Perennial, Thorny Issues: Addressing Learners’ Unfamiliarity with Concepts

Abstract

“What is a subsidy?” “What’s an internship?” “A tariff, what is that?” As an instructor of French for American military students studying at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), I have been asked these questions by the youngest learners in my class. These types of questions demonstrate that instruction cannot only focus on second language acquisition but must include knowledge of concepts as well. Defining terms or concepts that may be laden with socio-cultural or political value can put an instructor in a difficult position. Responding effectively requires intentionality, self-reflection, and some forethought. Instructors’ responses can lead to an increased openness among students or to students’ sealing off their vulnerabilities. True, lasting learning can only grow when learners recognize gaps in their knowledge, are willing to expose them, and are provided accurate content with which to fill these gaps. This instructor reflection highlights one such interaction that occurred in my classroom. I reflect on my decision to use English to explain one particularly thorny concept. From this interaction, I deduced several beliefs and principles when facing gaps in learners’ knowledge. The reflection closes by underscoring that creating trusting relationships in the classroom is foundational for deep, lasting learning. Such learning exceeds the use of an additional language. To develop such relationships, instructors must dispassionately recognize students’ knowledge gaps, but also identify their “funds of knowledge,” and leverage them for student learning.