LA FRANCOPHONIE

Guy Spitaels
Promotion: Henry the Navigator
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The linguistic requirement for studying in the College of Europe, which operated in two languages - English and French, was to be fluent in one and have a working knowledge of the other.

I took this requirement very (too ?) seriously, as you'll see below. My own situation was well proofed by having been interviewed in three languages (also below).

[The material in green below is taken from commentary already published on my website.]


MY INTERVIEW FOR THE COLLEGE

Before I got to go I had to pass an interview. In theory it was a bit daunting given the personalities involved. In practice, it turned out to be a doddle and eventually irrelevant as I was the only candidate remaining for the two places on offer. My fellow applicants, including a future Minister for Finance, pulled out to take up other offers. Nevertheless I take great pleasure in telling certain people that I had to pass an interview in three languages to get to the college.

First in English. Denis Corboy, Head of the European Information Office in Dublin and subsequently of the EEC Commission office in Ireland, and Paddy Lynch, my former Professor of Economics at University College Dublin, took the English language slot.

Tomás Ó Floinn was a senior official in the Department of Education, which was funding the two places. I had met him often before and had never spoken to him in English. He used to adjudicate interschool Irish language debates and as my school was also an Irish language medium school we always spoke in Irish. No problem there.

The final panel member was Donie O'Sullivan, then, I think, Irish ambassador to the Court of St. James. I had never seen, let alone met, him before. As I remember, he was dressed in flamboyant diplomatic attire. In other words, he was wearing a colourful dickie bow. He contorted his face, shrugged his shoulders, waved his hands and said: "C'est un meli melo de charbon et d'acier! Qui a dit ça?"

"What the hell?" thought I. Whoever said it was most likely French and was clearly sceptical about European federalism in general and the Coal and Steel Community in particular. There was also something familiar about the gesticulations. So I took my fate in my hands and said "de Gaulle".

Bingo! So, even though it only consisted of a sentence and a bit, I can claim the third language for my interview.

THE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

SHOULD I TAKE BRUGES - telegramme from Dublin

Incidentally, despite the College requirement that students be fluent in one, and have a working knowledge of the other, of the two languages English and French, the level of competence varied enormously across the student body. There were students who were proficient in neither of the two languages.

This upset me when I found out as a colleague, who didn't have any French, had asked my advice about taking up an offer of the second Irish place in the College that year. In my innocence, I advised him against it as I felt he would effectively be cut off from half the course. Had I known then what I subsequently found out I am not sure how I would have advised him.

It wouln't have been of any use in this case, but I see that it is now possible for those with a low level of French to attend the College.


MY ORAL WITH THE BELGIAN MINISTER-TO-BE


Having said all that, there were linguistic problems, and tricky decisions still to be made, in the course of the year.

For example we had Guy Spitaels lecturing us on industrial relations or labour law or some such. His lectures were in French but you could take his oral exam in French or English.

English is my mother tongue so I would have been much more at ease dealing in that language but I took the oral in French. Now, why did I do a silly thing like that?

Well, my summing up of him was that he fancied himself a lot, and my reasoning was that it would be better for both of us if I was the one at the linguistic disadvantage rather than him.

I have just read his Wiki page from the link above and it reinforces my opinion that I made the right decision there.


AVOIDING DICEY FRENCH

Mrs. Paklons with Jacques Chabert
at the Grand Bal

My French fluency and vocabulary definitely improved during my year in Brugge - but at a price. There is a kind of linguistic symbiosis in the company of others and therein lurk serious threats to linguistic purity. One of the best ways to learn a language is to imitate native speakers. That way you get the real thing. So being in a French-speaking environment is the way to go. Yes, but only if you stay wide awake and ensure that you absorb the French of the native speakers only.

We all import syntax, vocabulary and accent from our own language into any foreign language. For example I have a fair idea at home where foreigners are from by their accent and often quaint use of words. I have had my own French criticised in Brugge, by none less than Mrs. Paklons. And she was right. I was instinctively importing a soft "t" where the French retain the hard version. I'm still doing it.

So when in French speaking company, you have to be careful to imitate/absorb the French of native speakers only. And perhaps I'm using the term "native speakers" a bit loosely here as there are native French-speakers from Belgium and places further afield, each with their own linguistic eccentricities.


A BIT OF ROUGH AND TUMBLE


While studying in the multi-national community in Brugge I took the opportunity to add to my repertoire of multi-lingual insults. These are phrases that I store for the rainy day.

However, while on this mission I struck the mother-lode, so to speak, and acquired a rude French song, which, bad as it was in those days, would probably get me arrested today were I to sing it in public. Nevertheless, it does have its merits, including as a literary genre.

No doubt my rugby-going colleagues would opt to sing it, in which case it is just another crude macho piece of shit. But there is another dimension to it which should not be ignored.

When recited in the mannner of Racine's Andromaque, which I had the "pleasure" of studying at University, it rises to new heights, coming within, admittedly fairly distant, shouting distance of Brian Merriman's Cúirt an Mheán Oíche which expressed similar underlying sentiments.

It does come with a plethora of health and trigger warnings and you access it at your own risk.

If, by now, your curiosity has overcome you and you are prepared to take the risk and indemnify me against any unfavourable reactions on your part, feel free to press the

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