Are you a fellow French teacher interested in learning about HOW and WHY you should be teaching about francophone Vietnam? In this post, I am going to share a number of topics and ideas to get you teaching about this unique corner of the francophone world!
I know that so many French teachers want to teach about francophone countries, but their own knowledge of those countries can be an obstacle. This is no one’s fault – we went through an education system where we memorized French vocabulary and conjugations. I know that for myself all of my knowledge about the francophone world and francophone countries, history, politics, geography, cuisine, etc. comes from my own dedication to research and NOT from my Bachelor’s Degree (unfortunately).
Why should you teach about francophone Vietnam in French class?
You should teach about Vietnam because this country is diverse and rich in history, geography and culture. In addition, if you are Canadian or American, North America is also home to a large number of the Vietnamese diaspora. This means that you will have students of Vietnamese descent in your classroom. These students deserve to see themselves and their cultures represented in our schools.
There is also the fact that Vietnam IS a francophone country. However, please note that this is not something I glorify in my pedagogy.
Vietnam has a complex relationship with the French language, for very good reasons.
It is very important that we do not glorify or romanticize this relationship.
As a matter of fact, when I teach about former colonies, I make it a point to teach about pre-colonial history, colonial history, AND the post-colonial context. And YES, I do it in French with my Core French students.
Which grades are these activities and resources suitable for?
These activities are suitable for high school Core French students. I would recommend at least two years of a high school French class before digging into these specific topics and activities.
Before you teach about any specific francophone country, make sure that your students have a solid understanding of the French empire, colonization as well as the legacies of the Empire
I really recommend doing an introductory unit where you introduce your Core French students to French colonialism, la francophonie, and the legacies of French colonialism.
Before diving into francophone Vietnam, your Core French students should :
- have a solid understanding of the history of the Organisation internationale de la francophonie
- know what DOM-TOM are
- be able to locate French-speaking countries and regions on a map
- know basic facts about la francophonie throughout the world
You can also read about How your French curriculum reinforces & upholds colonial hierarchies here. This is an important step before you begin to teach more about francophone countries in your classroom.
Les objectifs (pour les élèves)
- je peux décrire le Viêt Nam (la culture, la géographie, l’histoire, la nourriture, la nature)
- je peux analyser et décrire pour les liens entre le français et le vietnamiens sont complexes et les raisons pourlesquelles le français n’est pas une langue courante au pays
- je peux décrire les manières dont la France a inspiré les aspects culturels au Viêt Nam
Allons-y – here are activities, topics, and resources for teaching about Francophone Vietnam
Test your students’ existing knowledge with a trivia game
My Core French students not only LOVE games, but they love trivia games on francophone countries and francophone cultures!
This French trivia game on Vietnam is a really fun way to begin your unit. It serves the purpose of not only beginning the unit in a creative and engaging way AND it tests your Core French students’ knowledge.
This French trivia game consists of 14 multiple-choice, fill in the blank or true or false questions.
For each question slide, there will be an answer slide and a “le saviez-vous” slide that provides more info on the question and response!
French reading comprehension article on Vietnam
When I was writing this French reading comprehension article on francophone Vietnam for my own students, I wanted to ensure that I represented the beauty, diversity, and richness of Vietnam really well.
I wrote an article that explains Vietnam’s pre-colonial history, and colonial history and also explains what modern-day Vietnam is like.
Overall, I am really proud of how this article turned out!
Map activity on Vietnamese geography
I love a good map activity and I don’t think they’re just for Socials classes!
I think geography is REALLY important in French class as well.
The purpose of this activity is to locate Vietnam’s major rivers, cities, geographic zones, and neighboring countries.
Understand a country’s geography is an important step to understanding demographics, the economy, natural resources, and more.
Go on a virtual trip to Vietnam in French class
Virtual trips to francophone countries are so much fun! Technology has come so far and we can be so creative in terms of how we explore distant places with our cellphones and computers.
When I was creating this virtual trip, I spent weeks looking for interesting and unique websites that showcased historic Vietnamese cities and monuments.
Students will explore (74 slides total) the following aspects of this French-speaking country :
- Basics facts about Vietnam
- The historic city of Hué
- Vietnamese coffee
- The status of French in Vietnam
- The effects of Agent Orange
- Phô
- Hanoi
- National park of Phong Nha
- Wildlife of Vietnam
Interactive elements include :
- Google Earth visits
- QR codes
- Videos and comprehension questions
- Discussion questions
- Trivia questions on cultural elements
- Links to YouTube videos (French & English for each concept)
Learn about la guerre du Viêt Nam
While a grand majority of this unit focuses on Vietnamese culture, wildlife and cuisine, we do also need to talk about the Vietnamese war.
La guerre du Viêt Nam played a major role in shaping modern-day Vietnam as well as the Vietnamese diaspora.
It is important that Core French students understand how the war came to be and how it continues to impact the lives of Vietnamese people today.
Agent Orange
For example, it would be unjust to teach about modern-day Vietnam without talking about one major impact of the Vietnam War – Agent Orange.
Agent Orange was a pesticide sprayed by Americans on the lush, dense forests of Vietnam. The use of this chemical continues to wreak havoc on the lives of Vietnamese people.
The virtual trip explores this topic in-depth and in-breadth.
Explore the historic city of Hué
Next up, students will explore the breathtaking and culturally-significant architecture of the city of Hué!
Teach about Vietnamese cuisine in French class
Vietnamese cuisine is a well-loved cuisine in the west and rightfully so! Students will learn all about which vegetables, meats, and aromatics are commonly used in Vietnamese cooking, as well as how French cuisine has influenced certain Vietnamese dishes.
Visit the historic city of Hoi An
While Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are the two largest cities in Vietnam, students will also be exploring the quaint city of Hoi An.
This is a really engaging virtual tour of Hoi An where students will use their devices to explore commerce and major neighbourhoods of this beautiful city!
Spend time in nature in Vietnam (parks, caves, wildlife)
Vietnam is home to the most gorgeous, lush landscape. There will be plenty of opportunities to learn about national parks and local wildlife!
Teach about the status of the French language in Vietnam at this point in time
This unit would not be complete without Core French students delving into the status of French in Vietnam. As mentioned previously, there is definitely a really complex and complicated relationship.
Students will be exploring why French is spoken by so few Vietnamese people and how important it is to allow former French colonies to determine their own relationship with the French language and to respect this decision.
Ready to teach about francophone Vietnam? Here are prep-free, ready-to-print, thorough, and engaging resources on Vietnam
