The aim of this article is to develop a critical awareness of a pervasive hegemonic ethos and its dehumanizing impact on Foreign Language (FL) classrooms. In doing so, Amy E. Kuiken draws from Paulo Freire's discussion of subordination and transformation, i.e. of oppression and humanization, as a critical lens through which to view current trends in FL instruction particularly in the United States and invite FL teachers everywhere to reimagine their own praxis in the classroom setting. The impetus for this analysis stems from her own experience as a French language instructor beginning over a decade ago. Professional development workshops emphasized research that supported maximizing the use of the target language (TL) to help students achieve proficiency. Departmental meetings focused on strategies for conducting lessons entirely in the TL, while parents and educators pointed to immersion programs as evidence of rigor-- "serious" language study of the highest caliber. As she moved and took jobs in different schools and settings, the message remained clear: immersion was optimal, therefore instructors ought to rely on the TL as much as possible in their lessons. However, as she observed the utility of other languages in her classroom, she grew increasingly critical of an unexamined push for immersive FL instruction.