This week, two takes on language teaching in France

First, a couple of Paris high schools have started teaching Antillean creole, a language in the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Those two islands were in the news earlier this year after a series of strikes and protests. Then, part two of my conversation with American Laurel Zuckerman who wanted to teach high school English. Zuckerman fought the French education establishment- and guess who won? We then consider an Arabic word beloved by Saudi Arabia’s morality police. Finally, Spain unites over a soccer victory, but remains divided over which songs best represent the spirit of the nation.

Listen in iTunes or here .

See also

• November 6, 2009 -- Understanding Chinese, birds and Glaswegians
• September 7, 2009 -- Your brain on language
• June 29, 2009 -- Bilingual romance in Paris, “whatever” in Mexico, and the fog of Pentagon acronyms in Afghanistan
• June 12, 2009 -- Linguists trash English word count, speaking Uighur in Bermuda, and steady lah! The delights of Singlish