There is a government organization in Paris called the French Academy (L’Academie Francaise) that seeks to keep the French language pure. It’s been around since the sixteenth century. It tries to stamp out English words like le weekend, email, le web and le telephone. It assists with enforcement of an absurd French law that forbids French rock and roll stations from playing mostly English-language music.
This is very different from the arguments in America about bi-lingual education and the importance for fully learning English in order to be economically competitive as an adult. The French who learn French and nothing else are locking themselves out of technological changes and computer advances. And they are not attracting English-speaking foreign students (which is an economic mistake since there are millions upon millions of English-speaking young adults in, for example, India).
Vivienne Walt, a correspondent for Time in Paris, saw this French language attitude come to a boil recently. She reports in the June 21, 2013 Time:
On May 21, France’s Minister of Higher Education introduced a bill in parliament aimed at overhauling universities, with one of its most controversial proposals a measure markedly expanding the use of English, the global lingua franca for the sciences and business, not to mention the Internet. Until now, the government has allowed classroom English, from kindergarten to graduate school, only in lessons that teach English language and literature. So, for example, reading Harvard Business School case studies in their original is, by the strict letter of the law, interdit. Hollande’s government argues that the restriction risks leaving French universities increasingly isolated.
Logical as it sounds, the proposal, part of a much broader attempt to make French universities more competitive in the world, has ignited a firestorm. Last month’s debate in parliament raged for 29 hours, and barely squeaked through, with 289 to 248 votes.
Walt herself has a child in a French school in Paris. It was suggested that the English and American children at the school have a class in English. Ultimately the school denied the request because there was no spare room available. "Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose."
Details are at:
http://news.yahoo.com/anglo-invasion-france-debates-teaching-courses-english-222921469.htmlThis is very different from the arguments in America about bi-lingual education and the importance for fully learning English in order to be economically competitive as an adult. The French who learn French and nothing else are locking themselves out of technological changes and computer advances. And they are not attracting English-speaking foreign students (which is an economic mistake since there are millions upon millions of English-speaking young adults in, for example, India).
Vivienne Walt, a correspondent for Time in Paris, saw this French language attitude come to a boil recently. She reports in the June 21, 2013 Time:
Walt herself has a child in a French school in Paris. It was suggested that the English and American children at the school have a class in English. Ultimately the school denied the request because there was no spare room available. "Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose."
Details are at:
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