Le Maintien de la Langue (Language Maintenance)

Learning ObjectivesUnderstand key ideas about keeping a language alive.Master using the subjunctive mood to express wishes and feelings.Correctly use complex relative pronouns like 'dont' (of which/whom) [dohn] and 'lequel' (which) [luh-KELL].Report what someone said using indirect speech and the correct sequence of tenses.Imagine this 🤔: Your friend, whose parents immigrated to Montreal, tells you they're worried. They are afraid their future children won't speak their grandparents' language. How can they make sure this heritage isn't lost? This lesson will give you the tools to talk about these important questions. 🌍💬Real-World UsesTake part in discussions about multiculturalism and language policy.Better understand books and stories by authors who have immigrated.Write personal or ac...

French TermWhat it MeansExample in a SentenceLangue maternelle (Mother tongue) [lahng mah-tehr-NELL]The first language a person learns.Ma langue maternelle (mother tongue) est le français, mais je parle aussi anglais. (My mother tongue is French, but I also speak English.)Héritage (Heritage) [ay-ree-TAHZH]What is passed down from previous generations (culture, language, traditions).Le sirop d'érable fait partie de l'héritage (heritage) culturel québécois. (Maple syrup is part of Quebec's cultural heritage.)Patrimoine (Patrimony/Heritage) [pah-tree-MWAN]All the property, traditions, and values inherited from the past.Il faut préserver le patrimoine (heritage) linguistique de la francophonie. (We must preserve the linguistic heritage of the French-speaking world.)S'assimiler (To assimilate)...

1. The Present Subjunctive for Emotion, Wishes, and DoubtRule: We use the subjunctive after verbs and phrases that show a necessity (like 'il faut que' (it is necessary that)), a wish ('vouloir que' (to want that)), a feeling ('être content que' (to be happy that)), or a doubt ('douter que' (to doubt that)).Example: Je doute que la solution soit (is) [swah] facile. Il est essentiel que nous agissions (act) [ah-zhee-SYOHN]. (I doubt that the solution is easy. It is essential that we act.)2. The Relative Pronoun 'dont' (of which/whom)Rule: 'Dont' (of which/whom) [dohn] replaces a part of a sentence that starts with the preposition 'de' (of/from) [duh]. It connects two sentences to avoid repeating words.Example: C'est un livre. (This is a book.) Je t'ai parlé de (about) [duh] ce livre. (I tal...