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Reading comprehension

Recalling

  1. What made the author wish he could speak to a Frenchman in his own language?

  2. What attempts did he make to learn conversational French?

  3. What do you learn about Mme. Carnet's method of teaching the language?

  4. Why did he decide against taking French lessons?

  5. What does he mean by "a career of hypocritical benevolence"?

  6. Why did he take daily walks in Central Park with Mr. Bernou?

  7. What makes him compare Central Park with the Garden of Eden?

  8. Who did he fasten upon after Mr. Bernou and why did the man feel disinclined to talk in French?

  9. How did the Frenchmen in New York respond to the author's attempts to speak French?

  10. What trick did he resort to in order to make the Frenchmen speak French to him? Who did it work well with?

  11. How did the tobacconist treat him?

  12. What did a long year of persistent attempts to learn the language end in?

    1. Did his French improve?

    2. What did he come to think of all the Americans in New York who claim to know French culture?

  13. What does the author find wrong in the way languages are taught?

Attention check

Quote the text to prove that:

a) the author spared no effort to learn spoken French,

b) the usual methods of teaching a foreign language proved inadequate,

c) Mme. Carnet had no idea how to teach French,

d) the author discovered that people who claimed to know French culture, literature, etc. were mere dabblers.

Retell the text according to the outline below using the suggested words and phrase.:

1. The author realizes he doesn't know French well enough:

down to; outbreak; no more desire; in his own language; well enough; off and on; width of the chasm; to cut one off; to bridge; either ... or; phonograph; bouts with; to acquire; sermon; quinsy; sore throat

2. The author takes conversation lessons:

well on in years; to keep on diligently; to inquire faultlessly; to take care of; to say this for; personal (family) affairs; no human being; to confide in; abundantly; to repress; relentless; unbridled; soliloquy

3. The author resolves to take no more lessons:

to hunt down; hypocritical; benevolence; immensely interested; to fall in with; to be so much alike; to interchange; to meet daily; must have run like this; to come to feel; exactly; to divest the mind; acquisitions; to slip away; to tax one's powers of description

4. The author makes more attempts to get in touch with French people:

to take to the streets; a dry season; a clannish folk; to take pains; to spare the trouble; to dive; to pull out; humane

5. The author is able to report definite results:

sense of ignorance; vast; profound distrust; to profess; to dabble (in); a living language; a cluster of associations; suggestive of; to ring in the ear; no way out; inevitable; dead languages; no need; appreciation (of); to found; verbal vacuum; to convey

Reorganization

1. Act out the talk between the author of the story and M. Bernou.

Give your analysis of the mistakes they made. Give the correct version of their talk.

2. Imagine that the author of the story asks you to give him recommendation concerning foreign language mastering. What will you recommend to him?

3. Make up dialogues based on the following suggestions:

a/ An American lady talks to a friend. She has been taking conversation lessons from a Spaniard for almost a year, yet the progress leaves much to desire. She has been planning a trip to Latin America and is eager to speak the language, but so far she hasn't achieved much. Her friend asks a number of questions about the teacher, his method, the records and textbooks she has been using, etc. After the questions are answered the friend tries to give advice. The lady is terribly disappointed.

b/ Mr. Brown talks to his son and daughter. He tries his best to make them understand how important to learn foreign languages while people are young. His son doesn't want to waste time on learning languages, because it takes a lot of time. He is keen on natural history. His daughter believes that it is very easy to learn a foreign language, every fool can do it. Mr. Brown says it is not so very easy, unless one does it at the proper time. Express your point of view acting as Mr. Brown.