English

• The Last Lesson


  Short story by Alphonse Daudet set during the Franco-Prussian War, about the last French lesson in Alsace-Lorraine before the region came under Prussian control
• Alphonse Daudet


  • French novelist and short-story writer (1840-1897)
• The Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) resulted in France's defeat by Prussia led by Bismarck</b>
• The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine passed into Prussian hands
• In unison


  Together, in harmony
• Counted on


  Relied on, expected
• A great bustle


  A lot of activity and noise
• Thumbed at the edges


  Well-used, worn
• Reproach ourselves with


  Feel regret or guilt about
• Franz was late for school and worried about being scolded by M. Hamel for not knowing the lesson on participles
• When Franz arrived, the school was unusually quiet and still
• A notice had been put up at the town hall about an order from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine
• M. Hamel announced that this was the students' last French lesson, as a new German-only teacher was coming the next day
• Franz felt regretful for not having learned his lessons and paid more attention in school
• M. Hamel did not scold Franz, but instead reflected on how the people of Alsace had put off learning French until it was too late
• M. Hamel spoke about the importance of the French language and how it was the key to their identity as a people
• The students paid close attention to M. Hamel's final French lesson, as if he wanted to impart all his knowledge to them before leaving
• The classroom had an atmosphere of solemnity and sadness as the villagers came to attend M. Hamel's last lesson
• Franz was expected to be prepared with for school that day
• Franz noticed that was unusual about the school that day
• What had been put up on the bulletin-board
• The order from Berlin caused changes in school that day
• M. Hamel: 'Vive La France!'
• M. Hamel dismissed the class
• When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison


  A conquered people can maintain their identity by holding on to their language
• What could "Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?" mean


  Concern that even the most basic aspects of life will be forced to change under the conquerors
• Examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them
• What happens to a linguistic minority in a state and how they can keep their language alive
• Linguistic chauvinism
• Thunderclap


  Startling and unexpected
• Hold fast to their language

  Attached to their language
• Get to your school in plenty of time

  Early enough
• Never saw him look so tall


  Seemed very confident
• Examples of past perfect verb form in the story and why it is used
• Notice for school bulletin board
• Paragraph arguing for or against studying three languages at school
• Narrating change of opinion about someone or something
• Information about linguistic human rights and constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India
• Survey form about languages known by classmates