What place for literature in the education of French-speaking countries?

A comparison between Belgium, France, Quebec and Switzerland

Abstract

This contribution attempts a partial synthesis of a large international study (Collès, Dufays & Maeder 2003), which explores the teaching and learning of Romance languages in France, French Belgium, French Switzerland and Quebec. Each author analysed in their country or region the official instructions related to primary and secondary school and the plans of action related to teachers' training. All dealt with the same questions. Considering those data, the analysis here focuses particularly on the section of the report concerning the teaching and learning of literature in French mother tongue lessons. Specifically, I address three questions:

1. Over the last 50 years, what place and value has been given to literature in the official programs for primary and secondary schools in the 4 countries or regions, compared to the other subjects considered as part of teaching French?

2. What are today's prescriptions as far as literature is concerned? In relation to the contemporary debate between different paradigms, is literature first handled in terms of skills or in terms of knowledge ? Which values are these knowledges and skills bound to?

3. What about the teachers' literature training? Are there important changes in this field which might be similar to the changes in the official prescriptions? Where were and are the teachers trained ? What were and are the nature of, the level required and the relative weight given to this particular training?