Literaturwettbewerbe - ein sinnvoller Beitrag für den fremdsprachlichen Literaturunterricht? Überlegungen zu den französischen Wettbewerben Prix des lycéens und Francomics

Abstract

Although student competitions play an important role in school life, they are hardly discussed in the field of foreign language didactics (referring to the German context). This article presents the two largest competitions for French language teaching, Prix des lycéens and Francomics, and explores their potential for engaging with literary texts in a school context. What seems particularly successful about the competitions is that they take students seriously as readers and challenge them to engage creatively with the works they read. This is especially meaningful since French language teaching in schools has been facing many challenges. The competitions seek to redress such difficulties by providing a selection of current French books for adolescent readers, by offering additional teaching material and other services, and ultimately enriching and supplementing French lessons.