Thierry Samuel K. Bouobda – Teaching Philosophy

Thierry Samuel K. Bouobda is a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Literatures at the University of New Mexico, where he teaches French. He has also taught Chinese at UNM and brings extensive international teaching experience acquired in Cameroon, the People's Republic of China, and the United States, working with students from diverse linguistic, cultural, and academic backgrounds.

His teaching philosophy is grounded in the conviction that rigor and care are not opposites but allies. He approaches language instruction as a dialogical process where clarity of structure, intellectual demand, and student engagement reinforce one another. Employing Communicative Language Teaching and task-based learning, he ensures students don't just study French—they use it authentically, whether navigating Francophone cities, engaging with literature and film, or participating in genuine cultural exchanges.

Deeply informed by systematic mid-semester and end-semester student feedback, his pedagogy evolves continuously, balancing high academic standards with accessibility and joy. He believes the best learning happens in low-anxiety environments where students feel safe to make mistakes, take risks, and discover their voices in a new language.

Drawing on global perspectives shaped by transnational academic training—including degrees in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages and American and Commonwealth Literatures—he encourages students to see language not merely as an object of study, but as a living site of meaning, power, and human connection. He measures success by that transformative moment when students realize they're thinking and expressing themselves authentically in French.