Call me "Madame": Re-presenting culture in the french language classroom.

Abstract: This study examines autobiographies of American teachers of French in order to make explicit their beliefs regarding French language and culture. The themes of class and power are prominent in these teachers' belief systems, as is the desire for self-transformation through mastery of French and miming a subset of French behaviors. These notions can be transformed into student expectations and outcomes. Such beliefs originate in mythologies surrounding the French language, in particular, the existence of le francais correct2 and its symbolic role as a signifier of national identity and community affiliation. In light of these beliefs and practices, instructors are urged to examine their assumptions about language and culture and reflect on the importance of developing critical distance-a privileged space between outsider and insider. Key words: culture, French language teaching, teacher education Language: French Introduction "Madame, Madame," I hear the cry for help from the back of the room. "Comment dit-on 'doorknob' en francais?" [How do you say doorknob in French ?] When I hear "Madame" I am not an intellectual. I am part mother, part policeman, part dictionary. "Poignet de porte . . ." [Doorknob . . .] (I'm pleased that I know it) "mais je ne suis pas dictionnaire!" 3 [but I'm not a dictionary!] (Professional responsibility: I'm not a dictionary.) "La prochaine fois, cherchez le mot vous-meme." [Next time, look it up yourself.] (Kaplan, 1993, p. 125) This anecdote, excerpted from Alice Kaplan's French Lessons, previews a number of important issues in teacher cognition, a term Kagan uses to designate the epistemological construct of ". . . teachers' self-reflections, beliefs, and knowledge about teaching, students, and content" (1990, p. 421). Allen (2002) cites three rationales that justify research in teacher cognition: 1. examining the interaction between teacher beliefs and classroom actions can result in greater reflective practice; 2. engaging teachers in examining their belief system is crucial for effective teacher education; 3. attempting to implement new classroom practices without considering teachers' belief systems can be counterproductive. (p. 519) With these justifications in mind, this article seeks to explore teacher cognition in the context of the French language classroom. I will first examine the literature related to teacher cognition, highlighting the role of subjective belief systems in the formation of teacher practice. Then I will examine the importance of narrative as a source of qualitative data that elaborates these beliefs. Specifically, I will relate tokens of teacher narrative-in particular, autobiographical texts-to larger belief systems regarding French language and culture. These beliefs represent cultural "intake" and privilege issues of class and power. Moreover, teacher behaviors can actualize these beliefs and serve as instruments of cultural transmission. I will locate the origin of many of the beliefs expressed in these autobiographies in a linguistic mythology that binds French prescriptivism to national identity and social order. After illustrating autobiographical instances in which this mythology is purposefully rejected, I will identify the pedagogical implications of the study. Teacher Belief Systems Belief systems play a critical role in shaping teaching practices. Nespor (1987) asserts that "beliefs are more influential than knowledge in determining how individuals organize and define tasks and problems and are strong predictors of behavior" (p. 309). In 1992, Pajares catalogued 16 fundamental assumptions that reasonably may be made when initiating a study of teachers' educational beliefs. Among the most relevant for this study are the following postulates: * beliefs are formed early and tend to self-perpetuate; * some beliefs are more incontrovertible than others; * beliefs about teachings are well established by the time a student gets to college; * beliefs are instrumental in defining tasks and selecting the cognitive tools with which to interpret, plan, and make decisions regarding such tasks; * individuals' beliefs strongly affect their behavior; and knowledge and beliefs are inextricably intertwined (Pajares, as cited in Sato & Kleinsasser, 1999, pp. …