NCERT SOLUTION FOR CLASS 12 FLAMINGO ENGLISH THE LAST LESSON

NCERT SOLUTION FOR CLASS 12 FLAMINGO ENGLISH THE LAST LESSON

I. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day ? 

Ans: Franz was expected to be prepared with questions on participles.

2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day? 

Ans: Franz noticed that everything about the school was unusually quiet that day. The usual .commotion was missing.

3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board? 

Ans: On the bulletin board was the government order from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace from next day.

4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day ? 

Ans: The order from Berlin caused many changes in school that day. Instead of the usual commotion, there was silence all around. The students sat at their desks silently. The teacher did not scold Franz for coming late to the class. He behaved with the same unusual kindness all through the day. He wore his beautiful dress which he never wore except on inspection and prize days. The whole school seemed so strange and serious. However, the strangest thing was the presence of the villagers in the class. They were occupying the back benches which were otherwise always empty. The former mayor, the former postmaster and many other villagers were present. Old Hauser had with him an old primer. He held it open on his knees. Clearly he had come to study that day. Everybody looked very sad. The order from Berlin had hurt their feelings. It had awakened in them the love for their language.


5. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change? 

Ans: Before this day of the last lesson, Franz had never loved his French lesson nor ever admired M. Hamel. He was of courses, afraid of his teacher M. Hamel and his terrible iron ruler. He had often missed school for enjoying himself. He had been seeking birds’ eggs or going sliding on the Saar instead of learning his lessons.
Today, he felt sorry for all that. Till then his books had seemed such a .nuisance to him. Grammar and the history of the saints seemed too heavy to carry. Now these books seemed like old friends which he couldn‘t give up.
He had all along hated M. Hamel’s ruler and thought him cranky. The thought of his going away made him forget all that. He feels much pity for him. He repeatedly calls him a 'poor man'. He realises M. Hamel's love for the school where he had spent 40 years of his life. Finally Franz says that M. Hamel had never before looked so tall. Thus Franz’s feeling were completely changed on the day of his last French lesson.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT 

1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this ? Why does this happen ?

Ans: The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. This shows the human nature of not properly valuing the things which are easily available. Their presence is taken for granted. it is just as it happens with our environment. Human beings did not realise the importance of a clean environment until they made it so polluted that living in it became a health hazard.
M. Hamel in the story blames everyone for having put off the learning of French thinking that there was enough time to do. Even the old people of the village weep when they learn that their children will not be taught the language any longer. This shows how people resent the change of language. It happens because every person loves his mother tongue and considers it to be the best language in the world.

2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean? (There could be more than one answer.)

Ans: Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even pigeons ? It shows Franz's fear of the Prussians. He knows that it is because of the order from Berlin that his language French will be replaced by German. Since everyone, even the animals, have a language, Franz wonders what the new rulers might do. if they can force the human beings to change their language, they may also force the birds and the animals to do so. This childlike, innocent remark of Franz also shows the foolishness of the rulers who attempt to take away from the people their language and impose their own. Perhaps, as M. Hamel remarks, they do so because the language is a key to freedom. As long as the people who are enslaved remember their language, there is a chance of their being free.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT 

1. “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.“ 
Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them? 

Ans: History is full of examples when a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them. India is also an example. When the Moguls ruled India, they impose Persian and Aralic on an unwilling people. Again in 1857, English was imposed on the people.
It has been so or even worse with many other nations. He brew had been almost a dead language until the formation of Israel when it was revived again. All ancient languages which have now become extinct must have become so only because of the rulers.

2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive? For example : 

Punjabis in Bangalore 
Tamilians in Mumbai 
Kannadigas in Delhi 
Gujaratis in Kolkata 

Ans: Linguistic minorities in India do not find it difficult to keep their languages alive. For example, if Punjabis live in Bangalore, they are free to use this language among themselves. Their children can opt Punjabi as one the subjects in the school. Besides, they can visit Punjab from time to time where Punjabi is spoken. Same is true about Tamilians, Kannadigas and
Gujaratis who live in provinces where their language is not commonly spoken.

3. Is it possible to carry, pride in one’s language too far? 
Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means? 

Ans: It is not unusual to see people turning nectar into poison. This is what happens when people begin to oppose languages other than their own. The Independent India has seen how Hindi was opposed in Tamilnadu and even in Punjab. Many people have agitated for a new province where their language should be treated as the language of the State. In D.P. and Bihar, there came a time when people gave up the learning of English thinking that it was blocking their progress. Soon they realised that it was otherwise and now English has become a compulsory subject in most schools once again. This opposition to all languages except one’s own is called linguistic chauwinism’.