EVIDENCE #1: French Grammar and Phonetics Classes- La Sorbonne, Paris, France, See Fall 1985

EVIDENCE #2: French Grammar and Phonetics Classes - L'Institut Catholique, Paris, France, See Spring 1986

EVIDENCE #3: French Grammar Class - L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Paris, France, See Fall 1986

EVIDENCE #4: Overall cultural and social experiences in France, 1985-1987. Including volunteer community development program in Beaufort-Sur-Dordonne and job as a food server at The Studio, in Paris.

DESCRIPTION:

In order to gain deep understanding of the French language including its structure, phonetic system, and different socio-linguistic levels, I attended a study abroad program in Paris, France. This program was through Central College in Iowa. I chose this program because it integrated academics, personal goals and intercultural learning. I also worked throughout much of the time attaining valuable experiential learning.

I took classes at three higher learning institutions of renown: La Sorbonne, L'Institut Catholique and L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques. When I arrived in Paris, I first attended an intensive language program in the Fall of 1985 at La Sorbonne.

The next semester, I went to L'Institut Catholique where I continued to take grammar, writing and speaking, and phonetics. I was now ready to add content areas such as geography, film, 20th century novel and more. All these classes were in French.

My final semester of study in Paris, I fulfilled a goal of attending L'Institut D'Etudes Politique, a premier political science and international relations institution. I studied diligently all summer in order to prepare for the entrance exam. At Sci Po, as it is known, I continued with a French grammar class focused on writing & speaking and also took contemporary French politics (click for course syllabus), contemporary French society, and U.S. foreign politics. Here is a highlight of our reading list in contemporary French politics which contributed great source material for my senior thesis on French constitutional politics.

ANALYSIS/REFLECTION: The learning I did in Paris was central to my French language improvement. Having only begun the study of French in college, the pace at my Trinity classes was quick and most of my peers had had some French in high school. While I worked hard, I struggled to keep up.

Nonetheless, my desire to learn French was not deterred. It was grounded in my goal to work in international relations and U.S. foreign policy. I knew French would be essential to succeed at this as French has been the "language of diplomacy," for over a century. Treaties registered with the United Nations Treaty Series are always translated into French and English. (J.A.P. April 2, 2013. Towards a fairer distribution: French is increasingly anachronistic as a language of diplomacy. What should replace it? The Economist. Retrieved from: https://www.economist.com/johnson/2013/04/02/towards-a-fairer-distribution). While there is a current discussion to change this practice, at the time it was "à la mode".

The intensive French language program I took when initially arriving, was led by an excellent instructor at La Sorbonne. She helped instill a sense of confidence in me that was lacking in my French classes at Trinity University. These classes consisted of grammar & structure, writing skills, speaking skills and phonetics. My class, made up of students from around the globe, from places as diverse as Syria, Japan, Turkey, Sweden and Spain was a window onto the world for me.

The next semester, Winter/Spring 1986, I attended L'Institut Catholique. I took grammar, writing and speaking and phonetics. My phonetics professor was top notch. We learned the International Phonetic Alphabet and did written classwork diagramming words, sounds and sentences as well as much verbal practice to hone our pronunciation. I became intimately familiar with the sound patterns, or phonology of French.

The French sound system, also known as French phonology, has several notable features. These include the guttural "r", nasal vowels and rules affecting the final sounds of words. The final sound rules are often tricky for learners and I recall my light bulb moment when another student exclaimed that in French, you only pronounce half of what you see. Of course this is simplifying it, but gaining a handle on these pronunciation systems contributed to my understanding of the French language structure overall.

We went into depth about the French "liaison," which is the pronunciation of a mute word-final consonant immediately before a following vowel. Most written and spoken final consonants are no longer pronounced in French and are known as mute or latent. For example, the letter s in the word les ('the') is generally silent, but it is pronounced /z/ in the combination les amis /le.z‿a.mi/, 'the friends' because it is followed by a vowel.

Another area of language competency called for in this standard is socio-linguistics. Basically, the study of language according to social factors such as differences of regional, class and occupational dialect. Roy Lyster, Professor of Second Language Education at McGill University, defines sociolinguistic competence as, “the capacity to recognize and produce socially appropriate speech in context.” ( Lyster, R. (2007). Learning and teaching languages through content: A counterbalanced approach. Amsterdam: John Benjamins). It makes sense that using language according to context is crucial for learners to interact with cultural competence.

Our role as teachers hinges on our ability to link language learning to social contexts and diverse societies through content-rich lessons. This element brings language studies alive and plugs in meaning for learners. Language is powerful. Words and how they are used, convey meaning and messaging. When used appropriately this can lead to great understanding and when not, to vast misunderstanding.

In addition, French has clearly defined grammar rules pertaining to how you address someone based on their relationship to you. This is the informal and formal use of subject pronouns in the "you" form, either "tu" or "vous," which do not exist in English. Informal and formal variants of language vary according to the context. Slang is a type of vernacular reserved for those one is quite familiar with, and even within slang there is a continuum of appropriateness.

During my 18 months living, working and studying in Paris, France, I gained a profound understanding of socio-linguistic levels. Numerous opportunities were pursued that reflected the different usage from my time as a waitress at Le Studio, a Tex-Mex restaurant in the Parisian neighborhood of the "Marais," to my academic studies, to working as a "fille au pair" for a family, to participating a summer community development program in Beaufort-Sur-Dordonne . I also developed several close friendships with French peers which proved immeasurably helpful for my French language acquisition. These friends, the following year visited me in San Antonio, Texas. Living in a French speaking country greatly enhances a learners' time spent with even the most competent teacher. Moreover, language use in the social dimension of human interaction, is where the complex and subtle socio-linguisitc levels come into play.

This evidence represents my mastery of this standard because of my course work in French grammar, writing, speaking and phonetics. As well, my experience living, working and studying in France enhanced my content knowledge and proficiency in speaking and writing to a fluent level and helped me develop a deep understanding of sociolinguistic differences within French. I look forward to growing my phonetics teaching strategies for the K-12 grades, and would like to attend a workshop and read more publications by Dr. Roy Lyster.

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