Andrew Irving (left) receiving the medal of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques from former Consul General Guillaume Lacroix in October 2018.
February 20, 2025 - Andrew Irving, President of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), shares insights on promoting French language education.
What are your main responsibilities as president of the Wisconsin chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF)?
As chapter president, I help lead our discussions and drive our mission throughout the state. Our main goal is to support the teaching of French in any way that we can. The AATF-WI strives to nurture our community of Wisconsin French teachers by providing resources and educational opportunities for them and their students, as well as assistance with advocacy. This includes organizing professional development events, sharing teaching materials, fostering connections among educators, and promoting the importance of French language learning in Wisconsin. Additionally, I work to ensure that our chapter remains an active and supportive network where teachers can collaborate, exchange ideas, and find encouragement in their work.
Could you give an example of a recent initiative or event your chapter organized to promote French?
Our largest event each year is the Concours Oral, a virtual (online) French-speaking competition open to all students of French – anywhere in the world – at all levels. Of course, the majority of our student competitors are from Wisconsin but we do have entries from all around the world (more info can be found here). Another important event for us happens at the WAFLT Annual Convention. In addition to a regular business meeting for all French teachers in the state, we host a “share fair” that yields a large variety of helpful tips and resources for classroom teachers.
In your opinion, what are the main challenges for French language teaching in the United States today?
I believe the greatest challenge today is the persistent perception that French is a “luxury” language. That is, French is not useful except for travel and dabbling in the arts. Despite years of advocacy to the contrary, the American public still holds onto this outdated perception.
How do you encourage students to engage in learning French and discovering the Francophone world?
For me as a teacher, I encourage students to engage in learning French and discovering the Francophone world by making language learning interactive, meaningful, and culturally rich. In my classes, I use storytelling, project-based learning, and cultural immersion to spark curiosity and make French feel relevant to their lives. Whether it’s through creative activities like writing and performing sketches and film shorts, exploring social and emotional learning through engaging dialogues, or using games and technology, I strive to make learning both fun and effective.
Beyond the classroom, I also lead a French club where students of all levels can come together to practice French in a relaxed setting, experience Francophone culture, and build connections through shared experiences. Additionally, I support students in seeing the real-world value of French by introducing them to the diversity of the Francophone world and encouraging them to explore music, film, traditions, and current events from different French-speaking regions. My goal is to create an environment where students feel motivated, confident, and excited to continue their journey with French.
How does the AATF contribute to networking among French teachers and the sharing of educational resources?
Both the AATF and our Wisconsin chapter engage our members through periodic newsletters and social media. In Wisconsin, we also organize a few face-to-face encounters for the purposes of advocacy, professional development, or a purely social moment together . The AATF national organization curates a rich collection of resources for our teachers (https://resources.frenchteachers.org/shared-resources/).
What projects or ambitions do you have for the development of the Wisconsin chapter of the AATF in the coming years?
During the COVID pandemic, we lost a good number of members (our members are members of the national organization who indicate “Wisconsin” as their affiliate chapter). We therefore have been concentrating on increasing membership. In the near future, we also hope to focus on supporting French teacher education programs, with a particular emphasis on inspiring students to explore French teaching as a career path.