The Duality of War
French HL Teachers’ Project
NHLRC/STARTALK 2012
Heritage Language Teacher Workshop
July 16-20, 2012
Los Angeles, California
Dulce de Castro
Mame Mbaye
Standard- and Community-Based Unit
Theme: The effects of war and the role of art (literature
and film) as a mediator between contending individuals
and cultures and as a medium to respond to the
historical, cultural, psychological, and emotional
complexities of war
Age of Students: 16-22
Language Level: Intermediate -Advanced
Time Frame: 6 class periods (75 minutes each)
Standards and Communication Modes: All Five Cs and
the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes
Learner Profile
Place of Birth
• European francophone countries (France, Belgium,
Switzerland)
• African francophone countries
• Canada
• U.S.
Students’ Language Proficiency
•
•
•
•
•
Listening – Advanced
Speaking – Intermediate high – Advanced
Reading – Intermediate
Writing – Intermediate
Cultural Background – Intermediate
Objectives
Students will understand
• the moral, social, cultural, and psychological
impact of war
• the power of art (particularly poetry) to unite
adversaries
Students will be able to
• write a short film review using critical thinking
skills such as comparison and contrast
• write an explication de texte of a poem
Cont.
• Write a report and give an oral presentation
based on an interview conducted in the
community
• Write a reflective essay based on the materials
discussed in class and the interview conducted in
the community
• Write a translation of a poem
• Develop critical thinking skills (observation,
analysis, interpretation, inference, evaluation,
explanation, and meta-cognition)
Materials Used
Authentic Printed Texts
• Le Rossignol de Kabylie (short story by
Emmanuel Roblès, Algerian-French author)
• Le Dormeur du val (poem by Arthur Rimbaud)
Authentic Short Films
• Le Rossignol de Kabylie (short film based on
the short story, directed by Georges Régnier)
• Le Télégramme (short film directed by
Coralie Fargeat)
Unit Sequence
Day 1
Pre-reading Activities
• Group Work - Research and discuss the following
background information: the Franco-Algerian war, the
Kabylie region in Algeria, Pieds-Noirs (Scaffolding)
Day 2
• Read the story Le Rossignol de Kabylie and watch the
short film adaptation of the story (reading, listening,
writing, speaking activities)
Cont.
Day 3
• Read the poem Le Dormeur du Val and watch the short
film Le Télégramme (reading, listening, writing, speaking
activities)
Day 4
• Work on the project: Preparation for the interview
(interview etiquette, pragmatics, preparation of
questions)
Day 5
• Conduct the interview in the community
Day 6
• Project presentations
Summative Assessment
The interview conducted by the HL learners will
include the five Cs:
Culture: (French, Algerian)
Comparisons: French vs. Algerian, Pieds-Noirs vs.
Algerian; language of poetry vs. language of short
story; film vs. short story
Connections: history, geography, literature (poetry
and short story), and film
Community: Interview of war veterans from the
community
Modes of Communication
• Interpersonal: Interview in the community
and class discussions
• Presentational: Written review of the film,
written and oral report of the interview
• Interpretive: Analysis of the short story, poem,
and short films