Speak up!
Confidence and Awareness Across Cultures
When I enter my classroom, it's showtime!
An effective teacher is an interactive performer. I have always been inspired by educational cartoons, such as “Schoolhouse Rock!”, to help make challenging curriculum exciting. Of the many teachers I have had as a student, I have only truly learned from those whose energy and passion for learning were inspiring and contagious.
In my curriculum planning, I privilege a balanced communicative approach. I tune into individual needs and tailor instruction accordingly. From “speed-dating” conversations to skits, from journal entries to simulated dialogues, from “show and tell” to group debates, this variety accommodates all students’ learning styles. I consistently provide peer-to-peer activities, such as information gap tasks or jigsaws, to maximize interpersonal communication and independent language practice. I remind my students that the superior language speaker is a risk-taker and a problem-solver. When students make mistakes, I offer different types of corrective feedback, including but not restricted to recasting, elicitation, and explicit correction; the goal of the activities and the nature of the mistakes inform which approach I choose.
At La Salle University, I taught many heritage speakers, primarily from Haïti and Francophone Africa. One of the fundamental tasks with this group is to inculcate positive attitudes toward the students’ family cultures and the knowledge that they bring to class. One of the challenges for them is to go beyond the informal usage of the language to a more formal academic language; in my classes, these students learn to decipher the connection(s) between language use and society. This should be approached with discussions of register, standardization of speech, social variations, etc. Writing is often the skill that poses the biggest challenge to their mastery of the language. With a lot of practice at their current level, students develop automaticity and expand their repertoire of topics. One way to improve writing skills is by encouraging written discussions on our Learning Management System, Canvas. Discussion boards help to create a social presence beyond the classroom and enhance a sense of community, offering students a chance to share diverse insights.
One discussion that I led during Fall 2020 with my students at Lauder was about the treatment of the elderly around the world. This discussion served as an introduction to my unit “(Re)-construction”. One of the topics was about the performance of public hospitals in France during the coronavirus pandemic and the French residential care for senior citizens in EHPAD (Établissement d’Hébergement pour Personnes Âgées Dépendantes). Through this offline discussion, we brought up different ways of caring for the elderly beyond the United States. We talked about Japan, where a quarter of the population is over 65 years old, and how the robotization of machines assist the elderly in acquiring autonomy and independence. Then we mentioned India, where traditionally elders are cared for by their families. In India and China, it appears that taking care of senior citizens is a filial duty. Finally, a student mentioned the former British Prime Minister Theresa May who launched the government’s first loneliness strategy, and to tackle it, the United Kingdom financed community activities as well as volunteer services. I believe such discussions could benefit heritage speakers. A macro-based approach in class seems appropriate to activate previous knowledge in order to analyze the “big picture” and process information. The micro-based approach can also be beneficial to them in developing those areas of their language use which need remedial action, like certain grammatical points, register, expansion of their vocabulary, etc.
I stay current with the latest research on methodologies and practices by attending various professional training programs and conferences in the fields of second language acquisition and French literature, culture, and civilization. For instance, following the workshop organized by the Alliance Française de Philadelphie “Vidéos et cartes mentales: un duo gagnant,” I began using mind-mapping methods for the reinforcement and learning of new vocabulary. It is a highly engaging and reflection-provoking tool that immediately enhanced collaboration among my students.
One memory I have from my own experience with teacher-centered language instruction is learning prepositions with a cat and a bus; a cat being on or in the bus was neither realistic nor pertinent to me. As a result, I strive to give presentations and activities with real-life applications. My students have always appreciated the fact that I keep my subject relevant. For example, in 2019 I had my intermediate students write thank you cards to Notre-Dame firefighters and last year to medical personnel during the coronavirus pandemic. These activities motivated my students, which helped them to connect with native speakers in a meaningful manner because they were able to apply their French skills in a real-world setting.
My mission as a teacher of the French language is to foster interest in the study of the language and Francophone cultures, both in the classroom and beyond. I have seen first-hand how students benefit from studying abroad during the time I served as a Program Assistant and Instructor for the Pitt in Nantes program. Through targeted interactions within the Nantes community, students gained confidence in their linguistic abilities and became aware of their nascent global citizenship. Through self-exploration abroad, students returned to the United States with a more critical mind and an assertive voice of their own, ready to speak up!
