Students Learning

About Teaching a Second Language – Take Away the Frustration

Speaking with colleagues about teaching a second language always raises an interesting debate. Looking at French as a second language, a common response that many students give is “I hate French!”. To avoid being unrealistic, we must ask ourselves if rigidly following each strand of the French curriculum offers an organic process of intellectual growth, or if it presents an awkward and rushed approach, bounded by unrealistic goals.

One thing that I have learned about teaching a second language is that students take French for a variety of reasons. They are either pressured by government, school, or parents; and some are even self-motivated. Some students are pushed into French classes kicking and screaming, others jump at the opportunity to learn a new language and its cultural appreciation.

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