I'm sitting here with my copies of Cours Illustré de Français Book 1 and Longman's Audio-Visual French Stage A1 . I have previously mentioned the former, published in 1966, with its use of pictures to exemplify grammar and vocabulary. In his preface Mark Gilbert says: "The pictures are not... a mere decoration but provide further foundation for the language work at this early stage." He talks of "fluency" and "flexibility": "In oral work it is advisable to persist with the practice of a particular pattern until the pupils can use it fluently and flexibly. Flexibility means, for example, the ability to switch from one person of the verb to another..." Ah! Now, the Longman offering, written by S. Moore and A.L. Antrobus, published in 1973, just seven years later, has a great deal in common with Gilbert's course. We now have three colours (green, black and white) rather than mere black and white. The layout is arguably more attrac...
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Please see this funtastic cartoon on identity. Please don't allow women discrimination....
ReplyDeleteI have rather mixed feelings on this and we British look at this issue in a different wauy to the French. On the one hand people should be free to where what they like. Some muslim women are no doubt happy to wear a full body and face covering (except eyes), but I also think that women are treated as second class by a number of religions, including islam. The Church of England and the Catholic Church treat women differently to men, though in more subtle ways. The main thing is that no woman should feel forced to wear a dress code. If they are, then Sarkozy is right. I wonder how his message will be received in some quarters.
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