Hit play to listen, then explore the stories, quotes, and resources below.
In This Episode
What happens when you take a team of passionate French educators to Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) with the mission of creating truly authentic resources on Francophone Africa?
In this episode of It’s About Language, Norah Jones talks with:
- Steve Sacco – Professor emeritus of French and Italian (San Diego State University), consultant, and initiator of the grant that made this project possible.
- Megan Diercks – Executive Director of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), leading efforts to decolonize French curricula and center la francophonie.
- Jessica Ayer – French teacher and doctoral student in curriculum and instruction, focused on the cacao industry and the lived realities of Ivorian communities.
- Jeff Loughary – University-level French educator and PhD candidate in applied linguistics, working on linguistic human rights and language variation, including Ivorian slang.
Together, they explore how this month-long stay in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is transforming the way French is taught—and how students see themselves in the language classroom.
You’ll Hear About
- Why Francophone Africa must be part of French education
How French functions on the African continent, why Africa is becoming a global economic force, and what that means for students’ futures. - Beyond “celebratory multiculturalism”
The difference between simply celebrating diversity and honestly naming colonial legacies—while still honoring joy, identity, music, food, and everyday pride. - Real stories that shift perspective
- Jessica’s visit to a cacao plantation and the powerful story of someone who grew up there.
- An Ivorian hotel worker who explains why chocolate feels like “something for rich people”—and how that could change if chocolate were made in Africa, for Africans.
- Jeff’s unexpected conversation with a man who takes his hand, sits him down, and asks: “How do Americans really see Africans, and how can we break those stereotypes?”
- Pivots on the ground
When plans met reality: how projects shifted from regional languages to Nucci slang, from carefully scripted daily schedules to flexible, responsive learning based on what participants encountered in Côte d’Ivoire. - Creating classroom-ready resources
How the team is building robust, accurate, lived-experience-based units and activities on topics like cacao, slang, food, and culture—soon to be available free of charge on the AATF website. - The power of language, travel, and vulnerability
Why trying even a few words in Bambara transformed interactions in the marketplace—and how stepping into linguistic vulnerability opens doors to deeper human connection.
Timestamps
01:15 – Welcome and introduction to the Fulbright-Hays Côte d’Ivoire project
01:37 – Steve Sacco on the grant, Francophone Africa, and why this work matters now
02:44 – Megan Diercks introduces AATF’s vision and assembling the educator team
04:37 – Jessica Ayer on centering African and Caribbean students in the French curriculum
06:10 – Moving beyond “celebratory multiculturalism” to naming colonial legacies
07:57 – Jeff Loughary on linguistic human rights and bringing back real stories for students
09:25 – A powerful encounter: confronting stereotypes through conversation
10:43 – Jessica’s cacao focus and visiting a plantation in Côte d’Ivoire
11:18 – Pride, labor, joy, and economics in cacao production
13:41 – How lived experience changes how students understand global systems
14:20 – Megan explains the classroom resources being created and how teachers will use them
15:39 – When plans change: why the team had to pivot their projects
16:08 – Jeff pivots from regional languages to Nucci (Ivorian slang)
18:15 – Steve on building flexibility into the program and responding in real time
19:35 – Jessica on serendipity, problem-solving, and making connections on the ground
21:45 – Language learning as lived experience, not linear progress
22:54 – Jeff on how storytelling continues long after returning home
24:23 – A striking moment: “Chocolate is for rich people”
25:40 – What would change if chocolate were produced in Africa, for Africans?
27:00 – Megan on decolonizing curriculum and putting values into action
28:56 – Steve on future vision: expanding to other Francophone African countries
30:07 – What the team learned and what comes next for AATF
30:39 – A lighter moment: grant leadership as an unexpected “weight loss program”
31:59 – Final reflections: why travel, language, and vulnerability matter
33:16 – Jessica on how learning another language changes who we become
35:53 – Closing thoughts and invitation to listeners
Key Quotes
“It’s one thing to read an infographic. It’s another to hear someone say, in their own words, ‘If chocolate were produced here, even though I don’t like chocolate, I would eat so much of it.’”
“We don’t want to present French as a language everyone has peacefully accepted. We need to celebrate cultures and name the colonial legacy that persists.”
“Any opportunity to travel pulls us out of what’s comfortable and opens our eyes. You come back changed—and that becomes part of who you are.”
“When you try to speak someone’s language, you’re showing vulnerability. And that vulnerability opens doors to experiences you would never have otherwise.”
Resources Mentioned
- American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) – Programs, initiatives, and upcoming resources on la francophonie and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Côte d’Ivoire curricular units & activities (coming soon) – Free classroom resources created by the project team, to be hosted in the AATF “Resources” section.
- Learn more about It’s About Language, previous seasons, and upcoming episodes
Enjoyed This Episode?
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