Evening star., 1952-11-19
SHAPE Pupils
Speak French
InRecOrdTinne
D. 6. Area Children
Help Parents With
Vocabulary

PARIS, France.-PerSOnnel as
signed to SHAPE who find their
high school and college French in
adequate in their daily work often
improve their vocabularies by TAX
ing lessons from their children.
While it is generally known
that children learn a foreign Ian
guage faster than adults, pupils
from ten nations at the SHAPE
Village School learn French in
record time.
Children from the D. C. area
are we'll represented among the
56 Americans at the school, oper-
ated in a Paris suburb for Su-
preme Headquarters Allied Pow
ers Europe. They are Susan and
Ann Goodpaster. 9 and reSpec-
lively. daughters of 1t. Col. and
Mrs. Andrew j. Goodpaster Of 801
N. Overlook drive, Alexandria;
Beverly an6 Susan Twitchell, 8
and 6 years old, daughters OF Col.
and Mrs Hamilton H. Twitchell
of 47O5 Quebec street NV; Mi
chael Shaulis, S, son of Warrant
Officer q. g. and Mrs. Mitchell
Shaulis OF 1913 N. Westmoreland
street, Falls Church; Anthony
Biddle, ir., i, son of Brig. Gen. and
Mrs. A. j D. Biddle of Klingle
road and Rock Greek Park, N. w.;
Judith Pratt, 4, daughter of Maj.
and Mrs Charles Pratt Of 512
Vista drive, Falls Church, and
Christie Rice, 4, son of Sergt. and
Mrs. Carl E. Rice of 4901 42nd
street. Hyattsville.
Except. of course, for the
French children, all the others,
Canadian. Italian, Danish, Greek,
Turkish, Norwegian, Dutch,
British and American. spoke no
work of French when they arrived.
AS Monsieur Rene Tallard, the
schools energetic principal. ex-
plains, the children learn enough
French after two weeks to sing.
After six weeks, they have a
sufficient vocabulary to be repri-
manded for talking instead of
listening to the teacher. In twelve
weeks, all are able to attend any
class in the primary or secondary
school and follow courses in math-
matics. history and geography
completely in French.
AS if the school did not have a
sufficient international flavor,
Monsieur Tallard uses a Swiss
Swedish language instruction
method to achieve his success.
This method calls for a gradual
build-up of the child's vocabulary
until he masters all the words
the teacher uses in class. Certain
subjects, however, are taught by
native instructors for the benefit
of Danish. Dutch, British and
Italian children.
The school started last January
with % children. Since then, it
has developed into a full-f1edged
institution of 230 pupils. operating
under the French educational
system. There is a kindergarten,
a primary school, and starting this
month, the nucleus of high
school. From its cradle in a
crowded reconditioned farm, the
school soon engulfed the adjoining
rehabilitated barn and wing of
q nearby chateau occupied by
SHAPE.
At SHAPE Village School, no
one can indulge his national pride.
There are no "firsts" and no
'lasts." There are only bright and
brighter children, those in the
upper half and those who are
trying to get there. Rewards are
distributed for efficiency and
hard work. A special prize from
Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, su-
preme commander, honors the
pupil who during the year shows
1.-The best international spirit in
his relationship with comrades"
The kindergarten is perhaps the
best example of budding inter-
national community. In this
thriving hive, cooperation is just
as simple as the alphabet-even if
taught in French. On the first
day. the little ones greeted each
other with tears and cries for
maman or mummy. For a few
days. they distrusted each other
and formed little national cliques,
Mr.. Tallard said. After a week, |
they we're planning the same
games and mischief.
Their bonds were perhaps best
Illustrated on the first commence
ment day, last July. On that
occasion, Brig. Gen. A. j. D. Bid
die, U. S. A., told the children