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Michael J. West

Teaching Professor Emeritus of French and Francophone Studies

Bio

Nearly all foreign language educators state that they strive to create student-centered classrooms. Nearly all university-level educators also affirm that they seek to incorporate their research into their teaching. For more than 20 years, Michael West has been extremely fortunate to work with both highly capable students and highly productive scholar-colleagues.

Being student-centered means that he expects his students to teach him something, either through independent research or by offering insights into how they learn French. He and his colleagues continually challenge and inspire one another through demonstrations and discussions of new research and innovative pedagogies. This is a highly talented environment, and it is both a privilege and a challenge to live and work in this department.

The members of the department are committed to fostering the growth of essential skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—while simultaneously helping students develop critical thinking and expressive abilities, both oral and written. Their efforts focus on the development of a wide range of competencies, from linguistic to cultural. They adopt a broad definition of culture, encompassing “large-C” culture (literature and fine arts) as well as more widely accessible forms of popular culture, including newspapers and magazines, contemporary films, and internet media.

Education

Selected Publications