Toward the Greening of the Intermediate French Language Curriculum

Abstract

This chapter describes a content-based curricular pilot study focused on environmental sustainability in an intermediate (second-year) French language program. The learning goals were related to language, culture, critical analysis, and environmental policies and practices in the US and France. The project was guided by three pedagogical principles: The use of inquiry learning, the integration of primary sources and experiential learning, and the creation of discovery pathways and research connections. We illustrate one unit focused on France's Charte de l'environnement, in which students analyze primary sources, explore French attitudes about environmental issues, and perform debates as delegates in the French National Assembly. A preliminary analysis of students' work suggested that students' research skills were improved, their pathways of exploring French culture were individualized, and their engagement with environmental sustainability content was expanded through exposure to historical, literary, cultural, and political perspectives.