Parlez-vous Francais?
That was the question I was frequently asked during a visit to the Alliance Francaise in Edinburgh this week with Mme Wolfe and the team of students that won a competition last year. My response was always a sheepish 'un peu'. Though the remnants of a GCSE French course from my teenage years helped me follow conversations, I was acutely aware of how little I had to offer the dialogue. Noone really wanted to tell me about their pets or how I could get to the train station.
The language programme at ISA aims to help our students be proficient users of a second language by the time they leave us. The benefits of this extend well beyond the practicalities of travel or translation. Being proficient in another language creates opportunities for deeper intercultural learning and understanding. Though some way off fluency, the Grade 6 and 7 students on the trip to Edinburgh are making excellent progress along their journey and were certainly pleased to be testing out their vocabulary at the Bistrot cafe.
Comments
Post a Comment