In this section you will find materials that assist in a variety of ways as you seek to develop support for and knowledge of your French program.
- Some of the documents are questionnaires that parents, colleagues and staff, and counselors can complete to offer the teacher valuable information about the potential kinds of support to expect from them. You might find speakers for Honor Society inductions or field-trip ideas.
- Other materials provide models for documents that teachers might want to produce for distribution to parents, students, and colleagues. These samples and templates can be easily tailored to specific needs.
Some materials provide background information, statistics, and talking points on the importance of studying French today. The testimonial section provides first-hand accounts of parents and students, who describe how French has affected their lives. The video program The World Speaks French: Video Stories presents personal stories about the importance of studying French.
It also makes sense to consider how you can help students think about being a French teacher! This initiative from ACTFL helps start you on that path. Can you “grow your own” future teacher for your program? The program’s called “Educators Rising“–check it out!
https://www.actfl.org/career-development/educators-rising
Sample Monthly Newsletter for Parents & Students
Strategy: 50 French Events And Activities (Customize this to help your allies know what’s going on in your area)
Sample Testimonial Prompts (Use these with your own students and their parents, as well as other allies)
Sample Release Form (pdf) (Remember to get permission to use testimonials; use this as a model)
Template: Release Form (to edit) (This form can be customized for your use)
Advice from Colleagues:
FLES Advocacy And Promotion (Lipton)
Essay: Promoting And Teaching French To Spanish Speakers (Thomas)
Strategy: Recruiting Spanish-Language Students
Essay: What a French Teacher Needs To Know To Work Effectively With Guidance Counselors (Malone)
Essay:Working Against The Odds In FL Instruction (Gramer)
Promoting Interdepartmental Cooperation (National French Week)
Marketing Your College or University French Program (Morrissey)
Information on French-speakers in the world:
Map of the French-Speaking World
You can get information about French-speakers in the United States through the Modern Language Association’s language map data center: MLA Language Map Data
Video Stories: “The World Speaks French”
Click here to access the video stories: interviews with people from different walks of life who tell fascinating stories of how learning and speaking French has impacted their lives and careers.
The World Speaks French: Video Stories
Introduction: The World Speaks French Video Stories (Gives an overview of what’s on the video)
Strategy: The World Speaks French Topics And Themes (How you might use the videos)
Information about French-US trade and economic relationships:
2020 France-U.S. Economic Report
Classroom and other activities:
50 French Events And Activities