Creative Testing in French Literature Courses

• Main Author: Brown, Diane S
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 1983
• Subjects: Comparative Analysis; French; French Literature; Literary Criticism; Literature Appreciation; Reading Comprehension; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Test Format; Testing

Four methods of measuring students' comprehension of French literature are discussed. The first method involves traditional comparison of themes or characters. Themes may concern war, women, or love, for example. Characters may be compared from the same or a different era or genre. The second approach uses the association of the material being studied with quotations from other sources, either by the same author or a different one. A comparison of quotations of French and non-French authors helps to demonstrate the universality of the French material and demonstrates the possibility of integrating two academic disciplines. A third method evolves from the extension of the coupling of two text types, and results in the organization of and active participation by the student in the concepts to be learned. Students must seek out an excerpt from a text and apply it in a different context. The fourth method involves self-projection by the student into another personality and/or time period. Specific examples of texts used with these approaches are presented for illustration. (MSE)