L2 Journal: An Open Access Refereed Journal for World Language Educators

In line with the perspective of Álvarez Valencia and Michelson (2022) and Liddicoat and Scarino (2013), who see interpretation and meaning-making as core features of teaching for interculturality, this article delves into the potential of advertisements to foster the development of learners’ interculturality. Focused on a curricular sequence designed for an advanced French course, it offers an example of a classroom learning experience intended to create an increasingly dissonant context to decenter learners’ frames of reference surrounding symbolic representations of Frenchness. Advertisements are particularly effective in eliciting decentering because they are filled with culturally situated references. Whether explicit or implicit, these references can create both consonance and dissonance, thus exposing the subjective nature of interpretation and meaning-making. The article begins by outlining the approach and frameworks used to structure the sequence. It then details the methodology employed to search for, select, and sequence advertisements. Additionally, the article explains the choices of cultural references related to Frenchness and their potential to create consonance and dissonance. The description of the sequence highlights the questions guiding classroom interactions, illustrating how the selected advertisements successfully cultivate learners’ dispositions to move beyond the constraints of their frames of reference and interpret meaning from a different perspective. The article concludes with pedagogical interpretations and strategies for implementing a decentering-focused pedagogy using advertisements.

This reflective report aims to reimagine the role of the first language (L1) in the second language (L2) classroom by challenging the prevalent monolingual approach in second language pedagogy. Drawing from personal teaching experiences and recent developments in applied linguistics, I argue for a more nuanced understanding of the L1's potential in the L2 classroom. Following a brief description of the historical context in which the monolingual approach gained prominence, I juxtapose the concepts of Common Underlying Proficiency and translanguaging with the artificial limitations imposed by adhering to a strict monolingual approach. By exploring how strategic L1 use can bridge cognitive-linguistic gaps and empower learners, I propose practical strategies for incorporating L1 into the L2 classroom. This report contributes to the ongoing debate on the effectiveness of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and advocates for a more inclusive approach that values learners' full linguistic repertoires.

The editors of L2 Journal are grateful to the following individuals who reviewed manuscripts in 2024. Peer review is a cornerstone of scholarship and relies on the contributions of reviewers who are willing to give of their time to support other scholars in the shaping of their work.