ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is a collective work that has developed a new conceptual framework to help redefine and innovate the study of French literature. Fourteen modules, most of which were prepared by a team of two scholars, illustrate a dialogical approach to teaching classical and contemporary texts. The dialogical approach to reading aids 21st-century readers to develop linguistic and cultural competencies simultaneously and to draw connections within a text, between texts and their contexts, and with their lives and the world. The book offers multiple learning opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of readings and to acquire a more comprehensive picture of the target culture. Many activities can be assigned for in-class or at-home preparation. When putting a puzzle together, one has to envision the final picture.