Les mots Franglais
Last week (27th January 2015) I did one of my “cours supplémentaires” with a 5e class (yes I willingly do more hours at work than I’m employed to do, although to be fair, I am paid overtime and enjoy it), and I decided to work on reasons for learning English and on English in the French language.
I started the activity by asking my pupils to tell me reasons why English is an important language to learn and why they have chosen to come to these extra classes (they are not obliged to come), to improve their English.
Their response was very interesting. The very first pupil told me that English was important because it is “langue universelle”, and “everybody speaks it”. The second pupil to raise her hand told me that she wanted to learn English so she would be able to speak it when she goes on holiday.
I then asked the pupils about any music that they listened to and I sang (very badly I might add), a few lines of the recently famous “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor – to which all of the girls sang the rest of the chorus, and even the boys hummed along. When I asked the girls if they understood the words to the song, they said that they understood the majority of the words but not all – so in the future lessons I hope to work more on songs and do a translation exercise where I will be able to really see how many of the words they actually understand – as I’m not sure how accurate “a majority of the words” actually is. I also asked them to name me some other singers that they liked and they mentioned “One Direction”, “Adele” and “Rihanna” – all Anglophone singers.
I also asked my students about which video games they liked to play and one pupil mentioned the game “Watch dog”. I asked him what he thought it meant and he said “bah, c’est un chien qui regarde”, showing that he didn’t really understand the other definition “A person or group that monitors the practices of companies providing a particular service or utility” which the game is about – it is not about an actual dog who watched a house or property.
After asking these questions, I then showed them a PowerPoint with 10 reasons why learning English was a good idea. After going through the PowerPoint I gave each pupil a worksheet with 107 words that I had seen and heard used around school, town and in the college. I asked the students to put a tick or highlight any word which they recognized and would use in normal/ everyday French when talking to their peers, family, teachers etc. I then asked them to either write for me French sentences with the word in it so I can see how they used it, or to write me a description of the word in either English or French.
Unfortunately, as the class was only an hour long, the students didn’t have time to finish the complete exercise, and most of them only managed to tick/ highlight the words and write a few sentences – so I hope to finish the grid in my next lesson.
Obviously there were two goals to this lesson. The first was to be able to show the students how many words they already understood in English without having studied or revised at all. When I pointed this out to the class, they all seemed surprised at how many words they already knew, and commented that they did recognise now that English is being used more and more in everyday French.
The other goal of the lesson was for me to see if words I the words that I had heard around the school, town and house were often used amongst these pupils, which words these young students did use in English and how they used the word in their French sentences. To exemplify, it was interesting that the words “airbag”, “babysitter” and “barman” (along with many others in the grid), were used in the same way as English, whereas other words such as “brushing” have been taken from English but are have other meanings in French i.e. in France, un brushing = a blow dry
Although the table below is not complete (I will endeavour to complete it in within the next few weeks) – it does show how many English words students recognise and what they think of the meanings of these words:
Words used in everyday/ normal French | FREQUENCY OF STUDENTS– i.e. no of people who agree that this word is used in everyday/ normal French | Extra notes |
1) Airbag | *!@^ACDEF |
!) Pour les accidents de voiture @) Quand on fait un accident sa protège la tête du volant dans une voiture ^) Cousin en cas d’accident *) Gros coussin |
2) Babysitter | *!@^ABCDEF |
!) Elle garde les enfants @)C’est un nounou ^) Garde des enfants *) Garde enfant |
