I would like to share with y'all a wonderful, inspiring note from the French program course coordinator here at U of T in response to some of the students who have been saying how irrelevant the test was:


RE: Written Test

You, people, study the bare minimum and, you study it not to satisfy the thirst for knowledge, but for the practical purpose of getting the good mark that you `deserve`, since you are all soooo special and unique. The consequence of that attitide are your marks, especially when it comes to how I happen to grade. The course presupposes the student taking the interest in the language, listening to the radio, watching TV5, for example, reading a paper once in a while. You don`t have to do it, noone requires it, but it would be very nice for all parties involved, if you did. You don`t, for the most part, care about the subject matter, and you want, expect the teacher to respect this propensity to mediocrity. Very sorry. For example, the point of studying the Chapters 1-3 is increasing your exposure to French. That should be enough. Whether or not the exam is based on the exact material is irrelevant. But, alas, you all attended the canadian/american secondary school and you can only think practically. For you to pay the price. Simply, please do not blame others for your mediocrity and do not try to pass it for excellence. Happy Holidays!

-Y. M

Excuse me? EXCUSE ME? WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! Study the bare minimum? DO you have any idea how many hours I put into studying for this. I don't think so. Do I detect some sarcasm here? We think we are special and unique? No we expect to be taught. We expect to learn. We expect to come away from this class feeling like we have accomplished something useful. And as we are paying for this "privelage", you should deliver. In the business world, you would be dropped like a hot potato and possibly sued for not delivering what is promised and expected. The purpose of studying is to increase our exposure? I expect to learn comprehension, grammar, pronunciation, and the actual language. I can increase my exposure to Russian or German or Italian by doing what you say to do for French but that in no way means that I would be able to commnicate in any of these languages much less perform well on an exam. And then to finish off by insulting both of the school systems I have been educated in? Perfect way to sound intelligent and knowledgeable. And then to insult us, the students, by saying that we are trying to pass mediocrity off as excellence? We have a saying in the Canadian school system: Point that finger right around, eh!

Asshole.

Other than that, I had a great weekend with Dad- we went out for great meals, went shopping in the chaos that is the Eaton's Centre, and saw the Leafs lose. Yet again. But I did enjoy the game- throat is a bit hoarse from all the screaming. And the beds in the hotel were spectacular, as usual. Now I have a bit of a break before I have to begin studying anew.

Fuckin' Pretentious French Assholes.

I am not bitter. Just extremely pissed off.