THE WHOLE LANGUAGE APPROACH IN THE FLES CLASSROOM - ADAPTING STRATEGIES TO TEACH READING AND WRITING

The Whole Language Approach provides a learning environment in which t he student participates in meaningful language experiences. Through th e process of constructing language for communication purposes, the stu dent develops the ability to listen, speak, read, and write in a natur al manner. In the FLES program, where there is limited exposure to the foreign language, the adaptation of whole language strategies can be an effective tool for instruction. This article will discuss the devel opment and implementation of an instructional unit that applies select ed whole language strategies to teach reading and writing in the begin ning stages of literacy in French. The unit details how an authentic f olktale can be used as the focus of instruction for integrating topics from the elementary curriculum to form a well-designed L2 curriculum that meets the needs of the FLES program.