Sunday 25 September 2022

This and that........

 as I think of it!

Yes - I shall watch Strictly - I enjoyed it, there were some really good dancers on the programme and it passes a Saturday evening nicely.   I had a nice long chat with my God-daughter after the programme ended - we can always find plenty to chat about  - especially when Strictly is on.

The weather has turned very cold here and although I vowed not to switch the heating on until the middle of October I  have changed my mind - at my age it is important that I keep warm.

Friends S and T have just been and we had a cup of tea and a chat.   S and I chatted about the teaching of French in schools.   We both were taught French early  in our secondary school lives in the same way:

French teacher:  Bonjour mes enfants.

Class:   Bonjour Mademoiselle.

French teacher:  Comment appellez vous?

Me:   Je m'appelle Collete  (my stage name).

We both agreed we have a reasonable vocab but as for stringing words together  - forget it.

Hopefully French is no longer taught in this way these days.   I do remember being asked a question in a written exam about what I might find in a sideboard.   The only thing I could think of was a bottle of White Horse whisky!  We were a non-drinking family too.

Many years later, sitting chatting on a bench in Paris I wanted to know the time.   I asked a passing Frenchman -

"Quelle  heure est il, si vous plait?"The Frenchman looked totally nonplussed.   Another Englishman sitting on the bench held the Frenchman' s arm : "Avez vous l'heure?" - we got the time immediately.

The reason we were speaking about the teaching of French is because my Great Grand daughter - she is almost six  - has recently started school and is being taught French as well as English.   Teaching to  receptive young minds - brilliant.

As I have been sitting here typing the sky has gone very black and the heating has come back on - Autumn has come in with a bang.

See you tomorrow.


14 comments:

JayCee said...

I used to be reasonably good at languages but am now hopelessly rusty.
We are still resisting switching on the heating... for now. Several warm layers and thick socks are keeping the chill at bay. Perhaps another week or two and that thermostat will be clicked on!

Heather said...

I watched Strictly too and thought that once again there is an interesting and varied line-up of competitors.
We have the advantage of being much further south than you, but even so autumn is making itself known gently. We've had days of lovely sunshine and fresh mornings, but after a nap this afternoon I felt the need of a warmer jumper even though the sun is still shining.

Rachel Phillips said...

I thought you had been chatting to God for a moment.

Barbara Anne said...

When I was 11, Dad was transferred to a Chicago suburb. I started 6th grade there to find that all of the kids in my year had Spanish lessons since 1st grade, and the kids a year behind had taken French since they were in 1st grade. I caught up and by the end of 8th grade, was thinking in Spanish. Unfortunately, for high school I switched to Latin because I wanted to be a nurse and lost the Spanish which would have served me well.

No heat on yet here, but you're further north than we are. Stay cozy!

Hugs!

Derek Faulkner said...

When I was in Secondary School 1958-62, teaching languages other than English was unheard of.
Has been a lovely sunny day here, although a tad chilly.

Bovey Belle said...

My children went to a Category 1` Welsh school - they were taught through the medium of Welsh until they were 8, when English was introduced. I taught them to read and write in English at home (being subversive!) The girls went on to a Welsh medium senior school and were taught French through the medium of Welsh!! Science had to be in English though because of the scientific terminology. Our eldest daughter now has a job where she is required to speak Welsh on occasion, so has had to practice a bit!

I was taught French the same way you were and would have asked the time in the same way too!

Tom Stephenson said...

It's simple, you just shout, "WHAT'S THE TIME?" and point at your wrist.

Susan said...

Today is warmer, humid and raining lightly. Nights are definitely cooler and days are moderate. Fall is in the air. Thank goodness the high heat is gone. Our public high schools offer 2 years of French, Spanish or Latin. More recently, Spanish is sometimes offered in the lower schools as an option. Nobody becomes truly fluent but everybody masters phrases, studies for tests and generally passes with flying colors.

Joanne Noragon said...

I turned on the heat yesterday, too. All the youngsters can be cold.

Cro Magnon said...

Like you I learned French at school and passed my exams. Then, when I went to live in France, I suddenly needed to talk about agriculture, septic tanks, new car tyres, roofing materials, etc. I had to start all over again.

Librarian said...

Tom's comment made me laugh out loud!
I learned English and French at school but spoke both long before that. My first English words I learned at 3 years old from the lovely Australian couple who lived in the downstairs flat of the same house as us. French I learned from playing with the kids in the village in the Franche Comté where we spent almost all our family holidays when I was between 5 and 10 years old, not living far from the French border. Italian I learned through marrying into a Sicilian family when I was 22. I would LOVE to learn more languages but don't want to fill an already busy schedule with more committments - I keep saying I'll do that when I retire, in 13 years or so.

Librarian said...

PS: When I returned from our week away on Thursday, one of the first things I did was turn the heating on. Not all the time and not in every room, but enough to keep me comfortable.

The Weaver of Grass said...

What a varied lot we are as far as languages are concerned, Certainly in my day I am sure that a whole summer holiday of six weeks living with a French family would give one as much French as several years of French lessons in our schools in those
days.

Thanks for popping in.

Mary said...

Four years of French at my UK grammar school did not really prepare me for speaking to the locals in my brother's French village when I've visited - I felt really idiotic!
I agree that learning a new language is best done when really young and I missed out on that. . . . . .unless you can call Devonshire a 'language' haha!

Stay warm dear friend - still hot here during the day but the nights are cooling a little. Still running the air conditioning!