12th std The Last Lesson

 12th std The Last Lesson

Short answer type questions

Q1. Who were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel’s last lesson? Why?

Answer:The old men of the village were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel’s last lesson because they were sorry that they had not attended school more often.They also wanted to thank their teacher for his forty years of faithful service and to show their respect for the country that was theirs no longer.

Q2. What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they mean?

Answer:M Hamel wrote the words ‘Vive La France!’ in big letters on the blackboard before dismissing the last class. These words meant, ‘Long Live France!’ This shows his patriotic nature.

Q3. Why does M Hamel reproach himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress in studies?

Answer:M Hamel reproaches himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress in studies because he „ has given them his own personal work to do during school time. Besides, he also gave them a holiday when he wanted to go fishing. He also tells the villagers that they should reproach themselves for not having learnt their language.

Q4. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

Answer:Franz feared a scolding at school as he had not prepared his lesson on participles, on which his French teacher M Hamel was to question the class that day. Besides, the warm and bright weather, the chirping of birds and the sight of the marching of Prussian soldiers also tempted Franz to stay away from school.

Q5. Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom?

Answer:As per an order from Berlin, French was no more to be taught in the schools of Alsace. Therefore, M Hamel, the French teacher, had to leave after forty years of long and faithful service. The elders of the village felt sorry for not learning their language and were present in the classroom to express their respect and gratitude towards him.

Q6. What shows M Hamel’s love for the French language?

Answer:M Hamel had taught the French language in the school- for forty years and was overcome with emotion when he realized that the villagers would not be able to learn it any more. He wanted them to preserve the language with them, thus showing his love for the language.

Q7.What made M Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson?

Answer:M Hamel cried towards the end of his last lesson because he loved the French language and felt pity for the villagers, as they would not be able to learn their mother tongue any longer.

Q8. What was unusual about M Hamel’s dress on his last day in the school?

Answer:M Hamel’s dress on his last day in the school consisted of his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt, and a little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection and prize days.

Q9. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked and surprised little Franz?

Answer:The announcement made by M Hamel that there was an order from Berlin to stop teaching French, and that this was their last French lesson, seemed to be a thunderclap to Franz. He would no longer be able to learn French, his mother tongue.

Q10.What was the order from Berlin and what changes did it cause in the school?

Answer:The order from Berlin stated that only German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This meant that French would no longer be taught in the school. M Hamel, the French teacher, would have to leave. This also caused the elder villagers to attend the school for the last lesson in French.

Q11.What did M Hamel tell them about the French language? What did he ask them to do and why?

Answer:M Hamel praised the French language, calling it the most beautiful, the clearest, and the most logical language in the world. He asked them to guard or preserve their language among themselves and never forget or lose it.

Q 12.What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?

Answer:Franz noticed many unusual things about school that day. Usually, when the school began, there was a much commotion, which was missing that day. His teacher, M Hamel had on his ceremonial clothes. But the most unusual thing was that the village people were sitting quietly on the back benches, which were usually empty.

Q13. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Answer:Franz was expected to be prepared with his lesson on participles. M Hamel, his French teacher, had announced that he would question the class on participles. But poor Franz didn’t know even the first word about that.

Q14. What had been put up on the bulletin board?

Answer:An order that had come from Berlin had been put up on the bulletin board. The order was that from the next day only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new teacher would join the school from the following day.

Q15. What announcement did M Hamel make? What was the impact of this on Franz?

Answer:M Hamel announced that he would be giving them the last French lesson because the orders had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Franz was shocked to hear this declaration.

Q16.What changes came over little Franz after he heard M Hamel’s announcement?

Answer:After hearing the announcement, Franz was very sad and he regretted not learning his lessons, and being deprived of the opportunity to learn his own mother tongue. His books suddenly became his ‘old friends’ whom he could not abandon.

Q 17.Why was Franz confused? What added to his confusion?

Answer:When Franz reached school, he found the entire place unusually quiet, strange and solemn. He was late for school and thought that Mr. Hamel would scold him. But, to his surprise, Mr.Hamel spoke very kindly to him and-invited him in. However, what confused him the most was the presence of the village elders in the classroom.

Q18.How did Franz perform when his turn came to recite?

Answer:When it was Franz’s turn to recite, he got mixed up on the first words and stood at his place, ashamed. He did not have the courage to look up and face his teacher.

Q19. How did Mr. Hamel praise the French language?

Answer:

Mr. Hamel called French the most beautiful language in the world. According to him, it was the clearest and the most logical language. He wanted the people of France to guard it amongst themselves and never forget it.

Q20.How is the mother tongue important?

Answer:The mother tongue is the representative of a nation’s true identity and character. It acts as a binding force, creating unity among the countrymen. M Hamel rightly said that when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had the key to their prison.

Q21. What was Mr. Hamel’s contribution to the school in Alsace?

Answer:M Hamel had given forty years of long and faithful service to the school. Though the students found him cranky, he was a true Frenchman at heart, who took immense pride in teaching his mother tongue. He loved the school and wanted the children to love their language.

Q22. Franz was able to understand everything that day. Why?

Answer:Franz thought that probably he had never paid so much attention in the class, and that Mr. Hamel had never explained everything with so much patience. Perhaps, these were the very reasons that he was able to understand everything that day.

Q23. What did Mr. Hamel teach the class in his ‘last lesson?

