Exploring a different approach to teaching French

Abstract

This article questions the traditional approaches to French teaching based on literature and suggests ways to improve the French language component at South African universities by incorporating task-based learning within the context of French for Specific Purposes into the curriculum. Using a project run at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, the article examines ways in which to integrate this into the curriculum. It focuses on the value of the newly-introduced French/Media project which is not only interdisciplinary in nature but which will also enhance the students’ employability. This article argues that since we live in a world of technology where learners expect everything to be fast, entertaining and often disposable, teachers and lecturers of foreign languages, such as French, need to introduce a new methodology into the curriculum in order to enrich it. This article is an exploratory study of how to develop a new strategy to teach foreign
languages.