More on Stereotypes...In the Words of My Students

In preparation for National French Week, I have been discussing common stereotypes that many Americans hold true about the French.  We watched several videos depicting blatant stereotypes, and the students identified them.  The next step was to read some articles and blog posts with a more realistic spin on France and French culture.  I had students pull together all of this information and write opinion paragraphs.  Here is what some of them had to say:

• We should learn to respect each other as people and countries.  The majority of stereotypes are incorrect.  Don't always believe what you hear; understand reality first.
• Stereotypes are normally fake.
• French is normal in French, we are normal in America
• i dont agree with the sterotypes. i agree with you and believe people should get to know the french before you judge them. i dont belive that sterotypes are fair, i think they are plain stupid. people get mad when you jude them. (america) but... we go around and judge other people. i think that the french are very interesting people. and we should take time and think about what we say before we say it.
• I do not believe in stereotyping. I think that people just make up things that they see in movies and believe it to be real. like with french always wearing stripes and a beret. This is not true in real life, this is just something people make out to be true because this is what french people are always shown as. also the french eat more than just croissants!
• I think that the french are misunderstood and there stereotypes are likley to not be true.
• You know that the term 'stereotype' means to characterize or judge someone by what youve heard or seen, and that you could easily say that to stereotype is to spread rumors and gossip about an entire country.
• don't always believe everything you hear, check back into reality.
• stereotypes are ignorant. they flabbergast me in the morning
• All of the reasons that we do not like the french is about stuff that happened over thing that happened a long time ago.
• i think that the french are sterotyped to much beacuse we as americans think we are superior to all other and that they should just throw aside there customs and learn ours overall i think that america should deflate their air head and think about others for once
• I belive that many stereotypings are fake with some truth in the matter. For instance the French actually did smoke an incredible amount until recent times. Also the French are actually one of the cleanest nations in Europe. Once again though some truth the French along with most of Europe was very unsanitary in the past. It is true that the French eat some strange food ,and pastries. but that is not all they eat. As for the rudeness we can be very rude to other nations as well.
• It is kind of sad how many stereotypes there are on the french.
• i think that french people are just as good as any other person. in africa, england, america , france and any other country we all are diffrent and other people are just going to haveto accept it.
• the french arnt appreicaited enough for what they do to help the americans and that americans need to relize how much they do for us and that americans and frennch need to get along better
• It's never about what they look like.Or what they wear. Everyone is different some people migh think the french sterotypes are stupid and pointless, but other people think there not. You dont know what that person has been threw. Dont judge anyone or anything without knowing where there shoes have been
• The stereotypes are stupid and we should all just get along and prevent other wars thar might happen in the futer.
• i think us americans should be greatful to the french for many reasons. the french helped us win the war, they gave us many foods and drinks. they have been so helpful to us that6 we can't thank them enough.
• The french are really underestimated because of so many rumors or stereotypes. It's not nice to believe what people are saying cause some of it isn't true like the french aren't rude people it just seems that way and all.
• one stareo type is french people are rude .they are only rude when they think u are being rude to them.
• french Stereotypes are poop i think poeple shut there mouth if they dont know all the facts and stop maken lies.
• I always thought that french were like the awesomest people. then I saw all the stereotypes. I was like.. oh word? but The french are really clean and amazing. People stereotype the French way too much.
• Stereotypes are people who judge first and dont get to know that person or persons. French are stereotyped for cleanslyness as i read. The truth is that french are some of the cleanest people in the world but yet worlds will be twisted and people will judge.
• we have lots of sterioe types about french because we belive any thing that poeple tell us if we dont know about them lik e if french poeple are in a movie poeple think that is what they all are like that but they are not.

I love my job!  I love my students!!!

Mme