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    Close Encounters of the French Kind
    Close Encounters of the French Kind
    Close Encounters of the French Kind
    Ebook127 pages1 hour

    Close Encounters of the French Kind

    By Arley Levno

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    About this ebook

    This is a book of cross-cultural mini-dramas, written by Arley Levno, Ph.D.,(professor emeritus, Towson University, Towson, MD) in which an American meets a French person, resulting in a cultural conflict or misunderstanding. The reader tries to determine the reason (A, B, or C) for the conflict, before the correct answer is given with a full explanation and resolution of the conflict. Virtually all of the mini-dramas were drawn from the author's 2 years teaching and studying in Paris, as well as his colleagues' and students'experiences. Arley levno's first book of cross-cultural mini-dramas,"Rencontres culturelles", published by the National Textbook Co.(1977, 1987), later acquired by McGraw-Hill (1987), was used extensively throughout the United States in colleges and high schools. This new book of all new mini-dramas is written entirely in English in order to reach a larger audience interested in contrasting cultural values, from which we can all gain invaluable new perspectives on life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArley Levno
    Release dateJun 17, 2013
    ISBN9781301416707
    Close Encounters of the French Kind
    Author

    Arley Levno

    Arley W. Levno was born in Hillsboro,Oregon, grew up in Sidney, Montana and attended universities in Montana, Paris (France) and Maryland (Ph.D. 1978). He lived for 2 years in Paris where he taught English as an assistant d'anglais, and studied at the University. He taught French language, literature, culture and linguistics for 32 years at Towson University, Towson, Maryland, where he is presently Professor Emeritus. He lives in Columbia, Maryland with his wife Dr. Patricia Gobbett-Levno. They have a daughter, Christine Gobbett-Levno, who lives in Washington, D.C.

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      Book preview

      Close Encounters of the French Kind - Arley Levno

      Close Encounters of the French Kind

      Cross-cultural mini-dramas

      Arley W. Levno, Ph.D

      Copyright 2013 Arley W. Levno

      All Rights Reserved

      Smashwords Edition

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      ***~~~***

      Dedication

      To my wife, and editor, Dr. Patricia A. Gobbett-Levno and my daughter, Christine S. Gobbett-Levno. My deepest gratitude for your support and encouragement during the preparation of this book.

      ***~~~~***

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 The Grande Ecole

      Chapter 2 The Elections

      Chapter 3 Wearing Religious Symbols

      Chapter 4 The Galets

      Chapter 5 The Outdoor Market

      Chapter 6 Tuition

      Chapter 7 Our Football Team

      Chapter 8 Too Much Hamburger

      Chapter 9 Pirates and Sailors

      Chapter 10 Wastefulness

      Chapter 11 The Philosophy Class

      Chapter 12 Watch Where You Step

      Chapter 13 A Governmental Crisis

      Chapter 14 Dogs in the Restaurant

      Chapter 15 Purchases

      Chapter16 The Liberals

      Chapter 17 Family Allowances

      Chapter 18 Working

      Chapter 19 Mon Ami

      Chapter 20 The United States House

      Chapter 21 Law School

      Chapter 22 God Bless France

      Chapter 23 NotreDame

      Chapter 24 Born in aWealthy Family

      Chapter 25 Well Educated

      Chapter 26 A StrangeName

      Chapter 27 Having a Baby

      Chapter 28 Accumulation of Mandates

      Chapter 29 I Know Americans

      Chapter 30 What They Think of France

      Thematic Groupings of Conversations

      Works Consulted

      About the Author

      Other Books by this Author

      ***~~~~***

      INTRODUCTION

      My previous book of American/French cross-cultural mini-dramas, Rencontres culturelles (1977, 1987), has been widely used by college and secondary school students, American tourists and those engaged in international commerce and diplomacy.

      This new volume, Close Encounters of the French Kind consists of all new mini-dramas in which an American misunderstands a French person in France. The reader is asked why the misunderstanding has occurred followed by three possible choices. After the choice is made, there are explanations why the choice is correct or incorrect and why the misunderstanding has occurred. And finally, Cross-Cultural Questions relate the issues to both cultures. For further information, websites and other sources are suggested.

