Artifact for Standard Four: Content Knowledge: The teacher understands the central concepts,

tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines(s) he or she teaches and creates learning

experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to

assure mastery of the content.

Name of Artifact: FRE 537 Fraser Chapitre Onze Dissertation

Course: FRE 537 Topics in French Culture (Marie Antoinette)

Date: 23 June 2016

ACTFL Standard: Acquiring Information and Diverse Perspectives: Learners access and evaluate

information and diverse perspectives that are available through the language and its cultures.

Rationale:

Content Knowledge is essential for any teacher. I have included this paper about a

chapter on Marie Antoinette to demonstrate my content knowledge. Marie Antoinette is a

historical figure that interests many people, and one cannot discuss the French Revolution

without considering her involvement. At the time many French people blamed her for their

hardships. History knows better, yet the popular misconception that she is to blame is still

prevalent. My students often ask me about her famous misquote. My students do not realize that

one of her predecessors actually said, let them eat cake until they ask me about it, and I use it

as a larger springboard to delve into the history and events of the French Revolution. As we

continue the conversation, we can discuss the far reaching consequences to France as well as

around the world.

Ultimately language is about communication. Conveying cultural knowledge such as

knowledge about important events like the French Revolution allows the target language to be

the medium to learn other concepts. This provides context and allows the learning to be more
meaningful since the language use has a real purpose for the learner. Placing the learning in

longer discourse allows students to attend to meaning and notice the grammatical features as they

fit into larger texts. (Gass, Behney, & Plonsky, 2013) Also, presenting the context in longer

texts allows the learner to see how the different grammatical features function in tandem. This is

useful when there are features that contrast each other such as imparfait and the pass compos.

(Katz & Blyth, 2007)

Comparing and contrasting the myths surrounding Marie-Antoinette with French history

may be used to teach the student research and self-select sources. A lesson of this type could be

used to teach students to evaluate the validity of sources. Students would then be able to transfer

these skills as they evaluate the reputability of different sources from which they receive

information. This may help them be better consumers of information as well as assist them as

they create content. This is an increasingly relevant skill as the prevalence of social media

continues to grow as the worlds economies become more global which in turn increases the

need to attend to social justice on a global scale (Jackson, 2014) to ensure that minorities are not

marginalized since majority groups may attempt to do so with propaganda. As students apply

this knowledge, they may effect change.

 References

Gass, S. M., Behney, J., & Plonsky, L. (2013). Second language acquisition An introductory

course (4th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Jackson, J. (2014). Introducing language and intercultural communication (1st ed.). New York,

NY: Routledge.

Katz, S. L., & Blyth, C. S. (2007). Teaching French Grammar in Context. New Haven, CT: Yale

University Press.