3) Barbecue | *!@^ABCDEF |
!) Pour cuire les aliments l’été @) On cuit les aliments en été ^) Grille la viande *) Grille viande |
4) Barman | *!@^ABCDEF |
!) Dans les soirée @) C’est dans des soiré il distribute des verre avec du jus ^) Bar *) Serveure |
5) Base-ball | *!@^ABCDEF |
!) Sport @) C’est un sport ^) Sport *) Jeu avec une batte |
6) Baskets | *!@^ABCDEF |
!) Panier/ chausseur @) Panier ^) Chaussure *) Chaussur |
7) Beefsteak | *!^ABCEF |
!) Viande ^) Viande *) Viande |
8) Best-of | *!@^ABCEF |
!) Les meilleurs @) Le meilleur ^) Le top des music *) Meillure chose |
9) Boy band | *!@^D | Apparently in France they say “BoyS band” so with the S
!) One direction @) One direction ^) One direction *) groupe de garcon |
10) Brushing | *!@^ABCDEF | Meaning a “blow dry” in France, instead of having someone actually brush your hair
!) Pour les cheveux @) Pour les cheveux ^) Brushing *) Coupe de cheveau |
11) Building | *^DEF |
*) Grand immeuble |
12) Business | *^ABEFCD |
F)C’est le faite de se faire de la popularité et de l’argent *) Vendre chose |
13) Caddie | *!@^BCEFD |
!) Pour les courses @) C’est pour mettre les course quand on va au magasin ^) Transport pour les courses *) Vendre les cources |
14) Camping | *!@^ABCEF |
!) Parcs pour les tentes @) Pour les tente *) Vacances |
15) Cameraman | *!@^ABCDEF |
!) Pour la TV @) C’est selui qui film *) Mec qui a un camera |
16) Casting | *!@^ABCDE |
|
17) Challenge | *!@^ABCDEF |
|
18) Cheeseburger | *!@^ABCDEF |
|
19) Chewing-gum | *!@^ABCDEF |
|
20) Cool | *!@^ABCDEF |
|
21) Corn-flakes | *!^ABCDEF |
|
22) Cow-boy | *!^ADF |
|
23) Crash | *!@^ADF |
|
24) Dealer | *!^AD |
|
25) D-J | *!@^AEF | F)C’est une personne qui mix la musique |
26) E-mail | *!@^AEF |
|
27) Fast-food | *!@^AEF |
|
28) Football | *!@^AEF |
|
29) Gangster | *!^AEF |
|
30) Globe-trotter | *AE | |
31) Goal | *!@AE | |
32) Handball | *!@^AE | |
33) Hold-up | *!AE | |
34) Iceberg | *!^AE | |
35) Interview | *!@^AE | |
36) Jackpot | *!^AE | |
37) Job | *!@^AE | |
38) Jogging | *!@^AE | |
39) Joystick | * | |
40) Ketchup | *!@^AE | |
41) Kidnapping | *!@^AE | |
42) Leader | *!@AE | |
43) Light | *@^A | |
44) Meeting | *!@AE | |
45) OK | *!@^AE | Also use KO as in knocked ok |
46) Planning | *!@^AE | |
47) Penalty | *!@AE | |
48) Pick-pocket | *!@^AE | |
49) Ping-pong | *!@^AE | |
50) Pin’s | *AE | Used to mean “badge” |
51) Popcorn | *!@^AE | |
52) Poster | *!@^AE | |
53) Prime time | E | |
54) Punching ball | *!AE | Meaning both a victim and the actual punching ball used in boxing |
55) Puzzle | *!@^ | |
56) Revolver | *!@^ | |
57) Roller | *!@^ | |
58) Rosbif | *!@^ | |
59) Rock & Roll | *!@^ | |
60) Rugby | *!@^ | |
61) Sandwich | *!@^ | |
62) Scoop | *!@^ | In France scoop means “some new information” – kind of gossip or des nouvelles |
63) Scooter | *!@^ | |
64) Score | *!@^ | |
65) Scotch | *!@^ | Scotch is used to mean what we call “selotape” in England – scotch for us in England is a drink |
66) Serial killer | *!^ | |
67) Shopping | *!@^ | |
68) Short | *!@^ | |
69) Single | *!@^ | |
70) Skateboard | *!@^ | |
71) Sketch | *!@^ | |
72) SMS | *!@^ | |
73) Snob | *! | |
74) S.O.S | *!@^ | |
75) Star | *!@^ | |
76) Stop | *!@^ | |
77) Stress | *!@^ | |
78) Sweat-shirt | *!@^ | |
79) T-shirt | *!@^ | |
80) Talkie-walkie | *!@^ | |
81) Thriller | *! | |
82) Ticket | *!@^ | |
83) Top-model | *!@^ | |
84) Volley-ball | *!^ | |
85) Walkman | @ | |
86) Week-end | *!@^ | |
87) Zoom | *!@^ | |
EXTRA | ||
1) Web | *!@^ | |
2) Basketball | *!@^ | |
3) Volleyball | *!@^ | |
4) Stretch | @ | |
5) Reporter | *!^ | |
6) Cool | *!@^ | |
7) Lol | *!@^ | |
8) Parking | *!@^ | |
9) Shopping | *!@^ | |
10) Has been | ! | |
11) Fun | *!@^ | |
12) Fake | *!@^ | |
13) Goal average (in French goalavérage) | ||
14) Freeride | ||
15) Freestyle | *!@^ | |
16) Melting pot | ||
17) Cool | *!@^ | |
18) Post | *!@ | |
19) “Customizer” | ||
20) Shooter (verb-photograph) | *!@^ |
*!@^ = represent 4 different students who filled in whole survey
A/B/C/D/E/F = represent students who didn’t manage to fill out the whole sheet in given time
NB: Not all students managed to finish filling out the table and writing sentences/ definitions for words in English/ French. Furthermore, where there are spelling errors/grammatical errors, this is due to having copied exactly what the students write. I have also had to miss out some sentences written by students, as sadly their handwriting was illegible. However, I will try to ask them to re-write their sentences so I can add them to the table.
