Arrêtez de massacrer le français!

We French-speaking American students are in high demand as babysitters for parents who want their children to be immersed in English. It’s a popular sentiment. The metro hallways are plastered with ads for English language instruction. It seems that wherever you look you’ll see posters of various cheerful blonde women proclaiming that “YES! I speak WALLSTREET English!” My favorite ad has an extremely battered-looking British guard looking at the camera and holding up his hands in terror under the heading, Arrêtez de massacrer l’anglais! (“Stop massacring English!”).

The French have always favored accuracy in language; it started as a means to unite a very culturally and linguistically diverse country and was codified by institutions like l’Académie Française. It’s a rather bittersweet side effect of the globalization of the English language that it’s managed to root its way so firmly into a country that places such a high value on its native language.

After all, as one of my friends was joking the other day, if there was a little beret-wearing & cigarette-smoking Frenchman on a metro sign begging us Americans to “stop massacring français,” he’d probably be on his deathbed. We’re all trying to remember the faux amis (“false friends”) that don’t translate so well into French. I tried to describe my approach to cooking as a procès the other day and my host mom thought I was talking about a trial. Translating “I’m excited” to Je suis excitée means you’re, ah, excited in another sense.

And please, avoid the mistake I made a few nights ago at the dinner table with my host family. “Ah, je suis pleine!” I said, leaning back in my chair and patting my stomach. My host family stared at me and then at my stomach. Let’s just say my direct translation of “I’m full” to French didn’t quite carry over across the language barrier. They thought I’d announced I was full with a baby – and had chosen a rather awkward moment to share the news with them!

Au revoir, l’été!

Two weeks in, I feel I'm settling nicely into Paris. I've been wearing my scarves and flats, jostling people around on the Metro, and I attended my first two classes today (both interesting, but both the unfortunate standard French length of three hours...I've been spoiled by Colby's 50-minute morning classes!).

It's suddenly, and dramatically, become fall in Paris. I went to Giverny, Monet's home & garden, this past Saturday, and I couldn't have picked a better day: absolutely gorgeous weather, not too many crowds because of the time of year, and an all-around beautiful change of pace from city life.

This past weekend was the Patrimoine, so most museums and cultural sites (like Giverny) were either free or dramatically cheaper. It also meant that certain government buildings were open. A couple of us tried to get into the Palais L'Elysée, but when we arrived the police officer there kindly told us that they'd stopped letting people in to see it because the line to get in right now was approaching eight hours. Apparently Parisians like Sarkozy more than they let on, if they're so determined to see his digs.

Of course, while we were there, I realized how fully it's become fall; especially after my very summer-like adventure on Saturday in Giverny, it was startling to see that the leaves are changing here. It's a good reminder as to how little time I have to explore here, though!

I'll try and write more entries soon...there are tons of things I've been meaning to post about, I just haven't had time!

Bises,

Annelise

Write a thesis, live in a box

I'm safe and sound in Paris! I'm all settled in at my host family's apartment in the 3eme arrondissement - though that settling in will last only about a week, as we're moving to the 4eme on the 15th. I'm very excited about our new location - it's about a block from the building where I'll be taking two of my classes this semester, and only a five minute walk from the beautiful Place des Vosges.

This is week one of orientation, which means super intensive information sessions, grammar and "Civilization" classes, lectures on aspects of French culture, and starting next week, the all important walking tours of Paris.

I'm in the advanced grammar class for orientation, and the last few days have been spent getting instruction in writing the French paper (when we're not conjugating the passe simple that is...apparently we're expected to know how to write it here and not just identify it...heh...). The French model is so, so different from a U.S. paper. Since elementary school, we Americans have been trained to think of a thesis and find arguments to support that thesis. You work to put down anything that disproves your point; you express an opinion.

So most of the class was having a very hard time dealing with the idea of the French paper. "Your opinion doesn't matter," our French teacher told us (in a very nice tone of voice, but still). "The French education system doesn't judge. If you really want to prove a point, then pursue un doctorat and defend your thesis in front of other experts." Our professors want to see papers that demonstrate we have a well-rounded knowledge of the entire subject. You evenly and neutrally discuss the pros and cons of a subject; if you pick just one side to defend, it's perceived as plain laziness.

It'll be hard to adjust to - after all, I've been very well-trained in the American model (thanks Weston), and thinking in thesis-format comes naturally - but I think I'm having an easier time than others. One girl in my class almost got into an argument with the professor about this format. First bit of culture shock, I guess. It says a lot about the two cultures, of course, that one is trained to pick a side and defend it to the death, while the other insists on a full knowledge of both points of view.

I'll write more soon, once orientation craziness dies down. Bonne soiree!