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10
Reasons to Consider French
Target
Language Instruction:
French
classes are taught exclusively in French. French teachers at Andover
pioneered a method of teaching foreign languages entirely in the
target language. this method has led to students' success on Achievement
Tests, in college and more importantly to a lifelong interest in
the francophone world.
Length and Breadth of Study:
Six
levels of French are offered at Andover, from beginning courses
to specialized advanced courses, providing varied opportunities.
Students also have the opportunity to use French in-service learning,
working with French speaking people through community service programs.
For more detailed information go to Course of Study.
Opportunities for Study Abroad:
One
of these is a year long program in Rennes, Britanny through Andover's
affiliation with School Year Abroad which has its central office
on campus. Andover also offers a trimester in Antibes in the south
of France and a trimester in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.
The Scope of the Francophone World:
The
worldwide francophone heritage includes, as well, the culture of
all of the countries where French is spoken. The poet Senghor was
also president of Senegal. The Belgian mystery writer Simenon was
one of the world's most prolific writers, writing hundreds of novels,
and Marguerite Yourcenar, also Belgian, was the first woman admitted
to the Academie Francaise. Afro-pop plays on American airwaves.
The French culture of Quebec has thrived ever since de Gaulle's
"Vive le Quebec libre!" speech helped precipitate a cultural revolution.
Franco-Americans remain one of the largest ethnic groups of New
England.
As well as being the official language of so many countries throughout
the world, French is a widely spoken language. Students who have
learned French can speak with millions of other students who have
learned French throughout the world.
French Literature:
France's
cultural heritage includes writers such as Moliere, Racine, La Fontaine,
Voltaire, Balzac, Hugo, Stendhal, Flaubert, Sand, Baudelaire, Rimbaud,
Mallarme, Proust, Gide, De Beauvoir, Colette, Camus, Sartre, Genet.
French Art:
French
artists include de la Tour, Watteau, David, Delacroix, Millet, Manet,
Monet, Degas, Renoir, Gaugin, Cezanne, Matisse, Braque...Architecture
in France moves from Roman ruins, to Gothic cathedrals, to castles
and to celebrated modern buildings such as the Institut du monde
arabe.
French Movies:
Starting
with Louis Lumiere who made the first movie camera in 1895 and his
contemporary Georges Melies who made the first artistic movies,
France has played a leading role in the cinema. Directors include
Vigo, Clair, Renoir, Carne, Bresson, Truffaut, Godard, Varda and
Malle.
An International Magnet:
France
is one of the world's favorite destinations. As well as having Paris
it has beautiful and varied landscapes, great food from each region
and a temperate climate. The French have made an art of living.
France has always attracted artists such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald
and Stein.
A Country of Inventions:
France
now has one of the most modern telephone systems in the world and
the Minitel which provides access to a huge store of information.
France can claim the T.G.V., Train a Grande Vitesse, one of the
fastest trains in the world, the Concorde plane and the tunnel under
the English channel. Pasteur invented pasteurization, Marie Curie
discovered radium and now the French are leading the way with research
on A.I.D.S. Pascal who invented the first calculator now has a computer
language named after him.
French for Life:
Students
who have studied French have used it and enjoyed it. A knowledge
of French opens the door to careers in the foreign service, international
relations, law, politics, journalism and other fields. It even helps
in understanding English which has taken hundreds of words from
French, such as a la carte, bon vivant, chef, coup d'etat, detente,
en masse, entente cordiale, fait accompli, faux pas, hors d'oeuvre,
joie de vivre and savoir-vivre...
| TRUE
or FALSE? |
- French
is a world language.
- "Chacun
a deux pays, le sien et la France."*
- French
is spoken in North America in these three regions:
Quebec, New England and Lousiana.
- The
Fourth Estate in pre-Revolution France referred to
members of the press, the other three estates being the
nobles, the clergy and the commons.
- France
has had five Republics since 1792.
- French
is one of the six official languages of the United
Nations.
- These
eight islands - Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint
Barthelemy in the Carribean, Reunion in the Indian Ocean,
New Caledonia and Tahiti in the South Pacific and St. Pierre
and Miqueln off the coast of Newfoundland are all French
dependencies.
- French
is the unofficial second language of these eight
countries: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria,
Tunisia and Morocco.
- French
is the official language of the following nine African
countries: Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Tchad, Senegal, Guinea,
Burkina Faso, Cameroun and Cote d'Ivoire.
- These
ten are called French: braids, bread, dressing, fries,
horn, kiss, leave, toast, twist and vanilla.
*the saying, "Everyone has two countries, one's own and
France."
Answer Key:
All true, but #9 may be misleading. Note that French is the
official language of these African countries as well: Central
Africa, Zaire, Rwanda, Gabon, Togo, Burundi and Benin. It
is also the official language of Luxembourg and Haiti.
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