Students Get a Taste of France in Ms. Rogers’ French Classes

Students in Ms. Rogers’s French classes celebrated La Journée Mondiale du Pain (World Bread Day) by exploring the cultural importance of one of France’s best-known foods: the baguette.

They were introduced to the concept of baguetiquette, the etiquette of buying and eating baguettes, and learned that the baguette is so important to the French people that it was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Students then put their baguette knowledge to the test, enthusiastically taking part in a quiz with questions about the baguette’s four essential ingredients, the names given to its ends and interior, and how many are eaten annually. (For anyone who's curious, the answers are: flour, yeast, salt, water; le crouton et la mie; and 10 billion. Yes, billion.)

Students also sampled baguettes with toppings and accompaniments such as huile d’olive (olive oil), beurre (butter), vinaigre balsamique (balsamic vinegar), brie (brie cheese), jambon (ham), and chorizo (chorizo). The tasting got their other senses involved and encouraged them to describe flavors and reactions in French.

“Language learning should also include a great deal of cultural learning,” said Ms. Rogers, and this lesson did just that.