First created in 1993, the AATF Commission on Cultural Competence is
currently chaired by Marie-Christine Koop (University of North Texas).
* Objectives of the Commission
* Structure of the Commission
* Events and conferences
* Articles of interest in the AATF National Bulletin
* Projects developed by the Commission
* Teacher's corner (maintained by Jayne Abrate)
These are the preliminary objectives which will be evolving as work progresses.
A. PRACTICAL TASKS
1. Articles in the AATF National Bulletin (on-going)
a. a
regular column on the work of the Commission titled "Le carrefour
culturel" and prepared by Sharon Rapp and Marie-Christine Koop, appears
in every issue of the AATF National Bulletin. It includes announcements
of interest to AATF members, resources for presenting culture in the
classroom, and progress reports.
b.
Classroom activities around culture (culture capsule on a particular
theme, classroom presentation of a film, applications of a web site,
etc.) are published in each issue of the AATF National Bulletin.
2. Maintenance of a web site for the Commission (Marie-Christine Koop)
This web site contains announcements, resources for
teaching culture, opportunities for teachers, seminars and stays in
French-speaking countries with scholarships and/or grants, etc.
3. Sessions at conventions and workshops
a. Organization of sessions
and workshops at conferences (international, AATF, ACTFL, regional,
state, and local meetings) to present current issues on France and
French-speaking countries.
b. Organization of workshops
for teachers, summer seminars, and stays in French-speaking countries
with scholarships and/or grants:
• Centre International d'Etudes Pédagogiques in Sèvres, France, Summer 1997
• Université Laval and McGill University, July 2001
• University of geneva and University of Liège, Summer
2008. Plans are under way for a seminar in Quebec in the summer of 2001
or 2002.
B. RESEARCH AND STUDY GROUPS
1. Programs and research in the area of French culture (Alain-Philippe Durand)
A committee is currently researching the universities which offer
doctoral programs in French studies (society and culture, rather than
literature) and will contact various organizations outside AATF which
focus on French culture.
2. Cultural content of standardized tests and national exams
A committee will be studying the content of national exams such as the
Grand Concours (AATF National French Contest) and Advanced Placement,
and state exams leading to teaching certification in order to see what
the Commission can do to increase the cultural component of these tests
through suggestions to their organizers.
3. Implementation of the Commission goals to develop cultural competence
Another committee will be studying ways for the Commission to further
implement the objectives stated in its first volume edited by Alan
Singerman, Acquiring Cultural Competence: Four Stages for Students of
French (Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company, 1996). This content
of this volume is summarized in the cultural web page maintained by
Jayne Abrate
C. PUBLICATIONS
1. Volumes prepared by the Commission
a. Alan Singerman, ed. Acquiring Cultural Competence: Four Stages for Students of French. Lincolnwood, IL: National textbook Company, 1996.
b. Marie-Christine Weidmann Koop, ed. Assisted by Rosalie Vermette. France at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century/La France à l'aube du XXIe siècle.
Birmingham, AL: Summa Publications, 2000; 3rd printing in 2005. Pp.
300. This volume of 19 articles on contemporary France was completed by
participants in the 1997 Summer Seminar on Contemporary France held in
Sèvres and other Commission members. It covers major aspects of
French society and may be used as a reference manual or a text for
advanced courses on contemporary France. This book may be ordered
from the following address: Summa Publications, P.O. Box 660725,
Birmingham, AL 35266-0725. ISBN 1-883479-29-0. Price: $33.95. [See
order form below.]
c. Marie-Christine Weidmann Koop, ed. Le Québec aujourd'hui. Identité, société et culture.
Sainte-Foy, Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 2003.
ISBN 2-7637-8032-6. CAN$ 30.00. May be ordered online at
http://www.ulaval.ca/pul. This volume was completed by participants in
the 2001 national seminar and invited scholars.
d. Marie-Christine Weidmann Koop and Rosalie Vermette, eds. France in the Twenty-First Century: New Perspectives / La France au XXIe siècle: nouvelles perspectives. Birmingham, AL: Summa Publications, 2009. Pp. xxxiii + 430.
e. Marie-Christine Koop, guest ed. La Francophonie en Europe: le cas de la Suisse romande et de la Belgique francophone. Special issue of Dialogues et Cultures, No. 56, 2010. Pp. 191.
2. Collection of cultural units
Preparation of flyers, booklets and folders: presenting films in the
classroom, introducing contemporary songs, classroom applications of
web sites.
ACTIVE COMMISSION MEMBERS
Marie-Christine Koop
University of North Texas
Alan Singerman
Davidson College
Fred Toner
Ohio University
Rosalie Vermette
Indiana University-Purdue University at at Indianapolis
Ann Williams
Metropolitan State College of Denver
If you would like to participate in the work of the Commission, please contact Marie-Christine Koop at koop@unt.edu
EVENTS AND CONFERENCES
* Two sessions on the Commission were offered at the 1998 AATF convention in Montreal.
