Schmoozing with my students

Friday night, there was a potluck for the French host families and the American students that had been there a week.  I was invited so off I went.

At first it was a bit awkward because I'm not really student nor professor.  Luckily, a friend turned up - she did the exchange in 2002 and her mom still helps out.

When she left, I looked around for the friendlies/least awkward group to sit with and found some of my premières (juniors), some Americans, and one terminale student (senior).  I had a total blast as we joked around for quite a bit.  It was fun to relax with them - they're great kids.

They spent a lot of time teaching each other informal slang and swears.  There was a lot of French white girls saying "What's up, homies?" with accompanying "gangster" hand gestures.  Also, my students agreed we would all pretend we hadn't hung out without the teacher/student hierarchy. (That being said, i refused to teach them any swear words or do anything else that would compromise my role as a teacher.)

Also, some fun quotes from the evening:

Student: All the Americans are leaving tomorrow.
Me: What? I don't count?
Student: No, you're part of the lycée now!

My students were asking me for words - to help translate between the American and French students.
Me: I'm just a dictionary to you.
Student: But you're a very nice one!

One of the French professors who had been in the States had taught a student a vulgar phrase in French. So on Friday, my students told the American student to go up to Philippe and say "Vas-te faire foutre." As he walked off, I asked the Americans students if they all knew that meant "Go fuck yourself." Nope, they didn't.... until the professor translated.  He was cool with it, but his wife was horrified because she thought Philippe had taught the American student how to say that.