This Dissertation Has Been Microfilmed Exactly As Received Guidelines
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71- 22,466 DUBE, Normand Camille, 1932- GUIDELINES FOR THE TEACHING OF FRENCH TO FRANCO-AMERICANS. [Portions of Text in French.] The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1971 Education, teacher training University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan (£) Copyright by Normand Camille Dube 1971 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED GUIDELINES FOR THE TEACHING OF FRENCH TO FRANCO-AMERICANS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Normand Camille Dub6, B.A., M.A. # * -» * * The Ohio State University 1971 Approved by Adviser College of Education PLEASE NOTE: Some pages have indistinct print. Filmed as received. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The writer was b o m in the small Franco-American town of Van Buren, Maine, in the St John Valley. He left the area when he was a year and a half. He was absent 35 years before he returned. He has been teach ing on a small university campus in the region for the past year and a half. At least five generations of Dube’s grew up, lived, and died in the Valley before his parents decided to pull stakes for some other part of the state. But they were imbued with enough Franco-American faith, dialect, and culture to sustain themselves, their children, and their grandchildren. In this respect, the writer has never left the St John Valley. Eight generations of Dube have been and are Ameri cans Franco-Americans. At least six of these belonged to what is referred to as ’the neglected minority’*-- The seventh, the writer’s, is determined that the eighth, his children’s, will be one of deeper acculturation into the social, educational, and vocational opportunities of their American and ethnic life. It is hoped that all generations of Franco-Ameri- ii cans will recognize, with some understanding, the humble beginnings of their predecessors and the humanistic efforts which they have made in their behalf. Above all, it is hoped that each generation will be willing to contribute, each in its own meaningful way, to its linguistic and cultural heritage. It was in this spirit that the writer undertook this study; it is in this same spirit that it is dedicated. To my wife, Ther^se, to our children, to my parents, and to my Adviser, Dr. Edward D. Allen, who has encouraged this study, my grateful acknowledg ments . Normand C. DubS iii VITA July 18, 1932 . Born - Van Buren, Maine 1956 ............. B.A., English, Saint Michael's College, Winooski, Vermont 1 9 5 8 . M.A., English. New York State Teachers' College, Albany, New York 1 9 6 1 . Summer Franco-American NDEA Institute, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 1963 ....... Summer NDEA Foreign Language Institute, Rennes, France 1950-1952 • . • . Teacher, Sacred Heart High School, Winthrop, Maine 1952-1953 ......... Teacher, Saint Dorn's High School, Lewiston, Maine 1953“ 1955 ......... United States Air Force, Newspaper Editor 1956-1957 ......... Teacher, Eliot High School, Eliot, Maine 1957-1958 ......... Teaching Assistant, Milne Lab School, New York State Teachers' College, Albany, New York 1958-1965 ......... Teacher, Lewiston High School, Lewiston, Maine 196^ ....... Methods Teacher, Summer Franco- American NDEA Institute, Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts iv 19 66 ............. Assistant Director, Summer NDEA Foreign Language Institute, Rennes, France 1967 ............. Methods Teacher, Summer Franco- 1968 American NDEA Institute, Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts 1965- 1967 ..... Teaching Assistant, University School, The Ohio State Univer sity, Columbus, Ohio 1967- 1969 ..... Assistant Professor, Foreign Language Department, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio 1969- ....... Associate Professor, Chairman of the Foreign Language Depart ment, University of Maine at Fort Kent, Fort Kent, Maine FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Foreign Language Education, Professor Edward E. Allen Minor Field: Curriculum Supervision, Professor Jack R. Frymier Minor Field: French, Professor Charles Carlut v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................... ii VITA.................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES................... viii • LIST OF FIGURES .................................... ix Chapter I. INTRODUCTION......... 1 Problem Background Scope and Limitations Related Research Procedures II. THE LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE OF FRANCO- AliERICAN S T U D E N T S ...................... 31 A Language Tolerance Gauge Descriptions of Franco-American Phonetic Differences Organization of Phonetic Drills Description of Franco-American Korpho-Phonemic Differences Organization of Morpho-Phonemic Drills Summary III. THE TEACHING OF FRANCO-AMERICAN CULTURE. 