We all know there is a wealth of information on the internet. No joke; it’s amazing—and very overwhelming. If you are anything like me, you have over a hundred students, multiple preps, plus all the other things that come with our profession.
One area that has allowed me to breathe has been using some of the content in the Chemins series to highlight the entire francophone world. Beginning with the first-year program of Chemins, students are already introduced to a more diverse picture of the French-speaking world, from introducing a North African family in the third unit to focusing on the France d’Outre Mer in the fourth unit. Vista Higher Learning makes a clear effort to include a mosaic of voices throughout all of its programs.
Something I have learned in my many years as a world language teacher is that you simply cannot do it all alone. Nor can you know everything. In my previous blog, I described that despite having my master’s degree in French, I had serious gaps in my own cultural understanding of West Africa because it was never a key part of my personal French education. Now, it has become a passion and I am much more versed, but there are, and always will be, things to learn and discover.
Let Chemins take some of the load off, and use these materials as a jumping-off point to greater exploration.
By: Christen Campbell
Also read: Franco-African Identity: Expanding Your Instructional Repertoire