Originally the “questionnaire” was solely for lesson purposes, and was meant to be used to show the pupils how many English words they knew and used daily with their friends without really thinking about it. However, after the lesson I decided that it would be interesting to hand the “questionnaire” out to some different aged staff members to see if they used the same words as the younger generation, and to see if there were any general similarities or differences in the use of words between not only the children and the staff but also between the different staff members themselves.
For instance, only one student mentioned that they knew the word “prime-time” but didn’t give a definition or an example of how they would use it in French (probably due to time issues). However all 3 teachers knew the word “prime-time” and two gave definitions of it 1) TV 2) C’est un primetime.
Words used in everyday/ normal French | FREQUENCY OF STUDENTS– i.e. no of people who agree that this word is used in everyday/ normal French | Extra notes |
1) Airbag | T2/T3 | |
2) Babysitter | T2/T3 | |
3) Barbecue | T2/T3 | T1) On va faire un barbacue |
4) Barman | T2/T3 | |
5) Base-ball | T2/T3 | |
6) Baskets | T2/T3 | |
7) Beefsteak | T3 | T2) Biftek |
8) Best-of | T2/T3 | T1 le best of |
9) Boy band | T2/T3 | T1 Boysband
T2 Boys band |
10) Brushing | T2/T3 | |
11) Building | T3 | T2 don’t use in French |
12) Business | T2/T3 | |
13) Caddie | T2/T3 | T1 Trolley (caddie c’est la marque) |
14) Camping | T2/T3 | |
15) Cameraman | T2/T3 | |
16) Casting | T2/T3 | |
17) Challenge | T2/T3 | |
18) Cheeseburger | T2/T3 | |
19) Chewing-gum | T2/T3 | |
20) Cool | T2/T3 | |
21) Corn-flakes | T2/T3 | |
22) Cow-boy | T2/T3 | |
23) Crash | T2/T3 | T1 Un gros accident I.e. il s’est craché/ il se crache/ il a eu un accident/ il a rate qqch |
24) Dealer | T2/T3 | |
25) D-J | T2/T3 | |
26) E-mail | T2/T3 | |
27) Fast-food | T2/T3 | |
28) Football | T2/T3 | |
29) Gangster | T2/T3 | |
30) Globe-trotter | T2/T3 | |
31) Goal | /T3 | T2 Au foot |
32) Handball | T2/T3 | |
33) Hold-up | T2/T3 | T1 Il y a un hold-up |
34) Iceberg | T2/T3 | T1 Le titanic s’est mange un iceburg |
35) Interview | T2/T3 | |
36) Jackpot | T2/T3 | T1 J’ai gagné le jackpot |
37) Job | T2/T3 | |
38) Jogging | T2/T3 | T1 Je vais faire un jogging/ Je vais porter un jogging |
39) Joystick | T2/T3 | |
40) Ketchup | T2/T3 | |
41) Kidnapping | T2/T3 | |
42) Leader | T2/T3 | |
43) Light | T1 cola light/ light cigarettes
T2 For food or drink |
|
44) Meeting | T1 métange (meeting written the same way as English but pronounced as métange/ big meeting – not just a rendez-vous)
T2 job/ politics |
|
45) OK | T2/T3 | T1 use this like in English but also KO i.e. je suis K.O. = I’m out of it |
46) Planning | T2/T3 | T2 What I have to do |
47) Penalty | T2/T3 | T2 Foot |
48) Pick-pocket | T2/T3 | |
49) Ping-pong | T2/T3 | |
50) Pin’s | T2/T3 | T1 badge |
51) Popcorn | T2/T3 | |
52) Poster | T2/T3 | |
53) Prime time | T2/T3 | T1 C’est en primetime (9h le soir)
T2 TV |
54) Punching ball | T2/T3 | T1 Object and person |
55) Puzzle | T3 | T2 Jigsaw |
56) Revolver | T3 | |
57) Roller | T3 | |
58) Rosbif | T3 | |
59) Rock & Roll | T3 | |
60) Rugby | T3 | |
61) Sandwich | T3 | |
62) Scoop | T3 | T3 J’ai un scoop (i.e. something new to tell you) |
63) Scooter | T3 | |
64) Score | T3 | Sport |
65) Scotch | T3 | |
66) Serial killer | T3 | |
67) Shopping | T3 | |
68) Short | T3 | T2 Vêtement |
69) Single | T2 Un disque | |
70) Skateboard | T3 | |
71) Sketch | T3 | |
72) SMS | T3 | |
73) Snob | T3 | T1 Snobina |
74) S.O.S | T3 | |
75) Star | T3 | T1 une star de télé |
76) Stop | T3 | |
