L'ATELIER A1 IN AN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY CONTEXT: REPRESENTATIONS AND PRACTICES OF TEACHERS OF FRENCH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

This article examines the representations and practices of French as a Foreign Language (FLE) teachers at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi regarding the use of the L'Atelier A1 method. The textbook is considered not only as a pedagogical tool but also as a mediator between the designers' prescriptions and the actual teaching practices. The study is framed within professional didactics, where teachers' representations guide actions, shape pedagogical choices, and influence the implementation of instructional devices (Pastré et al., 2006). The methodology is based on a thematic content analysis of teachers' responses, allowing access to both their representations and reported practices (Trinquier, 2001). The analysis focuses on several dimensions: teacher profiles, the role and use of the textbook, didactic and pedagogical relevance, communicative and interactional aspects, and intercultural considerations. This methodological framework enables an exploration of the textbook not only as a pedagogical resource but also as a mediator between the designers' intentions and the adaptations made by teachers according to the linguistic and cultural profiles of learners. The article thus provides a reflection on the relationship between representations and practices in FLE teaching, highlighting the importance of discourse as a tool for analyzing and understanding the processes through which teaching resources are appropriated.