Building bridges from K-12 to higher education in French and Francophone Studies

Merfeld-Langston, Audra

doi:https://doi.org/10.3828/cfc.2020.22

Merfeld-Langston, Audra

Contemporary French Civilization (2020), 45, (3-4), 365–379.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/cfc.2020.22
Language: English
Pages: 15

Abstract

As scholars of French and Francophone Studies (FFS), our collective expertise encompasses a vast array of topics and methodological approaches. Too often, however, we write only for our peers, thereby neglecting opportunities and responsibilities to engage broader audiences. I advocate in this article for increasing the overlap between FFS, public humanities, digital humanities, and K-12 education, with a particular emphasis on the latter. In doing so, we can contribute to valorizing FFS, strengthen ties with our K-12 colleagues, inspire young people to pursue FFS in college, and promote intercultural understanding.

En tant que chercheurs en études françaises et francophones (FFS), notre expertise collective comprend une vaste gamme de sujets et d’approches méthodologiques. Pourtant, trop souvent, nous écrivons uniquement pour nos pairs, négligeant ainsi l’occasion et notre responsabilité d’engager un public plus large. Dans cet article, je préconise d’augmenter le chevauchement entre les FFS, les humanités et l’enseignement élémentaire et secondaire. Ce faisant, nous pouvons contribuer à valoriser les FFS, renforcer les liens avec nos collègues du secondaire, inspirer les jeunes à poursuivre les FFS à l’université et promouvoir la compréhension interculturelle.

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