A distance learning pioneer, Anne Slack, died. The elegant Algerian-born Mme. Slack, who had a perfect Parisian accent, “pioneered distance learning before the term even existed” through her television shows in the late ’50’s and early ’60’s, “Fun with French” and “Parlons Francais”. Mme. Slack, according to her obituary, “was on the forefront of a teaching method educators are still trying to fully integrate into classrooms: distance learning.”
I learned French in the classroom, and, after 8 years of classes, remember reading Albert Camus and Victor Hugo in French but can not carry on a basic conversation. Perhaps the estimated 2 million children in the US and Canada who learned French from her have better conversational skills.
Did you see Julie and Julia? Is Lisa and Anne next? It would be fun to devote a year to mastering French. Au revoir, Mme. Slack.