A Global Perspective in the Foreign Language Classroom

Global education, an attempt to provide students with information and perspectives on diverse countries and cultures so that they may be knowledgeable and responsible members of the wor.d community, is becoming a key concern of foreign language educators. While foreign language education has often included some cultural and historical elements, teachers have recently begun to expand this part of course content, instructing pupils not only about home countries and cultures--France in a French class, for exampie--but also discussing lifeways and cultural variation found among, say, francophone speakers in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Many difterent methods of "globalizing " education may be employed. Several techniques are detailed including: the creation of a "cultural island " in the classroom, the use of various media, simulation of other cultures, and the use of informative cartoons. Whil3 social studies will continue to assume a dominant role in global education, the use of cultural study techniques and strategies, such as those detailed here, can infuse a global dimensiLn into foreign language education. (JL) *******U***,*********************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original dorument. * ***************,t*****************************************************