(English)Dr Barkhuizen, a lecturer in the French Section, was selected by the French Embassy to take part in a cutting-edge training course focusing on new pedagogical trends in the teaching of French as a foreign language in the post-Covid era. He is one of fifteen participants, ten from South Africa and five from Lesotho, who will have the privilege of taking part in this exceptional training course.
The course will take place at the prestigious Centre d'Approches Vivantes des Langues et des Médias (CAVILAM-Alliance Française) in Vichy, France. It will run from 4 to 15 December 2023, offering an intensive period of learning and exchange for the participants. In this inspiring setting, the participants will have the opportunity to explore the latest pedagogical advances, innovative technological tools, and effective teaching methods specific to teaching French to foreign learners.
Dr Barkhuizen has high hopes for the course in that the knowledge gained in Vichy will provide the necessary material to inform the first decisions in reinventing the curriculum for undergraduate French modules at the University of the Free State (UFS), thus offering new educational opportunities to students and enhancing the quality of language education within the institution.