NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 1 The Last Lesson
Summary of English Flamingo Chapter 1 The Last Lesson
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Page No. 7
Question 1:
What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Answer
Franz was expected to be prepared with the lesson on participles. However, he had not learned it and did not know even the first word about participles. Therefore, he was afraid that his teacher, M. Hamel, would scold him.
Question 2:
What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Answer
Franz noticed that the school was completely quiet, unlike the usual noisy atmosphere. There was no hustle and bustle, no sound of desks opening and closing, no students repeating lessons, and no loud tapping of M. Hamel’s ruler. The school was as quiet as a Sunday morning.
Question 3:
What had been put up on the bulletin-board?
Answer
An order from Berlin had been put up on the bulletin-board. It announced that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine, and that French would no longer be taught. This was why it was the last French lesson.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 1 The Last Lesson
Page No. 8
Question 1:
What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Answer
The order from Berlin made it the last day of teaching French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. M. Hamel announced that a new German teacher would arrive the next day. The school was unusually quiet, the students listened attentively, and many old villagers came to attend the class to show their respect for the French language and for M. Hamel’s forty years of faithful service.
Question 2:
How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Answer
Franz felt very sorry for not learning his lessons. His books, which had been a great nuisance, became his old friends. The thought of M. Hamel going away made him forget about the teacher’s beating ruler and how cranky he was. He also understood why M. Hamel had worn his best clothes and why the old men of the village had come to the school.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter-1 The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 1 The Last Lesson Lesson
Understanding the Text
Question 1:
The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer
The people suddenly realised how precious their language was when they learned that French would no longer be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Franz regretted not learning his lessons, and his books became dear to him. The old men of the village came to attend the last lesson to show their respect for the French language and for M. Hamel. M. Hamel declared that French was the most beautiful, the clearest, and the most logical language in the world. This happened because the order from Berlin made them realise that they were about to lose the freedom to learn and speak their own language.
Question 2:
Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
Answer
Franz’s words are symbolic. He means that the German rulers could force people to stop speaking French, but they could never change nature or take away the love for their mother tongue. Just as pigeons naturally coo in their own way, people naturally belong to their own language and culture. This shows Franz’s sadness and silent protest against the forced imposition of German.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 1 The Last Lesson
Talking about the Text
Question 1:
“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.”
Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?
Answer
Yes. History provides many such examples:
(1) In Alsace and Lorraine, after the Prussian victory, German was imposed and French was banned in schools.
(2) During British rule in India, English became the language of administration and higher education, reducing the importance of many Indian languages in official work.
(3) In Ireland, under British rule, English was promoted while the Irish (Gaelic) language declined because of official policies.
(4) In many colonies in Africa and the Americas, European powers imposed languages such as English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, replacing or weakening native languages.
Question 2:
What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive?
For example:
Punjabis in Bangalore
Tamilians in Mumbai
Kannadigas in Delhi
Gujaratis in Kol
Answer
A linguistic minority may face difficulty in using its mother tongue in daily life because the majority of people speak a different language. Over time, younger generations may begin to use the local language more often, which can reduce the use of their own language.
They can keep their language alive by:
(1) Speaking their mother tongue at home.
(2) Teaching the language to their children.
(3) Reading books, newspapers, and magazines in their language.
(4) Celebrating their cultural festivals and traditions.
(5) Organising language and cultural programmes in their community.
(6) Learning the local language while also preserving their own language.
Question 3:
Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far?
Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?
Answer
Yes, it is possible to carry pride in one’s language too far. While it is good to love and respect one’s own language, it is wrong to look down upon or disrespect other languages.
Linguistic chauvinism means an excessive or unreasonable pride in one’s own language and the belief that it is superior to all other languages. It may lead to discrimination against people who speak different languages and create conflicts in society.
Therefore, we should be proud of our mother tongue while also respecting all other languages and cultures.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 1 The Last Lesson
