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French Language Lesson

BobW

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Bonjour and Chozen all,

Just read an interesting letter to the editor in the weekend editon of "The Financial Times", a Brit paper heavily oriented to the North American market. The short letter discusses a form of French slang.

In the letter, italics are used. Here I will capitalize since I do not know how to operate this new-fangled telegraph key.

From someone living in metro-Washington, D.C.:

"Sir: To this admirer of French culture and people, John Thornhill's book review "Studies in a mutual antipathy" and his commentary "France must embrace the vision of the Little Prince (both December 4) overlook the language factor.

My own French is far from good. But contrary to cliche, countless French people (and francophone Belgiums) have been more generous than I deserve.

Even for a non-expert, the language is amusing; "play on words" or "pun" are other ways of saying JEU DE MOT. Examples abound, such as the cheerful clock-shop in Burgundy's capital named LA BEAUNE-HEURE, and the SALON DE COIFFURE in Province named ATMOSPHAIR.

The chattering classes seem as amused by competition from the English language as from the HYPERPUISSANCE beyond the seas. A 1983 book entitled LA FRANCOPHONIE described the foundation in 1899 of the "Association of Early-Childhood Teachers of the French language", long before LES AMERICAINS came on the scene.

The modern French language may not be well served by the Academie Francaise with its rigid - dare one say protectionist? - approach. If the French chattering classes would "lighten up" as the witty French people have done for years, they might realize that they have a most attractive culture with much to offer Americans and others who would like to see more of it." signed...

If you learn just 1 (one) French word from above, you know more than before.

Saluations,
BobW
 

Eagle eye

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The following analogy is to bring into focus the need to understand if not to speak French proficiently from the outset in the FFL and the physical training claimed on this board: it is easier and quicker to teach a child-soldier to pull the trigger of a AK-47 than to teach him to read and write; and it is easier to reach physical performance levels than to learn to understand, speak and write French.

Both the child-soldier and wannabes have a similar but sharper learning curve in language-acquisition than to learn to make use of their physical ability: the trigger finger in the case of the child-soldier; and push-ups and assorted physical exercises in the case of the wannabe.

Your French languagy fluency does not need to be excellent but you need to be proficient and competent in it.
 
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