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Notre Classe de Français
News from French at Waukesha South
A New Semester
I am happy to be starting off second semester with an amazing set of classes. I am quite proud of how students have performed on the semester exams and I am excited to see what they will achieve by the end of the year.
News On the Status of the French Language
For the past two years, I have seen numerous articles on French as a quickly growing language. I will share a few of these over the next few months. The article in Forbes (March 21, 2014) is titled “Want To Know The Language Of The Future? The Data Suggests It Could Be...French”.
This is an excerpt from the article:
, “French isn’t mostly spoken by French people, and hasn’t been for a long time now. The language is growing fast, and growing in the fastest-growing areas of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. The latest projection is that French will be spoken by 750 million people by 2050.
A study by investment bank Natixis even suggests that by that time, French could be the most-spoken language in the world, ahead of English and even Mandarin.”
Several other recent articles have also spoken of French-speaking Africa as one of the next areas of great economic development. Interestingly enough, a few years ago one of my former French students had his Masters Degree in engineering paid in full because he could speak French and include a semester-long project in Africa as part of his degree. There are many language-related opportunities in science and engineering that are not visible to students until they get there.
The link to the mentioned article is below.
Another very recent article - linked below
French Club News
The Waukesha French Club has had a great start this year. In September and October, students had introductory meetings and activities (and, of course, food). In November, the club attended Folk Fair where students could see international cultural exhibits and dances, listen to musical groups representing various cultures, visit booths where products from various countries were displayed and sold, and sample a variety of international foods. In December, the club had both a “Bûche de Noël” contest and an opportunity to create mini- Bûches to take home. Students have also been working to fundraise for up-coming events and set-up a tutoring group.
Congratulations to our first place winner in this year’s Bûche de Noël contest- Gabrielle Bennett
In February, the club is planning to celebrate “La Chandeleur”/ Mardi Gras and offer an art museum trip.
Tutoring Program
French Club Tutors: We have volunteer tutors who would love to peer tutor during 3rd quarter. They are available to drill verbs and vocabulary, offer study tips, practice recently learned structures, and work on sentence structure and related topics. Since these students volunteer their time, all it takes is a serious commitment and signing-up. To do so, students should see Mrs. Moran at least 1 week in advance.
2017 - France Trip
Some parents have asked for more information on the trip to France (Our first meeting was in December). Students are signing up now for June 2017. I have taken student groups approximately every three years since 1979. I often think that it will be the last time, but the student groups that I put together are exemplary and I often receive letters, from students who traveled years ago, telling me how the trip positively affected their futures (travel, career choices, motivation in college). We see and learn about so many things and places that relate to what they study in their other courses (Versailles, the beaches of Normandy, regional cuisines, the Louvre, and so on). Last year, many parents asked me to do another, and so I am.
Some people wonder why I start sign-up so early. First of all, when we start this early, the payments are in the low $200s per month. The tour is filled with amazing experiences from early morning until the end of the day. However, even though it is a great value for the price, it is still a great deal of money. On the other hand, I have had many adult travelers say that they could not come anywhere close to this price if they put a trip together on their own (it does include nearly everything except for lunches and souvenirs) and students tell me how the experience changed their life or their view of the world. In starting early, students can make the sacrifices that may be necessary, they may also fundraise, and in working toward this goal, many students value it even more. Secondly, I use the same criteria to accept students that we use for the French Honor Society, so there is a process. I need to be very selective in putting the group together in order to provide a marvelous experience for all. As the trip grows closer, we meet to learn more about the places we will see and how to get the most out of our tour.
If you wish more detail on the tour, please indicate this below and I will send some materials home with your son or daughter. If you were at our last meeting and have questions, please let me know! There is still a $100.00 discount for early enrollment. If you missed the first meeting and are interested, please let me know via the form below. i will be happy to meet with you or, perhaps, set-up another meeting.