est-ce que vous êtes révolutionnaire?
are you revolutionary?
or
are you a revolutionary?
This made me think of literacy instantly, so I whipped out my phone and snapped a picture. There are so many different ways to read into it. You can look at the writing, or as a photograph (as it's now become).
Written on the back of a Ford pickup truck with a topper, with a Led Zeppelin sticker and a South Dakota license plate as the only other defining clues. What kind of revolution is the driver fighting for? Is he recruiting? Did he write the phrase on the back of his own truck, or did someone else do it? Is just the truck from South Dakota, or is the driver? Are they just visiting? Do they call Minneapolis or even Minnesota home now?
The reason I gave two different translations is because in French, you do not put an article in front of a profession. So you don't say "I am a lawyer," you say "I lawyer" basically. That is one of the specific reasons that this French phrases begs more questions than answers for me. In French we have mostly all the same aspects in literacy as in English, with the added bonus of crazy grammar to make things more confusing (not necessarily in a bad way).
I guess I have just learned that literacy can be interpreted in different ways. The word literacy can mean many different things and be applied to almost anything. And in this same way the message written on the truck can be interpreted in many different ways. It could mean anything.
I feel the same way about art! Everything grabs my attention and I being to question everything to try and figure out what is going on. I now feel this urge to figure out who's truck that is and get some answers. Literacy is everywhere and I think the way you react to different aspects of life plays a huge roll in being literate. Question things shows our need for a deeper understanding. I believe your on the right track. Wish I had you as a French teacher not only can you cook but you make french fun and interesting!!
ReplyDeleteDon't you think it's your impulse to question that helps make the french question even more compelling? You're actually reading the whole car, all the texts that are included in and on a car to deepen your understanding (or awareness) of all the potential meanings of the phrase. The license plate gave you information and sparked questions; the kind of car and the way it was "tricked out" raised more questions when combined with the handwritten question about revolutions/revolutionaries. Even WHERE you saw the car might have prompted some additional insights that helped you decide whether or not the driver of the car wrote the statement, bought the car that way, is asking a serious question.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot to be gained from showing students photos and using them as discussion starters. The photo you've included here is an example of that potential.