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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1898-256X
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1898-256X
Item number
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026)
ISSN: 3045-5979
Published: 2026-06-29
The development of sociocultural competencies is central to the teaching of French as a foreign language, as it integrates cultural and social context. This study examines the didactic potential of Victor Hugo’s literature to foster such competencies among French IV students at UNAH. A mixed-method design with a qualitative, descriptive, applied, and interpretive predominance was implemented during one academic semester. The intervention included didactic sequences based on the reading of Le Dernier Jour d’un Condamné , Claude Gueux , selected passages from Les Misérables , and the analysis of the film Notre-Dame de Paris (1997). These were complemented with guided debates, reflective journals, role plays, and historical contextualization tasks. Data collection involved initial and final questionnaires, reading guides, student productions, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. Data analysis, conducted through thematic coding (NVivo), descriptive statistics (SPSS), and source triangulation, revealed: (i) an expanded cultural understanding of 19th-century France; (ii) increased empathy and ethical sensitivity toward issues of social justice and human dignity; (iii) progress in intercultural attitudes (curiosity, decentering, stereotype revision); (iv) improvements in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and argumentative skills in L2; and (v) high levels of perceived relevance and student engagement. The findings suggest that Victor Hugo’s works, when integrated into critically oriented didactic sequences, serve as an effective tool for developing sociocultural competencies and fostering language-culture integration in the curriculum. Further studies with larger and more diverse groups, as well as mixed designs, are recommended to assess medium-term impact.
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