Eléonore Bertrand - CV .pdf
On gamification
Tell me, and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.
--- Chinese proverb
Learning French can be enjoyable when your approach to learning is geared towards having fun! Do not expect dull instruction and boring learning techniques from my classes.
There is a misconception that proper learning should be serious but research shows that games provide an alternative route to learning a language effectively while providing a pleasurable method to do so. I have had many students who were nervous and shied away during class participation feeling peer-pressured. The fear of making mistakes in public literally froze them into speaking. Through games, students can enjoy themselves while unconsciously acquiring an array of language skills. Understanding why we play is essential and it is up to me to explain the reasons behind a particular game.
The benefits of gamification:
1- promote communication by encouraging collaboration and cooperation
2- increase motivation and personal investment and integrates numerous linguistic skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing
3- stimulate the learning process that goes against boredom and passive learning
4- enhance students’ problem-solving skills and encourage the learner to become a risk-taker
5- engage learners and reduce anxiety of making errors
6- require active participation of all learners
Some students may be reluctant to learn this way and would prefer traditional teaching methods. Any games cannot have an end in itself and must be part of a learning sequence presenting a larger and central project. In this context, the game is an alternative to other exercises designed to prepare for the completion of a task. In my classes, I combine traditional and innovative methods. Some students need a more rigid framework for learning and I consistently adapt my pedagogy to the best of my students’ needs.
Free-to-use tech tools for my classroom
Canva - an online graphic design tool, great to stimulate learners' creativity. I had students make a travel brochure and design a restaurant menu.
Canvas - a learning management system. I create daily asynchronous quizzes and lead offline discussions.
Coggle - a collaborative mind-mapping tool. I use it to review a vocabulary unit and to hierarchize information.
Conjuguemos - a website that drills verb conjugations, vocabulary, and grammar. Students review verbs forms for homework and any assessment.
EDpuzzle - a web-based tool for editing online videos and adding interactive content to target specific learning objectives. I usually use it at the beginner level to enhance comprehension skills.
Flipgrid - a website that allows teachers to create "grids" to facilitate video discussions. I use it to make two classes or more communicate and collaborate beyond the classroom.
Genially - a media creation platform focused on designing and sharing media creations and presentations of all kinds. I’m currently learning how to create digital escape rooms.
Kahoot - a game-based learning platform. I use it for instant evaluation.
Mentimeter - a presentation tool that uses quizzes, polls and word clouds to help students engage. I typically use it at the beginning of the semester in an ice-breaking activity and to brainstorm about a concept by generating a word cloud. We repeat the latter later on in the term and then compare it. See this example from last semester.
Padlet - an online post-it wall. I use it to make two classes or more communicate and collaborate beyond the classroom.
Quizlet - a website that boosts students' learning through a number of study tools that include flashcards and game-based quizzes.
Voki - a website that allows students to create fun talking avatars for classroom use. I use it at the beginner level to practice hearing French outside of class.
On embracing and teaching diversity
I am from the northwestern suburbs of Paris, a city called Asnières-sur-Seine. I grew up in a diverse neighborhood where kids were dreaming of becoming Dragon Ball Z’s Son Goku or rappers. We enjoyed Algerian couscous and Senegalese mafe at birthday parties with a glass of Coca-Cola. It was later on that I realized my privilege of having an elevator in my building compared to my friends’ families who had to carry their grocery bags up several flights of stairs. From their sixth floor they would frown on the construction of a glass building designed for offices that was shadowing their brick housing project. While studying towards my MA, I wanted to give back to my community by teaching English. The Centre Socioculturel Yannick Noah was and still is a place of communion for low-income families offering children assistance with their homework and providing literacy classes to some kids’ parents. I also volunteered in my neighborhood community V.A.G.U.E.S. (Voltaire Aulagnier Grésillons Un Élan Solidaire) for ten years and was part of the Board of Directors. I mostly served as a liaison between residents and city hall representatives. My commitment and dedication to social and civic engagement makes me confident that I can serve students as well as the Francophone migrant population in Philadelphia.