      As in the earlier book, the French and American characters are from all over the United States and France which helps remind us that not all French people are Parisians and not all Americans come from Washington D.C., New York, Chicago or Los Angeles*. The themes of each mini-drama are listed under the title. Those themes are organized at the end of the book in Thematic Groupings of Conversations to facilitate finding mini-dramas of a particular area of interest.

      These mini-dramas are an invaluable preparation for communication with French people. Since virtually all these cultural misunderstandings in the mini-dramas actually happened to the author, his colleagues or his students, they provide the closest thing to actually living abroad without being there.

      Close Encounters of the French Kind helps develop a greater understanding of how cultures work and how values and habits are instilled from infancy through one's culture. Such a perspective helps us be more tolerant and realize that the way things are usually done in our home country is not the only way, nor is it necessarily the best way. All this gives us a better understanding of foreign cultures and of each other.

      Published simultaneously with this book is a French language textbook with similar mini-dramas in French with a number of exercises and vocabulary, entitled Rencontres françaises-américaines.

      *Any similarity of names to those living or dead is totally coincidental.

      ***~~~~***

      Chapter 1 La Grande Ecole

      Themes: Language, Education, Food, Leisure-Time Activities

      Tom Glass, of Orlando, Florida, is seated at a table in a restaurant in Paris with his parents, who have given him a trip to France for his 16th birthday. He is speaking with a young lady at the next table.

      Tom: I've heard the food is good here. Is that true?

      Jacqueline: I have no idea. This is the first time I've had dinner here. But, my cousin recommended it.

      Tom: What did he advise you to order?

      Jacqueline: He said he particularly liked the coq au vin*.

      Tom: In that case, that is what I will order. Are you a student?

      Jacqueline: Yes, I go to a Grande Ecole in Paris.

      Tom: Ah yes. I have heard of the Grande Ecole. I think it translates literally big school, but we say high school in the United States. Me too, I am in the Grande Ecole, my last year.

      *Chicken cooked in wine

      CULTURE QUESTION

      What does Grande Ecole really mean in France?

      A. It is a trade school.

      B. It is one of the very large high schools.

      C. It is a highly-selective graduate level university.

      FOLLOW-UPS

      A. Post-secondary trade schools in the U.S. often specialize in one specific subject such as automotive repair, heating and air conditioning, computer technology, etc. Such vocational schools in France are called Lycées techniques and Lycées professionels, which, along with the traditional college-prep lycée, are at the secondary school level. However, Grande Ecole is at the graduate school level, including programs in civil engineering, mining, business and government administration, etc. Choose again.

      B. Grande does imply big, but it can also imply greater in importance, or of a higher level, which is the meaning here. Choose again.

      C. Correct! In France, the Grande Ecole is at the graduate school level and is extremely selective so only the top scorers are chosen. These students become France's leaders. There are about 250 Grandes Ecoles. The Grande Ecole Ponts et Chaussées trains the top bridge and hghway construction engineers. Several Grandes Ecoles of commerce train many of the heads of business and industry in France. ENA (Ecole nationale d'administration) trains students for the highest levels of the government. Many, if not most, of the French Government ministers of Defense, the Interior, Foreign Affairs and even the presidents, and their staffs, are graduates of ENA.

      For more information, consult: http://www.about-france.com/primary-secondary -schools.htm. and http://www.french-property.com/guides/france. And Nadeau and Barlow, 60 Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong, Chapter 14, pp. 191-203.

      CROSS-CULTURAL QUESTIONS

      1. The difficulty of the entrance exam for a Grande Ecole is determined by the number of, for instance, engineers, the nation will need. That is, if many engineers will soon retire, more engineers are needed so the score on the entrance exam is lowered. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these competitive exams?

      2. In the United States there is no high school graduation exam used also as a college entrance exam, as the Baccalaureate Exam or the bac is used in

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