* A session was presented at the 1998 ACTFL convention in Chicago.
* A session at the Pennsylvania State MLA in October,1998
* A session at SCOLT in Virginia Beach in 1999.
* A session at Central States in Little Rock in 1999.
* A session and a workshop at AATF in St. Louis in July 1999.
* A session and a workshop at ACTFL in Dallas in November 1999.
* A session at the 5e Biennale pour l'éducation et la formation in Paris in April 2000.
* Two sessions at the 2000 AATF convention in Paris.
* A session at ACTFL 2000 in Boston.
* Sessions at the 2001 AATF convention in Denver.
* Research seminar in Quebec in July 2001, with
scholarships for approximately 15 AATF members (see below under
"Projects")
* Special session and workshop on Quebec at the AATF national convention in Boston, July 9-13, 2002.
* A session on contemporary France at the ACTFL convention in Salt Lake City in November 2002.
* A session on contemporary France at the ACTFL convention in Philadelphia in November 2003.
* A session on the work of the Commission at the ACTFL convention in Philadelphia in November 2003.
* A session on the progress of the Commission at the
AATF and FIPF joint international convention in Atlanta in July 2004
* A session on teaching Québec culture and
society at the ACTFL convention in Chicago in November 2004.
* A session on contemporary France scheduled at the
AATF national convention held in Québec City in July 2005.
* A session on aspects of contemporary France at the
AATF national convention to be held in Milwaukee in July 2006.
* A session on immigration in France at the ACTFL convention in Nashville in November 2006.
* A session on contemporary France at the AATF 2007 national convention in Baton Rouge.
* A session on Belgium at the 2007 ACTFL convention in San Antonio.
* A session on contemporary France at the 2008 AATF national convention in Liège.
* Two sessions on Switzerland and Belgium at the 2008 ACTFL convention in Orlando.
* Sessions on France, Switzerland, and Belgium at the 2009 AATF national convention in San Jose.
* Session on contemporary France at the 2009 ACTFL convention in San Diego.
* Session on contemporary France at the 2010 AATF national convention in Philadelphia.
* Session on contemporary France at the 2011 AATF convention in Montreal.
PROJECTS DEVELOPED BY THE COMMISSION
1997
A Summer Seminar on Contemporary France for professors of French
culture and civilization was organized and directed by Marie-Christine
Koop. It was held at the Centre International d'Etudes Pedagogiques
(CIEP) in Sevres, France with the cooperation of Alain Kimmel. Its main
objectives was the preparation of a volume of articles on contemporary
France. An article on the seminar appeared in the November, 1997 issue
of the AATF National Bulletin.
1998
A three-hour workshop on various aspects of contemporary France was
presented at the AATF national convention in Montreal by participants
in the 1997 Summer Seminar on France mentioned above.
2000
The volume of articles France at the Dawn of the Twenty-First
Century/La France à l'aube du XXIe siècle, edited by
Marie-Christine Koop with the assistance of Rosalie Vermette, has been
completed and published by Summa in 2000. See additional information
and order form below.
2001
A two-week research seminar in Quebec was organized in July 2001 under
the direction of Marie-Christine Koop. It was funded by a large grant
from the Ministère des Relations internationales du
Québec. See the follow-up article below which appeared in the
September 2001 issue of AATF National Bulletin.
2003
A volume of articles on Quebec, prepared as a follow-up to the 2001
Research Seminar held in Quebec, was published by the Presses de
l'Université Laval in 2003 with the title Le Québec aujourd'hui. Identité, société et culture.
2008
National AATF summer research seminar organized in Geneva and Liège in Summer 2008 by Marie-Christine Koop.
2009
Another volume on contemporary France was co-edited by Marie-Christine Koop and Roslaie Vermette. France in the Twenty-First Century: New Perspectives / La France au XXIe siècle: nouvelles perspectives. Birmingham, AL: Summa Publications, 2009. Pp. xxxiii + 430.
2010
A volume on French-speaking Switzerland and Belgium was guest-edited by Marie-Christine Koop. La Francophonie en Europe: le cas de la Suisse romande et de la Belgique francophone. Special issue of Dialogues et Cultures, No. 56, 2010. Pp. 191.
2011
A grant-funded graduate seminar on Quebec Studies is being organized by
Marie-Christine Koop. The group will be hosted at McGill University and
Université Laval in July 2011. As a follow-up, a volume on
Quebec will be prepared in collaboration with Stephan Gervais and
Pascal Brissette of McGill University and the AATF Commission on
Cultural Competence.