77) Stress | T3 | |
78) Sweat-shirt | T3 | |
79) T-shirt | T3 | |
80) Talkie-walkie | T3 | |
81) Thriller | T3 | |
82) Ticket | T3 | |
83) Top-model | T3 | |
84) Volley-ball | T3 | |
85) Walkman | T3 | |
86) Week-end | T3 | |
87) Zoom | T3 | |
EXTRA | ||
1) Web | T3 | |
2) Basketball | T3 | |
3) Volleyball | T3 | |
4) Stretch | T3 | |
5) Reporter | T3 | |
6) Cool | T3 | |
7) Lol | T3 | |
8) Parking | T3 | |
9) Shopping | T3 | |
10) Has been | T3 | |
11) Fun | T3 | |
12) Fake | T3 | T2 certaines personnes |
13) Goal average (in French goalavérage) | T3 | T2 Yes to the French version |
14) Freeride | T3 | |
15) Freestyle | T3 | |
16) Melting pot | T3 | |
17) Cool | T3 | |
18) Post | T2 La poste but not the English version | |
19) “Customizer” | T3 | |
20) Shooter (verb-photograph) | T3 | T3 Shooter for football |
Teacher grid
T1 = Teacher 1 = 60+
T2 = Teacher 2 = 45+ (English teacher)
T3 = Teacher 3 = 25+ (Sports teacher)
NB:
- Teachers’ questionnaires were carried out in an informal manner in the staffroom with me approaching each staff member, explaining what the questionnaire was about, and then either them just filling it out as T3 did, or also having an informal chat with me, as with T1 and T2
- T1 only gave me definitions of how he would use certain English words in French/ what they meant for him
- T2 Only ticked up to word 54 (punching ball) but did give some definitions and sentences with English words included or the French translation on both sides of the page to show she knew what they meant.
- T3 Ticked both sides of the paper provided and gave some explanations of how English words are used in French/ what they mean to her
From my results, it is clear to see that both the staff members and the students all knew a large variety of words on the list and were able to provide me with some sentences of how they are used in French, or of their understanding of the meaning of these words. It was also evident that the staff knew some different words to students and used them different ways – for example, the word “light” was used by T1 in terms of cigarettes, whereas the pupils (although they didn’t write any explanation), when spoken to mentioned that they used “light” in terms of “cola light”.
Furthermore, the sports teacher was the only person to say that she would use the verb “shooter” in English in “football” terms, whereas when asked all the students said they would use it to mean taking a photo; showing that different jobs potentially have an impact on the type of English learnt and used as well as age being a factor. T2 also mentioned that “shooter” could be drug related, which was also not picked up on by any of my young students.
I hope that within the next few week I will be able to get my pupils to complete their questionnaires and maybe hand out a few more to different aged students and teachers so that I will have more results and be able to get a more well-rounded idea of the knowledge and use of English words in French.
I am also hoping to start doing some formal interviews soon to get a more in-depth, qualitative view of English use in French, and then be able to compare it with my questionnaires.
(NB: All questionnaires given to and filled out by my pupils take place within the college, in school time (during either a normal lesson or during my cours supplémentaires), the recorded results in the table are all anonymous and I have informed the teachers about my use of the materials taken in class being used in my project. As it is completely anonymous it is no issue for them, and I am not aware that I need to get any protocol forms signed.)
Leave a Reply