I've asked them to be quiet just for the sake of the students who are trying to listen. I think they're genuinely surprised that I'm worried about these little minidiscussions. One advantage of teaching at GTL is smaller classes, Barry says. I get to know my students better, and they get to know me. French and American students learn from each other, Barry said.
French students are very strong in their mathematical background.
If you pose a problem to them, they are very good at finding the answer. They have a lot of tools in their toolboxes to do this. Perhaps this is generalizing, but American students might not have the mathematical skills, yet still have a better grasp of the big picture. That's the advantage of this sort of interaction-they learn from each other. But in the community, it's a different Story.