Des Bêtises Scolaires

Here's a quick quiz for you: what does this picture make you think of? For a terminale (Year 13) student in France, they have to be able to discuss an image for 5 minutes and be able to participate in a 5 minute conversation with the examiner in order to pass the oral part of their foreign language exam. I've been giving mock exams to pupils all year, but this past week I've been trying out a new picture on my classes, and it's been amazing what I've heard in response. The picture I've been showing them is one similar to the one below - the only difference is that the Statue of Liberty is facing forwards. 

If you're still guessing, the picture is about global warming and climate change. It's a warning as to what might happen in the future if we don't try and do something about it. I must have shown this picture to a dozen kids, none of whom have managed to guess that. Is this a sad reflection on French teenagers not knowing anything about climate change/not giving a rat's arse about global warming or is this me being dense or over-analytical? General public, cast your vote. Update: I'm now leaning towards this being my problem, having asked my parents their opinion and my dad immediately replied with the answer that the picture obviously represents the September 11 attacks. Erm...?

And the kids I've presented this to have been nothing if not creative. Some of them obviously have excellent imagination. I've had pupils explain to me how the picture was a metaphor for the relationship between France and America (the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, fact fans), and how the picture's message is about immigration to the US. Those are actually quite clever ideas, so hats off to these kids. Maybe it's me who's lacking in imagination...? But the best one by far is what I heard this afternoon from one male student. "I think that this picture represents the tsunami in Japan last year because it shows that Japan is a poor country which has no money to rebuild any of its roads or houses, but if there was a tsunami in America they would have enough money". Erm...? Not sure what Japanese people would say about that, considering Japan has the third largest world economy...

But he's not alone in this geography fail, sadly. I don't know whether this shows a general trend in French teenagers, or whether this only happens in this little remote corner of la République, but just today, I have been informed that:

• Belfast is the capital of the USA
• One of my students wants to visit "The United Kingdom of the United States"
• Glasgow is the capital of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
• The above two countries are "the same thing"
• Kate Middleton is currently Queen of England
• Prince William is the son of the father of Queen Elizabeth II (that's how it was told to me)
• Prince William is the cousin of the Queen
• Prince Charles is the daughter of the Queen
• I got asked "what is the Wales, Madame?"
• The UK's currency is the dollar

I have so much work yet to do, evidently... I'm starting to realise that this might actually be accurate: (Click on the image for a larger, clearer version!)

"Europe according to France"

On the bright side, I received a crêpe machine as my leaving present from the English department. So much love for them right now! I can't wait to get cracking with my crêpe making career. And I'm off home for a flying visit tomorrow thanks to the Easter holidays, so wish me luck with the 13 hour train journey!

Bises,

Sophia xx