Q:  What is “Lagniappe”?
A:  Lagniappe (pronounced “lan-yap”) is a Cajun French word that means “A Little Something Extra.”  I use this word to signal extra credit.  It's not frequent, but it is useful!

Q:  You have colored staples???
A:  Yes, I color them myself.  Sure, I could buy them already colored, but then I’d be stuck with one color per staple strip, wouldn’t I?  My way is much more fun, and besides, it’s worth it to see that light bulb go off over your head when you finally get it. 

Q:  Why do I have an I on _________?  I know I turned it in!
A:  Did you put your name on it?  And most importantly, where did you put it?  Repeat after me:  “If it wasn’t in the tray, I didn’t get it.”  Also, if this assignment is a quiz or test, that means you did not pass and you must retake it.  Until you pass it.  Yes, I am serious.

Q:  Did you really name your staplers, and does your desk really eat things?
A:  Yes, I did (Napoléon is in the back, Marie-Antoinette is on my desk).  It’s for entertainment purposes only, people.  I don’t really think they’re alive.  I’m not that crazy.  Yet.  And as for the desk, well, papers are frequently lost on the wilderness that is my desk – therefore the policy of “If it’s not in the tray, I didn’t get it!”

Q:  Will you teach us curse words in French?
A:  Absolutely NOT.

Q:  Please?
A:  NO. 

Q:  Does your husband speak French?
A:  Have you ever seen the episode of Friends where Phoebe tries to teach Joey French so he can get a part in a movie? 'Nuff said. 

Q:  Why can’t I chew gum in French class?
A:  Most importantly, in French you must enunciate (pronounce clearly) – much more so than in English.  You need to be understood; gum stands in the way of this.  
    In addition, more often than not gum winds up on the floor or under a desk instead of in a garbage can.  Yuck. 
    It’s also an aesthetic issue.  It is just gross to watch someone chomp openmouthed on a piece of gum making smacking noises and spraying saliva everywhere.  Yuck again.


Q:  What made you so interested in the French language and culture?
A:  Several things.  First, it had to do with curiosity about my roots.  I found out that a large part of my heritage was French, and I had heard stories of my late great-grandmother who could speak Cajun French.  My reaction was, “Say what?  Then why can’t I speak Cajun or any other kind of French?  What a rip off!”  Then, when I found out why, it seemed like even more of a rip off! 
    Second, I had the opportunity in elementary school (down in Louisiana) to take something like a “rotation” of French two years in a row.  I fell in love with the way it sounded: so soft and elegant and “flowy.”  I knew I wanted to be able to speak looooooong passages of it! 
    Finally, I got to take three years of French in High School, and diving into learning all the mechanics of the grammar, learning weird vocabulary on the side (not to mention the weird nicknames my classmates and I gave each other), perfecting my pronunciation, and learning about cultural differences were very exciting for me.  Also, Louisiana had Foreign Language Festivals every year with competitions, so one of the things I really enjoyed was memorizing passages of poetry and prose, performing plays at these competitions (and winning!  That part I really enjoyed!).  These furthered my love and interest.  So I took it, ran with it through college, and now I’m teaching it.  I hope that some of my students will love it as much as I do.

Have more questions?  Send them to me!