We developed this course in response to a call from the Council for Higher Education to create classes focused on community engagement. The requirement was clear: alongside a strong academic and theoretical foundation, students had to gain hands-on experience while making a meaningful contribution to the community.

Our idea was a true win-win. Our students met with French-speaking seniors in nursing homes and community centers. The students—at varying levels of French—practiced their language skills, while the seniors enjoyed companionship that eased their “linguistic loneliness.” Along the way, students recorded the seniors’ life stories—many of which were being shared for the very first time.

In parallel, we studied life-story theories and acquired skills in interviewing and discourse analysis. Each life story was then distilled into a unique “linguistic identity signature,” giving voice to personal histories through language.

The course received two years of funding from the Council for Higher Education and earned both international recognition and exposure: it was documented in two academic articles [Article 1; Article 2] and won first prize in the AFLS (Association for French Language Studies) competition.