Answer:In his ‘last lesson’, Mr. Hamel taught the class about grammar, then about writing and finally a lesson in history. More than this, he made his students realize the importance of their mother tongue, and taught them to take pride in their language.

Q24. How did Franz’s feelings about Mr. Hamel and school change?

Answer:Franz was shocked when M Hamel told the students about the order from Berlin and that it was their last French lesson. He forgot about his teacher’s ruler and crankiness; instead, he started liking Mr.Hamel, as he was being separated from him forever. His feelings towards his school changed, as he did not want to give up his books and lessons, seemingly old friends

Long answer types

Q1. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive?

For example— Bengalis in Gujarat

Tamilians in Mumbai

Kannadigas in Delhi

Gujaratis in Kolkata

Answer:Preserving Language Preserves Identity!

Language is an important marker of identity. Even while speaking the same language, social groups differentiate themselves by the way they talk. Thus, language offers a way of stating resistance to cultural uniformity. A native language goes beyond simple differentiation.

It represents a whole cultural history. Most people recognise the importance and value of indigenous culture and linguistic tradition and thus create opportunities where the languages can be used for a wider range of purposes than simply conversing with grandparents.

First, they often form social clubs and publish their own newsletters that bind them together. They encourage popular entertainment through their mother tongue. They encourage viewing of TV programmes and movies that are subtitled in their mother tongue. They often assume an active role in language and cultural preservation.

Although children of minorities are no longer subjected to corporal punishment for using their home language, they are often the target of other, more subtle forms of rejection and ostracism. Thus, these children begin ignoring their native language. Often, overt put- downs come from peer groups belonging to other linguistic belts. To prevent this, elders of the community try to send children where there are others like them who show greater respect and appreciation for their culture.

However, we must all contribute to keeping native languages alive. To do this, it is essential to practise communicating in it. If the use of a language is declining, it is necessary to identify special occasions and designate special times and places to use the language. The community must provide direction, but unless the school system participates in the effort, it may lack credibility in the eyes of the youth.

Q2. Mr.Hamel’s reaction when Franz could not answer a question on participles was unlike what he had expected. Justify.

Answer: Franz had been reluctant to reach school as he had anticipated a scolding from his teacher. But much to his surprise when M Hamel noticed that Franz was mixed up on the basics; he did not scold him as usual. He said that Franz must be feeling bad himself. He added it was too late as they would never learn French in Alsace. Ironically, they were Frenchmen, who could neither speak nor write their own language.

M Hamel was also critical of their parents who put them to work on a farm or at the mills for a little more than study. He also blamed himself for sending the students on errands instead of teaching them. He also regretted giving them a day off when he wanted to go fishing.

Q3. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day ?

Answer :The order from Berlin was that only German language would be taught in the schools of Aslace and Lorraine in France. These two districts had passed into Prussian hands. It was the last day of the French teacher M. Hamel in the school. French will no more be taught in the school. So M. Hamel was leaving the school next day. M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes. The old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was their way of thanking M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service. The children now taught the French language and the books written in that language as old friends.

Q4. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change ?

Answer:Franz felt sorry for not learning his lessons in French any more. His books that had seemed such a nuisance a short while ago, which he found so heavy to carry seemed to him old friends now that he could not give up. Franz’s feelings about his French teacher M. Hamel also were changed. The idea that he was going away, that he (Franz) should never see him again, made Franz forget all about his teacher’s ruler and how cranky or slightly eccentric he was.

Q5. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this ? Why does this happen ?

Answer:In the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), France was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck. In this story the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had been passed in Prussian hands. There was an order from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

When the French master M. Hamel announced that it was their last French lesson and he was leaving, these words came as a peal of thunder. Franz and others felt sorry for not learning their lessons in French.

His books like French grammar and history of the saints which seemed a nuisance, a short while ago, looked like old friends now that he could not give up. The old men of the village sitting there in the back of the room had felt sorry about it. The people realised that they must protect the French language – the most beautiful language of the world, the clearest and most logical. The feeling that they would be deprived of learning French made them suddenly realise that how precious their language was to them.

Q6. Writea paragraph of about 120 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.

Answer:The Importance of Studying Three Languages at School India is a vast country where too many languages are spoken. P is not practically possible to learn all these languages. However, I earnestly feel that if students learn three

languages at school, they can communicate well within India as well as outside it.

First of all mother tongue should be taught at school. Then our national language Hindi should be v taught at schools. The third language which should be taught at schools, I think, should be English. It is not only the lingua franca of the world, but it is also a link language in India -y itself. That is why I think these three languages should be studied at schools of India.

Q7. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what 'linguistic chauvinism' means?

Ans. ‘Linguistic chauvinism’ means an aggressive and unreasonable belief that your own language is better than all others. This shows an excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own language. Sometimes pride in one’s own language goes too for and the linguistic enthusiasts can be easily identified by their extreme zeal for the preservation and spread of their language. In their enthusiasm, love and support for their own language, they tend to forget that other languages too have their own merits, long history of art, culture and literature behind them. Instead of bringing unity and winning over others as friends, having excessive pride in one’s own language creates ill-will and disintegration. The stiff-resistance to the acceptance of Hindi as national language by the southern states of India is a direct outcome of the fear of being dominated by Hindi enthusiasts. The result is that ‘One India’ remains only a slogan.