Learning a language goes hand-in-hand with understanding and appreciating the culture.
In Language Acquisition French, we strive to provide authentic opportunities for our students to experience French culture in the classroom and in the community. The benefits of cultural immersion are impossible to overestimate, from understanding new perspectives to boosting language skills.
Last week, our Senior School students joined the Francophone and Francophile communities in Melbourne to celebrate the world of modern French cinema by attending the annual French Film Festival.
“Fly me away” (“Envole-moi”) was a hit with both students and teachers. It tells the story of a terminally ill teenager and his young and insolent carer, who form a brotherly bond which brings deep emotion to life. The film provides an insightful platform for exploring the concepts of youth, family and friendship as part of our students’ French program in class.
“I think that this activity was beneficial for our learning because it allowed us to hear French being spoken in a real, natural setting, to hear new words and improve our understanding. We also found that as the movie progressed, we felt as though we could skip some of the subtitles and work out what was being said because of the context and by watching what the characters were doing. It was also really interesting to see the pronunciation and be able to pick up little tips and tricks from listening to the characters speak in all different accents, not just the French accent. So, while it was a fun excursion and we all really enjoyed getting out and seeing the movie, it was also really helpful for our learning, and we felt as though we could take away a lot from hearing French being spoken and picking up bits of vocabulary through the context.”
Helena Leitch (Year 11 student)
We hope that this yearly outing will help our students develop a lifelong interest in French culture and language.
The French Film Festival is in cinemas until 6 April for anyone interested in going along. Please see your French teacher for a program.
Julia Beer, Teacher of Language Acquisition French
