School French Lessons In The 1970S

[hc4361]

I don't know why this suddenly came to mind but it seems to me that most of my 2 years of French lessons involved learning French words for smoking and tobacconists, also no smoking signs and 'open the window'.

Was it just my school?

[fiction-factory]

Did you not do " the pen of my aunt"?

[Buenchico]

Your school probably ordered the wrong vocabulary books, Hc4361 ;-)
https://tinyurl.com/y9bptere

[Buenchico]

>>> Did you not do " the pen of my aunt"?

. . . or even "Mon aéroglisseur est plein d'anguilles"?

[Theland]

I think compulsory foreign language lessons are a waste of time.
Voluntary yes, shows interest, but coercion? Waste of resource.

[hc4361]

Don't remember 'the pen of my aunt' and I'm I would remember such a useful phrase :D

Books, Buenchico? We had a teacher, a blackboard and the occasion television programme on the wheeled tv. Do you think I'm posh or summat?

[rowanwitch]

The bureau de tabac was busy, every one wanted directions, prenez la premier rue a droite. Etc.

[Bazile]

This springs to mind from my french lessons at school ( i'm sure i learnt a bit more ) -

ecoute et repete

Madame Marsaud est dans le jardin

Mind you, we had a state of the art language lab though

[hc4361]

I couldn't agree more, Theland. I have no aptitude for learning languages although I would love to and have tried many times over the years.
Maybe it's got something to do with my being tone deaf. I can read and write in a French and Spanish much better than I can speak them.

[Theland]

Avez vous a cuppa?
Ah! Le tea Anglais!

[fiction-factory]

La plume de ma tante, hc?

[Theland]

Who needed it?

[Old_Geezer]

No, there was a concentration on French tobacconists.
Unsurprised, except there didn't seem a similar interest in wine merchants, nor onion sellers on bikes. Berets and striped shirts were de rigueur though.

[mushroom25]

the culture in france was (until very recently) such that a knowledge of smoking was relevant. bars were legally required to have an "espace non fumeurs", but in most cases this comprised 2 chairs wedged in a cupboard under the stairs....

[hc4361]

I remember Chanson d'Amor was in the charts at the time
Da dada dada

[Theland]

If parents were given vouchers to spend ear kids education, free choice, I'm guessing most parents would opt for maths, science, English, I.T., and the rest open to choice.
Don't think languages would figure very high.

[hc4361]

We were taught that all French children are unfailingly polite and respectful of their elders and always use the French equivalent of Received Pronunciation.

I suspect that was a big fat lie

[jackthehat]

Est Nikki le singe dans l'arbre?

Non. Elle fait peur aux gens au cinéma (who had gone to watch King Kong, if memory serves.....)

[Bazile]

Its strange how most british ( well the older ones ) consider that they should not have to learn another language ; but other nationals should learn english .

[Theland]

It didn't do the Yellow Vests much good and they all speak crap.

[SparklyKid]

French,Spanish, German all a waste of time. East European languages is the way to go, you could make a fortune as a interpreteur.oops spelt that wrong.