PROMOTION
IN MOTION: ANOTHER REASON TO LEARN
FRENCH
Reprinted from the AATF
National Bulletin, Vol. 25, No. 4
(April 2000)
Students in my beginning French class often tell me that their friends and family members sometimes ask them incredulously, "Why are you taking French?" On the first day of class I distribute a small handout which gives them a few reasons. These include "You can send a fax in French to 44 countries around the world" and "You can understand French movies without looking at the subtitles." Recently, a student provided me with another reason—crossword French.
The student loves to do the New
York Times crossword puzzles, and
she has collected clues which can be
solved only by persons who know French
(and in some cases French
geography). The words are mostly
three- or four-letter words and would
likely be known by people who had only
studied a year or two of French. A
list of the clues, with their solutions,
follows. I plan to put a different
clue on my French Club bulletin board
each week and offer a small prize to the
student who finds the most
solutions. Once a person sees the
pattern, they are easy to guess.
What a logical Parisian uses: tête Nice seasons: été Vichy water: eau Born in Burgundy: née To be in Toulouse: être You, to Yves: toi Here in Le Havre: ici Invitation word: plaît Match opening cry: en garde Cannes farewell: adieu Evening abroad: soir Fr. holy woman: ste. It means nothing to some people: rien French legislature: Sénat April in Paris: avril The king of France: roi Springtime in Paris: mai Café additive: lait Bonne _____: nuit ______ d'outre-tombe: mémoires
This proves that educated people know some French language and culture.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
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