But doing so is not just an intellectual undertaking. At its best, acquiring a new language is a highly emotional experience, inasmuch as it answers a deep human desire to understand our fellow human beings better and of course provides us with the means by which we do accede to ano
ther facet of the human condition. Little by little, with each new word we learn, we immerse ourselves ever more profoundly into an extraordinary discovery of the other, with the range of feelings such discovery entails: excitement, amazement, inspiration, compassion, empathy, harmony…the list of emotions is long. The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once wrote that the “borders of my language are the borders of my world;” and indeed to expand the boundaries of one’s linguistic knowledge is to expand the very dimensions of human existence too.**
So it is with a strong sense of purpose that we have in recent years created a series of linguistic and cultural exchanges between the Lycée Français de New York and three partner sch
ools in respectively China, Argentina and Germany. And it is with great enthusiasm that we welcomed eight German students and two accompanying teachers to the LFNY for a fortnight earlier this month. Coming from a school called the Neues Gymnasium in the town of Glienicke just outside of Berlin, and as the first leg of a homestay program which our own German language learners will reciprocate when they themselves leave for Germany over the Thanksgiving break, our delightful guests resided with their correspondents, joined them in class, explored our city and while learning more about us contributed to increasing our understanding of German culture.
For our remarkable teacher of German and indefatigable organizer of this initiative, Ms. Astrid Benamara, this exchange is a vitally important aspect of an LFNY education. As she has explained to our students and their parents: “an exchange is not just invaluable on a linguistic and cultural level, but on a human one too.” In her view, and that of everyone among us I would dare to say, our mutually enriching partnership with the Neues Gymnasium provides an opportunity to make progress in German while spending 12 days with a German family in a charming German town and discovering the marvels of a world capital. At the same tim
e, the exchange also contributes to “learning how to be independent, to be open to the world and to be engaged in the practice of tolerance,” which holds special importance for our students. We loved having our guests here, one of them reported to me, because they opened our eyes to another way of life and they made us want to know more. Infinite gratitude to Ms. Benamara, her fellow chaperone on the upcoming trip to Germany Jerome Goidin, the numerous members of our faculty and staff who participated in welcoming our German guests, and above all our own German language learners and their wonderful families, all of whom were extremely gracious hosts. And to our friends from the Neues Gymnasium Glienicke: herzliche bedanken aus New York!
*A German proverb which we can roughly translate as “make haste while taking your time” or in other words: work as hard as you can, but be sure to take advantage of the essentials along the way.
**”Die Grenzen meiner Sprache bedeuten die Grenzen meiner Welt.”
About the Author :
Sean Lynch was Head of School at the Lycée Français de New York from 2011 to 2018, after having spent 15 years at another French bilingual school outside of Paris: the Lycée International de St. Germain-en-Laye. Holding both French and American nationalities, educated in France (Sciences Po Paris) and the United States (Yale), and as the proud husband of a French-American spouse and father of two French-American daughters, Sean Lynch has spent his entire professional and personal life at the junction between the languages, cultures and educational systems of France and the United States. In addition to being passionate about education, he loves everything related to the mountains, particularly the Parc National du Mercantour.