Beacon students get faux French immersion

Cafe trips provide language learning

By Maeleeke J. Lavan
Poughkeepsie Journal

BEACON -- A group of students chatting in a local cafe one recent weekday morning seemed a fairly ordinary sight -- except they were speaking French.

As a way to submerge and provide a hands-on approach to speaking a foreign language, French students from Rombout Middle School have been going on weekly field trips to L'Amie -- a cafe in Fishkill.

During the four-week unit focusing on food, foreign language teacher Audrey Lasky decided her students needed to completely experience what they were learning about.

''I had wanted to show them they can use what they're learning in real life,'' Lasky said. She began the field trips last year. ''When you're doing the restaurant unit, you take them to a restaurant. The whole idea is to do what the kids need for it to sink in.''

Students get to choose from a varying menu of entrees, beverages and des-serts that include tasty opt-ions like breakfast croissants, creme brulee and hot chocolate.

The seventh- and eighth-graders order their food in French, getting a chance to learn about foods that are enjoyed by people speaking both cultures.

No English

They also interact with restaurant staff the way they would at any restaurant, but anything they need must be said in their newly adopted language.

''They learn the formal way -- the polite way -- to say things,'' Lasky said. ''They already know, in English, if they speak nicely to a waitress or waiter then they get better service.''

First-year French student Laura Davis said she had no idea what to expect when she signed up for her foreign language course. ''It's really fun,'' the 12-year old said. ''We do a lot of fun things.''

The seventh-grader said it's great to get out of the school building -- especially to eat. And the learning part isn't so bad either.

''We get to eat French food and order in French,'' she said.

Lasky said the students are coming along learning the language and it's interesting for them to come to the realization English and French languages have similarities.

''They're learning that English words are making their way into the French language,'' which helps make things more familiar for them and therefore easier to comprehend.