getting off-topic

Yesterday in class, my juniors did what they love to do...get me off topic. While I was away, I forgot that Ryan is the king of this, but Megan is pretty good at it as well. We were supposed to be reviewing the passé composé and imparfait, but they asked me a question about France and away we ran. In the larger scheme of things, we weren't really that off-topic, because what we talked about has cultural relevance.

Megan spent a few weeks in France over the summer, and commented that her new French friends listen to a lot of music in English and watch many of the same things we do. I shared with them my observations about this...how my 3ème wouldn't dare speak English in class, but how they knew all the words to the entire Mica CD (wait, who's Mica, Madame?) when we played it on the bus in Italy. I told them about an eleven-year old I know who loves "Desperate Housewives," (and how uncomfortable I was watching it with him while his mother fixed lunch), that one guy asked me about "Pimp My Ride" the first time I met him, that "Grey's Anatomy" is a huge hit, not to mention all the sitcoms that are sent overseas. We talked about the voice-over actors, and how many things, although translated, must go over their heads. One evening, Alex and I were watching "Les experts: Miami" (CSI), and while investigating a crime scene one character randomly shouted "Marco" and the other answered "Polo." I asked if French kids play that game too, and he didn't know what I was talking about. What else are they missing out on when they watch our shows? How does the wittiness of "Gilmore Girls" translate? I know that Anne-Marie loved the show, but can she love it in the same way I do? Now I wish I'd watched more TV while I was living there.

We also talked about what kind of opinion the French are forming of us while watching American television and movies. Do we really want those shows (including Jerry Springer) representing our culture? Megan pointed out that some things are funny to us because they're a caricature of our society, or an ironic comment, but do they 'get it' overseas? Then we talked about how most of what they know about France comes from the few (carefully chosen) films they've seen in class and what they hear on the news. I hope this encourages them to explore more fully the culture of the language they're studying. Of course, I tell them that the best way to do that is to study abroad. As for me, even more research is required...