Good evening!

What an interesting evening we had last Saturday thanks to the detailed presentation on Quebec given by Zoë Sanders so eloquently. All of your testimonials indicate that you have learned a lot on the subject, whether it is about history, geography, dialects, cold weather, music or Zoë's personal experience during her year in Quebec.

The presentation was well structured with images and photos that allowed us to first understand the geography of this unique and large province of Canada, especially with its rivers such as the St. Lawrence, lakes such as Lac Saint-Jean. and vast forests.
Then, the fascinating history and the educational system of the province of Quebec whre, nowadays, pthe French language is preserved with great pride. It was also interesting to learn about the Quebec expressions so typical of the people of this region.

Zoë mentioned that she does not consider that English will dominate in the province of Quebec in the future because as Canada favours immigration, it encourages a large number of different communities and nationalities to settle in the country, which makes it therefore more multilingual.

Zoë was perfectly able to convey her attachment to Quebec and inspired many of us to want to visit the province one day when it is possible. But it was also great to hear some of you tell us about your experiences in Quebec and your impressions of your stay there. It was found that Zoë took advantage of the cold and freezing weather to practise winter sports, especially ice skating on the frozen river. She has become accustomed to winter temperatures that last for at least six months of the year which, for her, form an integral and important part of the Quebec landscape.

In addition, we could see that Zoë was well integrated in the college where she taught and well accepted by the people around her.

One of the questions asked was about the survival of the French language and, in the current context, Zoë really believes that the French language and culture will continue to be protected thanks to the laws that exist like Law 101 which requires that French be used as a working language and as an official language in the province, as well as the billboard law of 1988.

A big thank you to Zoë for opening up new horizons for us in this special French-speaking province.

You can find the recording of his presentation here on the site by going to the 2020/2021 season and the date of October 17, 2020.

Regarding the activities of the Circle, we had a new idea and would like to suggest that you meet us, for those who are interested, once a month to go for a walk / hike together, in groups of 6 people to respect the rules , while speaking French. It would probably be a Friday afternoon.

If this would interest you, please let us know by email.

It only remains to tell you that our next evening will be on Saturday November 14, and as, with regret, we will not be able to show you the film Les Intouchables, we have decided to organize a quiz, in French of course, on different aspects concerning France. We can put you in small groups of 3 people on Zoom to do the quiz and we will all meet together at the end for the answers. It should be a very pleasant evening!

We also suggest, if you are interested, to watch the animated film Ma vie de Courgette (don't be surprised by this nickname, you will understand by watching the film! ) It is touching and not too long. It has had great reviews of which here is one:

My life as a Courgette, awarded at several festivals, is a film that touches the heart. Indeed the story of "Courgette" orphan child is a jewel of sensitivity, poetry, humor and emotion. A must see. Sublime animation, moving narration, subtle and daring humanist message. "

Here is the link: link to an animation film

We can also talk about it at the end of the evening of November 14 with your points of view.

Hope to hear from you and see you again soon.

Kind regards.

Josiane and the whole team of the Cercle Français de Taunton committee