{"id":21129,"date":"2017-08-31T12:31:20","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T16:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=21129"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:36:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:36:46","slug":"language-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=21129","title":{"rendered":"English is off the menu at Language Lunches"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
At this French Language Lunch, people who have read the same French news article come together to discuss it in French and share a midday meal. (photo by Jon Gardiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jessica Tanner, an assistant professor of French at Carolina, doesn\u2019t often get the chance to speak the language she loves so much \u2013 at least outside of the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere aren\u2019t a lot of opportunities in French to really engage with the community,\u201d Tanner said. \u201cI was excited about the idea of doing something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

That something else is the Foreign Language Lunch, a midday meal shared with people who have read the same foreign news article and come together to discuss it in a common foreign language. It\u2019s designed for native speakers and people who want to learn a language outside of the classroom.<\/p>\n

The idea for Language Lunches came from Rachel Schaevitz of Carolina Public Humanities. This outreach program in the College of Arts & Sciences is designed to nurture a deeper understanding of history and culture, enrich the life of the mind and contribute to the development of a more humane world. Schaevitz is diversifying programs offered by the program beyond public seminars and lectures to bring more scholarship off campus and into the community in an accessible way.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo say that we\u2019re trying to serve the community, that doesn\u2019t mean one slice of the community,\u201d said Schaevitz, a postdoctoral fellow. \u201cWe should be serving all of the different pockets, neighborhoods and groups in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

French is just one of several languages offered in the Language Lunches program by Carolina Public Humanities. German, Italian and Spanish will also be offered this fall, and former lunches include Arabic, Mandarin, Russian and Turkish.<\/p>\n

At $20 per person, which covers the meal at Weathervane in University Place, Language Lunches are a break-even program for Carolina Public Humanities, Schaevitz said. Private gifts and endowments help subsidize events that don\u2019t make money, like the Language Lunches or training seminars for K-12 teachers, for which CPH covers the costs.<\/p>\n

Lingua franca<\/strong><\/p>\n

About a year after the first French-only lunch, Tanner and regular guests have built a tight-knit francophone community in Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n

Regular attendees include a former French high school teacher, some French expatriates, a Creole man from New Orleans trying to learn the language of his youth, people who have lived in French-speaking countries and even a former chief of the Associated Press\u2019s Paris bureau. In addition to the Language Lunches, they share other opportunities to speak French or engage in French cultural activities, like watching French films or discussing French literature.<\/p>\n

Joan Montana, a Chapel Hill resident since 1971 and French Lunch frequenter, said these lunches fill a need in the community. People are eager to come because Tanner and Schaevitz have created such a welcoming environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a group where one finds French speakers ready and willing to converse, improve their language and not feel embarrassed about making mistakes with the language,\u201d said Montana, whose love for the French language and culture began with her French-Canadian father speaking to her in French at a young age. It blossomed when she joined her husband on two sabbaticals in France in the 1970s.<\/p>\n

\"\"
About a year after the first French-only lunch, assistant professor Jessica Tanner and regular guests have built a tight-knit francophone community in Chapel Hill. (photo by Jon Gardiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Skills and civility<\/strong><\/p>\n

This community of willing and able francophones has helped Tanner feel more connecting to Chapel Hill beyond the campus. She also has improved her teaching in the classroom because of the breadth of perspectives and experiences each member has.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been challenged in really fun and interesting ways when we\u2019re talking about a particular cultural or civilization topic,\u201d Tanner said. \u201cThey push me on things and help me to see things from different angles that change the way I teach my courses.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Tanner, these Language Lunches fit in well with the role the humanities play in generating greater understanding. People come together for a civil discussion. Although they do not always agree, people reflect on their own life experiences and backgrounds and those of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese lunches do a good job of teaching people to engage critically with texts, with ideas and with each other, and I think those are incredibly valuable skills,\u201d she said. They also help fulfill the University\u2019s mission: to serve the citizens of North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think sometimes it\u2019s hard to understand how to go about doing that,\u201d Tanner said. \u201cHaving these events that engage different communities \u2013 communities that we don\u2019t normally serve in our classrooms \u2013 is really valuable to our public mission,\u201d Tanner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe intellectual life of the University is not just contained within its walls. It goes beyond the campus, and these Language Lunches are opportunities to do that,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s vital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interested in polishing or refreshing your foreign language speaking skills in a warm and welcoming environment? All Language Lunch participants receive in advance a short foreign language article that serves as the foundation for the lunch discussion. Language Lunches take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Seats are limited, so sign up early to reserve a spot. The cost is $20 and includes lunch. For more information, visit humanities.unc.edu\/programs\/<\/a>. To register for a lunch, visit hhv.oasis.unc.edu\u00a0or call 919-962-1544.<\/em><\/p>\n

Story by Will Rimer, UNC Communications<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jessica Tanner, an assistant professor of French at Carolina, doesn\u2019t often get the chance to speak the language she loves so much \u2013 at least outside of the 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