piqueur x4
[Chorus]
The noise and smell
The noise and smell
The noise of the jackhammer x4
18
News Report on Jacques Chirac’s Controversial Remarks
Présentateur: Les propos de Jacques Chirac sur l’immigration sèment donc le trouble et provoquent quelques remous dans la
classe politique française. Tout le monde reconnaît que l’immigration pose un problème en France. Beaucoup pensent que les
gouvernements successifs n’ont pas su maîtriser la situation mais aujourd’hui c’est d’abord le discours et les mots employés
par Jacques Chirac qui engendrent la polémique. Déclarations et réactions rassemblées par François Bradan.
Bradan: Au départ, une réunion presque sans importance. Le RPR (Rassemblement pour la République) est à Orléans, dînerdébat devant 1,500 militants, et soudain entre la poire et le fromage Jacques Chirac passe à l’attaque, sa cible : l’immigration.
Chirac: Comment voulez-vous que le travailleur français qui habite à la Goutte d'or où je me promenais avec Alain Juppé la
Chirac: Comment voulez-vous que le travailleur français qui habite à la Goutte d'or où je me promenais avec Alain Juppé la
semaine dernière il y a trois ou quatre jours et qui travaille avec sa femme et qui ensemble gagnent environ 15 000 FF et qui
semaine dernière il y a trois ou quatre jours et qui travaille avec sa femme et qui ensemble gagnent environ 15 000 FF et qui voit
voit sur le palier à côté de son HLM, entassée, une famille avec un père de famille, trois ou quatre épouses et une vingtaine de
sur le palier à côté de son HLM, entassée, une famille avec un père de famille, trois ou quatre épouses et une vingtaine de gosses
gosses et qui gagne 50 000FF de prestation sociale sans naturellement travailler. Si vous ajoutez à ça, si vous ajoutez à ça, le
et qui gagne 50 000FF de prestation sociale sans naturellement travailler. Si vous ajoutez à ça, si vous ajoutez à ça, le bruit et
bruit et l'odeur, et bien le travailleur français sur le palier, il devient fou. Il devient fou.
l'odeur, et bien le travailleur français sur le palier, il devient fou. Il devient fou.
C’est comme ça. Et il faut le comprendre, si vous étiez, vous auriez la même réaction. Ce n'est pas être raciste que de dire cela.
Bradan : Un discours musclé. Un style qu’on a de plutôt d’habitude de trouver du côté du Front National. Jean Marie le Pen
apprécie :
Le Pen: Je constate que Jacques Chirac arrive à tenir le même discours que le Front National, tout en continuant à affirmer que le
Front National est extrémiste et à le diaboliser. Il y a là une contradiction qu’il faudra bien qu’il lève ou qu’à défaut les
électeurs lèveront pour lui.
Bradan: Est-ce que vous ne craignez pas que finalement le RPR ne finisse pas par vous couper un peu l'herbe sous le pied?
Le Pen: Et bien écoutez je ne le crois pas. Honnêtement parce que je crois que les électeurs préféreront toujours l’original à la
copie.
Bradan: Ce matin à Matignon Edith Cresson s’est déclarée, choquée par les propos de Jacques Chirac. Choquée mais pas
surprise. Est-ce que ça ne vous donne pas rétrospectivement raison sur votre intervention, celle de Jacques Chirac hier soir?
Cresson: Oui, j’avais dit que le langage de M. Jacques Chirac ressemblait beaucoup à celui de M. le Pen. J’ai dit ça il y a
quelques jours. Ça a surpris et puis aujourd’hui tous les journalistes, tous les commentateurs disent la même chose. Donc, ce
que j’avais dit je pressentais ce rapprochement.
Bradan: …Désormais, au centre de la polémique, Jacques Chirac semble avoir trouvé une forme de dialogue particulièrement
fracassante.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------Newscaster: Jacques Chirac’s remark on immigration creates confusion and causes a stir in French politics. Everyone recognizes
that immigration is a problem in France. Many believe that successive governments have failed to control the situation, but
today the discourse and words used by Jacques Chirac have generated controversy. Here are some statements and reactions
collected by François Bradan.
Bradan: Initially, an almost irrelevant meeting. The RPR (Rally for the Republic) is in Orleans, at a dinner-debate for 1,500
militants, and suddenly between the fruit and the cheese courses, Jacques Chirac goes on the attack. His target: immigration.
Chirac:
where II was
was walking
walking with
with Alain
Alain Juppé
Jupp last
last week
week three
three or
or
Chirac: How
How do
do you
you expect
expect the
the French
French worker
worker who
who lives
lives in
in Goutte
Goutte d’Or
d’or where
four
four days
days ago
ago and
and who
who works
works with
with his
his wife
wife and
and who
who together
together earn
earn about
about 15
15 000
000 FF
FF and
and sees
sees on
on the
the landing
landing next
next to
to his
his crowded
public
housing,
family with
a father,
or four
wives
andwives
twenty
kids,
earning
000FF
social from
benefits
without
crowded
public ahousing,
a family
withthree
a father,
three
or four
and
twenty
kids50
who
earnsfrom
50 000FF
social
benefits
working.
If you add
to that,
add
to that,
noisethe
and
theand
smell,
wellwell
the the
French
worker
goesgoes
mad.
He He
goesgoes
mad.
without working.
If you
addiftoyou
that,
if you
addthe
to that,
noise
smell,
French
worker
mad.
mad.
That's how it is. And if you were there, you would have the same reaction. It's not racist to say that.
Bradan: Tough talk. A style that one would more likely expect from the National Front. Jean Marie le Pen comments:
Le Pen: I note that Jacques Chirac has managed to use the same discourse as the National Front, while continuing to assert that
the National Front is extremist and continuing to demonize us. There is a contradiction there that he will have to address or
that the voters will make him address.
Bradan: Are you not afraid that eventually the RPR will steal your platform?
Le Pen: I do not think so because I honestly believe that voters always prefer the original to the copy.
Bradan: This morning in Matignon Edith Cresson expressed her thoughts, shocked by the words of Jacques Chirac. Shocked but
not surprised. In retrospect, were you not right about what you said concerning Jacques Chirac last night?
Cresson: Yes, I had said that the language of Jacques Chirac was much like that of Mr. Le Pen. I said that a few days ago. It was
surprising to people, but then today all the journalists and commentators are saying the same thing. So I had already sensed
this connection.
Bradan: …Now at the center of the controversy Jacques Chirac seems to have found a form of particularly sensational dialogue.
19
20