Designing an activity for teaching foreign languages to Senior High students based on Pluralistic Approaches

Abstract

Pluralistic approaches in language teaching offer an innovative and effective answer to the question of how to promote the value of linguistic and cultural diversity. The following article suggests an activity that teachers could use in their teaching. This activity is designed on the basis of pluralistic approaches to teaching and learning foreign languages and more specifically on integrated didactics and the intercultural approach. According to the intercultural approach we can use the first language (or the language of teaching) as a springboard to make acquiring a second foreign language easier. When teaching French as a foreign language, the teacher relies on what is already known to process what is less known. In this way the first foreign language, English in our case, serves as a springboard for the acquisition of the second foreign language and then for the acquisition of other foreign languages, including the language repertoire of our senior high school students. The intercultural approach relies on phenomena from one or more cultural area(s) as a basis for understanding others from one or more different area(s). Throughout the suggested activity, students are encouraged to observe and compare the linguistic elements, to identify cultural similarities and differences between the countries where the respective languages are spoken, in order to activate empathy and create bridges of mutual understanding.

Keywords

• teaching, learning, foreign language, english, french, pluralistic approaches, integrated didactics, intercultural approach