Presentation within Panel Discussion: Raising the Bar: Academic Rigor in the Language Classroom (presiding, Heather Willis Allen) The 2007 MLA report suggests that our courses should “challenge students’ imaginations and help them consider alternative ways of seeing, feeling, and understanding” through the goals of translingual and transcultural competence. Although many course designers embrace the tenets of the report, they have faced challenges in its implementation. This presentation describes the curriculum of a Beginning French course entitled “French identity through visual media” which aims to explore the relationship between the Self and Other by using language as a tool for creative and critical thinking, engaging learners in cross-cultural reflection, and addressing issues that move beyond self-referential topics. Through the exploration of visual media such as film, images, and advertisements, students explore cross-cultural notions of identity as it relates to family, friendship, academics, professions, and the past.