Merci beaucoup Madame de Joux
Tim O’Connell says thanks to his French teacher.
In the late 90s, nine out of 10 career advisers would tell you that Japanese was the language to learn.
French held only minor appeal to students at Nelson College. My Year 9 class had 25 pupils, but dropped to just three in Year 10.
By the middle of Year 12, there were just two of us, meaning we had to take classes at nearby Nelson College for Girls. Quelle dommage. A 16-year-old boy studying towards Sixth Form Certificate at an all-girls school? It could have descended into an epic hormonal derailment.
However, the four classes each week quickly became the most prosperous part of my timetable and not just because of the co-ed interaction.
Madame de Joux – I guess I can call her Hilary now – was my French teacher for those two years.
She always had a sunny disposition in class– that joie de vivre, if you will.
It was enthusiasm that rubbed off on everyone in our class, including me. My best marks in both years were from French – higher than English, even.
We’d translate and analyse lyrics of contemporary French hits, read Francoise Sagan or Guy de Maupassant and enjoy regular croissant or fondue feasts. Not an ‘‘Allouette’’ in sight. With her help, I was the only person on a 40-strong rugby tour to France in Year 13 who spoke un peu Francais, making me the goto guy for resolving ‘hilarious’ cultural misunderstandings – none of which would have been possible if I’d been taught the bog standard textbook French.
In fact, I’d probably still be in that truckstop near Toulouse, remonstrating with that maitre’d over who had or hadn’t paid for their cafe au chocolat.
De Joux is now head of languages at Waimea College, following a year-long sabbatical through Europe, and a stint at Emmanuel College in Sydney.
Like all teachers, Madame de Joux has that incredible ability to recall the hundreds, if not thousands, of students she has taught over 26 years.
‘‘Sometimes it might be five or ten years later that you’ll hear from a student who’ll say ‘you really made a difference’ – it’s nice to think people think fondly of you.’’
‘‘I remember you were passionate about rugby, back in the day, as well as French.’’
I sure was, although two shoulder operations put an end to any dreams of playing professionally on the Cote D’Azur.
Madame de Joux became fascinated by the French lifestyle growing up and embarked on the first of many trips to France as a 17-year-old exchange student. The family she stayed with on that inaugural trip became a big influence on her life.
Inspired by her French experience, there was seemingly no other career choice for de Joux.
‘‘I have to be careful with what I take on because I tend to go all out, so I thought it’d be great to find a job where you could combine your work with something you’re personally interested in.’’
Teaching has taught her the value of relationships with other people, she said.
‘‘It really does matter how we treat other people – you can make someone’s day better and why wouldn’t you?’’
Merci beaucoup, Madame de Joux.