P
R E S S R E V I E W S
The
New York Times
Sink-or-Swim French Can Be "Chambre de Torture",
but Also Fun
by LUCY A. KRAUS
"... Our days were varied
but carefully structured with total emphasis placed on the spoken,
not the written, word. There were classroom sessions with film strips
and systematic usage of new phrases and grammatical complexities,
and group games, with variations on charades; there were poems to
read, songs to hear, and stories to tell, all in French, naturally.
And, of course, there was the language laboratory.
Evenings and weekends
we spilled out into Villefranche or such neighborhing Riviera towns
as Nice and Monte Carlo, to use our ever-expanding knowledge of
French in shops, buses, museums and restaurants. It was gratifying
to be able to ask directions in perfect, if slow, French and mortifying
when a bus driver responded in perfect English !
As the first week drew
to a close, students struggled to get accustomed to the rigorous
routine as the sun and sea, looming large beyond the windows of
the institute, vied for our attention. We leaped at the chance to
spend half-hour breaks and practice sessions in the garden, and
sun baths were snatched furtively. But all too soon we returned
to the classroom to watch "Pierre and Mireille" go to the cinema.
By the fourth and last
week, there was a final burst of energy to learn, to speak, to comprehend.
Class discussions in Intermediate II became hilarious as students
outdid one another to provide the funniest lines of imaginary dialogue
to accompany the filmstrips. We became cocky, giddy, anxious, relieved
- feelings mixed with a twinge of sadness, for soon we would be
leaving our fascinating little community..."
For
more detailed information: info@institutdefrancais.com
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23 Avenue Général-Leclerc - 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer
- FRANCE |
Tel: +33
493 01 88 44
- Fax: +33 493 76 92 17
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