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 Enrollment Rating

Fall 2007 French 1 (First year- elementary level) 17 6.24

Spring 2008 French 2 (First year- elementary level) 18 6.36

Fall 2008 French 2 (First year- elementary level) 18 6.25

Spring 2011 French 3 (Second year- intermediate level) 18 6.25

Summer 2011 French 142 AC: Cultures of Franco-America* 14 6.58

Spring 2012 French 4 (Second year- intermediate level) 14 6.27

Fall 2012 French R1A (Reading and Composition)** 16

Spring 2013 French R1B (Reading and Composition)***

Ratings: 7 = highest score, 1 = lowest score.

*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 on-

going 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 ma.ya@berkeley.edu

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. 155-

178). 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” (61-

108); “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 Gallo-

Romance” (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 ma.ya@berkeley.edu

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

17

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?

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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 ?

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

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

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

[Refrain] :

Le bruit et l'odeur Le bruit et l'odeur

Le bruit du marteau-piqueur x4

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?

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

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

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

[Chorus]

The noise and smell The noise and smell

The noise of the jackhammer x4

19

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, dîner-

débat 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

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 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 ça, si vous ajoutez à ça, le

bruit et 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: How do you expect the French worker who lives in Goutte d’or where I was walking with Alain Juppé last week three or

four days ago and who works with his wife and who together earn about 15 000 FF and sees on the landing next to his

crowded public housing, a family with a father, three or four wives and twenty kids who earns 50 000FF from social benefits

without working. If you add to that, if you add to that, the noise and smell, well the French worker goes mad. He goes 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.

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 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 ça, si vous ajoutez à ça, le bruit et

l'odeur, et bien le travailleur français sur le palier, il devient fou. Il devient fou.

Chirac: How do you expect the French worker who lives in Goutte d’Or where I was walking with Alain Jupp last week three or

four days ago and who works with his wife and who together earn about 15 000 FF and sees on the landing next to his crowded

public housing, a family with a father, three or four wives and twenty kids, earning 50 000FF from social benefits without

working. If you add to that, if you add to that, the noise and the smell, well the French worker goes mad. He goes mad.

20