85 Description of Approaches Activities for Self-Identity Activities for Historical Perspective Activities for Cross-Culturalism Summary vi IV. COURSE SYLLABI FOR FRANCO-AMERICANS . AT THE HIGH SCHOOL L E V E L ................ 160 The Need for Bilingual Education Social Activities Syllabus Academic Activities Syllabus V. DESCRIPTION OF A FRENCH COURSE EXPE RIENCE WITH FRANCO-AMERICAN COLLEGE FRESHMEN................................. 209 A Committment to Bilingual Education A Simple Design Course Orientation Results of Orientation Content and Process in the Inter mediate French Course Evaluation of Course Content and Process Summary Evaluation APPENDIX 1 256 II............................................ 257 III. ............................................ 258 iv.................... 259 V ............................................ 259 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................... 260 vii LIST OP TABLES Table Page 1. New England Cities and Regions vrith Large Franco-American Populations............. 5 2. Language Tolerance Gauge To Measure the Language Performance of the Ambilingual. 38 3. Fishbowl Evaluation Sheet........... 97 b. Sample Chart To Be Designed by Student after Reading the Selection in Exhibit B1 ........................ 135 5. Contract Designed by Students and Inves tigator for Intermediate French Course . 223 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1, Illustration of Drapeau Game. ..... 178 2. Schedule for Card Game. ........ 201 ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Problem A general premise of this dissertation is that the language and cultural assets of the Franco-American students can be organized for meaningful language learning experiences• For the investigator, the language experience of the Franco-American student will be meaningful to the extent that he succeeds in identifying himself with the various sources which contribute to maintaining his culture and in performing in standard French as well as in his French dialect. The writer suggests that a three-pronged approach of self-identity, historical perspective, and cross- culturalism in the study of cultural materials is most suitable to the needs of the Franco-American student. In the area of his language performance, he must be given the opportunity to perceive those variations in pronunciation, vocabulary, and structure which make his speech different from standard French. Under social and educational pressures to change his speech, most of the time he feels threatened. The threat may he diminished by giving him the choice of language options. However, are the methodology and the materials presently used geared to provide the Franco-American student with the choice of language alternatives and with the provisions for cultural growth as described in the previous paragraph? The hypothesis of this research is that present materials are not programmed to meet the objectives suggested, but that enough research exists so that such materials can be written. The result of this dissertation should be guidelines to writing and organizing language teaching materials for Franco-Americans• The anticipated organization of language and cultural resources should assist both the Franco-American teacher in the school and the teacher- preparing agencies willing to accept this responsibility. Background 1 Franco-Americanism in New England is one aspect of ^The term Franco-American will be used rather than Canado-Araerican because it is the one preferred by the members of the ethnic group. "Franco-Americans, as New Englanders of French Canadian descent like to be called..." Herv& Lemaire, Franco-American Efforts On Behalf of the French Language In New England (Language Resources Project; Department of Education, 1964), p. 1. ~ our American ethnic culture. Until V/orld War II the value orientation of the Franco-American group was emphasis upon being rather than doing, that is, ethnic survival rather than dynamic growth. The culture which it strongly reflected was that of their French-Canadian heritage, their Catholic religious beliefs, and their modest economic beginnings with an upper-lower to lower- 2 lower class status. Briefly identified, the Franco-American is a United States citizen whose ancestry can be traced back to French-Canadian origin. During the 1840's, some 30,000 'Quebecois* emigrated to the United States. By 1908, due to continuous migration and high birthrate, the Franco- American population in New England was estimated at 800,000,^ Presently, statistics seem to indicate that k they are close to 1,500,000 in number. Large concentrations of Franco-Americans can be 2 James V/. Vander Zander, American Minority Relations (The Ronald Press Company, New York, 19^3)> p. 249. "David B. Walker, Politics and Ethnocentrism: The Case of the Franco-Americans (Bowdoin