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The nuances of a great language

FRENCH CONNECTION
Last Updated 24 March 2014, 13:14 IST

As part of the ‘Francophonie Week’, which celebrates French language across the world and encourages the exchange between the various francophone countries, the Alliance Francaise de Bangalore (AFB) inaugurated the Quebec section in its library recently.

The ‘Francophonie Week’ started on March 19 and goes on till March 25 at the Alliance Francaise. Pointing out that ten per cent of the students of the Alliance Francaise inquire about immigrating to Quebec, Philippe Gasparini, the director of AFB, said, “This is a requirement especially since there are so many people interested in moving to Quebec. This is the result of two years of effort. The library has been renovated to accommodate this section.”

Eric Lavertu, Consul General of France in Bangalore, was present at the event. “This has been done to make the students aware of the scope of French. It’s also to point out the difference in the ways the language is spoken in different countries. For instance, the French spoken in France is different from that spoken in Africa or other parts of Europe. Through this library, we want to show the various forms of the language.”

He added, “This will also help all those interested in travelling to French-speaking countries.” Alain Olivier, director of the office of Quebec Consul, conducted a two-hour session for the faculty members as well as senior students prior to the inauguration. “I am impressed with the level of French spoken here. In fact, at the end of my presentation, I spoke about a couple of French expressions that are popular in Quebec. But to my surprise, almost half the class was familiar with the phrases,” he said, adding, “It was a pleasant surprise.”

Geetanjali Shrivatsava, a French teacher at the AFB , who attended the session said, “It was an eye-opener. We got to know a lot about the language and culture. It helped us a lot especially because there are many students who want to know about life in Quebec.” Some of the events conducted were ‘invent a word with a definition’, ‘coming up with a synopsis for the fourth cover of a book’ and a photography and singing competition. 

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(Published 24 March 2014, 13:14 IST)

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