The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 20, 1978, Page Page 8, Image 8
Director of
By DON FOBES
Asst. News Editor
It takes two to tango-two
languages, that is.
Dr. P. T. Radcliffe, USC French
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world that is becoming more and
more linked together everyday,
you need to be able to handle at
least one foreign language, and you
need to be able to know, understand
and accept the cultures of
different people."
These are no idle words. Radcliffe
spent a year (1965) in
Marseilles, France on a Fulbright
Scholarship, and another year
(1977) working as director of a
study-abroad program with four
USC students in Limoges, France.
44 IN THE beginning at
Limoges," Radcliffe said, "I was
very upset, sort of out of place.
' Thfe weather there was horrible,
and the people in that area of
France are cold, until you get to
know them.
"It takes a good while to get to
know a Frenchman. Once you get
to know him though, you have a
friend for life."
Not only Radcliffe, but also the
visiting USC pupils made new
friends. "It was fantastic to have
them (students) live among the
French," he said. They got to
know quite a lot of people and were
invueu oui 10 dinner, invuea 10 Uie
cafes, because the cafe is still the
social meeting place.
"They got to see quite a bit of
France and Europe. We visited the
Basque countries and some of
them toured the chateau of the
Loire valley. The students saw
much of Europe, including
Holland, England, Switzerland,
Italy and Spain."
IT WAS NOT entirely "comme il
faut" for the USC instructor,
however. "It was a lot of fun, but it
was the first time I'd ever been
director of a program," he said.
"The worst thing for me was the
budgets and trying to keep the
bank accounts straight. But after
awhile you begin to learn those
things. A lot of it is trial and
error."
Radcliffe, a native of Baltimore,
had no inherent urge to make the
French language his vocation.
Left to himself, he may not even
have attended college.
"I never had any idea of
becoming a French teacher. I
guess my interest in French was
sparked when I took my first
French course in the seventh
grade. Before I left high school,
my French teacher, my music
teacher and my mother conspired:
to send me to college I didn't
want to go.
"I come from a family of nine.
When all of my brothers and sisters
got out of high school, they worked.
My papa made sure that all of us
got at least a high school diploma,
because back in the '40's and '50's
it was very important for a black to
have at least a high school
diploma. I wanted to get out and
work like my brothers and sisters.
"MAYBE, SOMEONE saw some
promise in me - they pushed me
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applied for a Westinghouse
Fellowship in engineering, but my
application was too late, so I
decided to go into French, which I
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don't think was a bad choice at all.
I love my profession; this is where
I belong."
The French instructor's love for
his profession expands to a passion
for grammar and fundamentals.
"I'm very, very hot on grammar,
and I use, basically, a traditional
approach in teaching. I believe in
exercises, exercises, exercises.
"For me, grammar and
i *
vocaDuiary are tne most important
aspects of the language at the
elementary and intermediate
stage. I feel that particularly on
the elementary level, if you have a
good grammatical background,
and if you have a good vocabulary,
by the time you get to the secon- j
dary level you should be able to
speak the language."
Besides the twofold objective of
immersing students in French and
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simultaneously imparting a
respect for language, Radcliffe
also maintains an oblique sounding
goal--to better his pupils' comprehension
of English via the
French "connection."
RADCLIFFE SAID, "Even
though I am teaching four basic
skills in French: reading, writing,
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in the course of my teaching a
student learns some English, I've
done at least a good job."
Radcliffe, who has a Ph.D. in
French Medieval Literature from
the University of Wisconsin, also
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15261
I
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now, understand, acce
holds a B.A. and Masters in French
literature from Morgan State
College and the University of New
Mexico respectively. He came to
USC in 1974 and presently teaches
French 102, 201 and 202, but hopes
to add some French literature
courses in upcoming terms.
Commenting on the "Ugly
American" label the U.S. sightseer
has been impaled on, Radcliffe
said, "Back in the '60's the French
were very much against the
American, because the American
tourist came with the idea that 'I
have the money, so you have to
speak my language.' This is the
kind of thing I got when I was in
France.
"AND IN THE '60's, as far as I
could discern, the American
tourist's attitude in France was
scandalous. But we seem to have
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Fred S. Mill
WORSHIP SERVICES
SERMON: THE RES
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WORSHIP SERVICE
ORDINANCE
Studem
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Each Wedn
spaghetti - All
only
includes salad;
772-8
Intersection of 1-26 ai
Serving 3 p.i
pt different cultures
students characterizes Dr. P. T.
Radcliffe. "I feel that I am very
dedicated. I like my students and
am very interested in them, and in
return, I feel I'm popular withthem.
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changed over the years, and I feel
that we're much, much more
accepted by the French and other
Europeans today."
For relaxation, Radcliffe indulges
in playing the piano and
listening to classical music. He
said, "In high school I was very
interested in music. In fact, I did
quite a bit of singing in choirs and
as a soloist.
"1 like to play classical music on
the piano, even though I'm not that
good at it, since I haven't practiced
much in the past five years.
Enthusiasm for the French
language and his American