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For the love of French

Meet R. Kichenamourty, former head of Department of French, Pondicherry University, who was conferred the Chevalier award

PHOTO R. SINGARAVELOU

LAUDABLE EFFORT R. Kichenamourty being awarded by the French Consul General in Pondicherry, Michel Seguy

He is a first generation learner in his family and the second to get a Chevalier from the Government of France.

R. Kichenamourty, former head of Department of French, the Pondicherry University, was recently conferred Chevalier dans l'ordre des Palmes Academiques by Michel Seguy, French Consul General in Pondicherry.

"My uncle, Ramalingam, who was from Thirumalai Rayarpattinam in Karaikal, was an agriculturist, a freedom fighter and translator for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the INA. He won the Chevalier way back in 1950 for employing the Japanese method of planting paddy seedlings," said Kichenamourty, after receiving the award at a function.

"The French Government conferred this title on Kichenamourty for his efforts to promote French education at the university level and at the Centre for Applied Linguistics. He has translated many books from French to Tamil and written short stories in English," says Seguy.

Kichenamourty was born and did his early schooling in Karaikal. He came to Pondicherry to do his baccalaureate. He did his M.A. French at the Annamalai University and got a Ph.D from the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

"I took up French because that was the only language in which the subjects were taught those days. Otherwise we had to pay to study in private English medium schools," says the French professor.

For the past 40 years, Kichenamourty has been teaching French. From 1965 to 1987, he taught in various colleges including the Government Bharathidasan College for Women, and later from 1987 to 2004, at the Pondicherry University.

Teaching methods

"The method of teaching French has changed a lot since we learnt the language during the French rule. Earlier, indirect method (teaching French through English), direct method, communicative approach and structural method (applying a sentence pattern to other cases) were adopted. But now, with technology taking over our lives, we try to teach the language with the aid of the Internet and interactive tools such as CDs and computer," he says.

On job opportunities for those who learn French, Kichenamourty says, "During our time, the only option was teaching. But nowadays, there are plenty of opportunities for French graduates. Besides teaching, they can get jobs as translators in the tourism industry, call centres and infotech companies. In fact, many companies approach the university's French Department looking for students and there are times when we are not able to meet their demands."

DEEPA H. RAMAKRISHNAN

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