‘The French do not speak English’: myth or reality? A study of French attitudes and practices towards speaking English with foreign tourists

The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate the practices and attitudes of the French when questioned by foreign tourists in English. In addition, it explores to what extent the French understand foreign tourists who address them in English and make themselves understood when they respond to them. Lastly, it also considers any correlations between the French’s responses when addressed by foreign tourists in English and their socio-demographic background and English proficiency. In order to achieve these aims, a multiple method was conducted during the winter of 2021/2022 in Paris. Two quantitative research techniques were combined alternately to gather as much and various data as possible. Thus, structured interviews were carried out among 206 respondents first, and a new sample of 280 participants was observed thereafter. The interviews focused on the attitudes of the French when addressed in English by foreign tourists, while the observations concentrated on their practices. Hence, questions from the interview guide regarded the French’s feelings, opinions and thoughts when asked in English by tourists, whereas the observations were concerned with the response (e.g. the willingness to help, the language used, and the accuracy of the answer). The observations necessitated the help of an external person, i.e. a non-native speaker of French and English, who posed as a foreign tourist together with the researcher. The non-native speaker was the one to question the French participants in English and the researcher took notes of the observations. The collected data shows that the majority of the French stop and attempt to help foreign tourists who speak English. Nevertheless, a few of them answer solely in French and some mix English and French in their reply. This indicates that not all of the responses the French provide to foreign tourists are understandable. Approximately a fifth of the responses the French give to foreign tourists are incomprehensible, another fifth are comprehensible from a little to a moderate extent, and a half are comprehensible from a large to a very large extent. As regards the understanding of the requests expressed by foreign tourists in English, many French are able to understand them from a moderate to a very large extent, and it seems that the rest, who cannot understand, manage to guess the meaning of the requests due to context. Furthermore, the findings reveal that most of the French have positive attitudes towards speaking English with foreign tourists; they frequently feel helpful and often interested. However, the results also show that a few French experience embarrassment, nervousness and shyness when interacting in English with foreign tourists, feelings that are barely present when the tourists can speak French. Moreover, the collected data suggests that the variables of age, educational background and notably the level of English proficiency have an influence on the French’s practices and attitudes towards interacting in English with foreign tourists

Nouvelle carte des isohyètes annuelles et des maxima pluviométriques sur le massif du Piton de la Fournaise (Ile de la Réunion)

L'implantation de douze pluviographes, de 220 à 2490 mètres d'altitude, dans des sites difficilement accessibles des versants sud et est du massif du Piton de la Fournaise à la Réunion, apporte de nouveaux éléments pour le tracé des isohyètes annuelles. Un pluviographe situé à 1600 mètres d'altitude, à l'amont d'un alignement orienté sud-nord dans la zone du Baril sur la planèze sud-est du Volcan, a enregistré une précipitation annuelle supérieure à 18 000 mm en 1993. Dans cette zone, les cartes d'isohyètes moyennes inter-annuelles admises jusqu'alors présentaient des lames d'eau de lordre de 5000 à 6000 mm.an-¹. Les enregistrements obtenus en 1994 puis en 1995 sur le même pluviographe et sur des stations situées à l'est du massif à 1400 et à 1940 mètres d'altitude confirment qu'une très forte pluviométrie affecte cette zone.Une couche d'inversion thermique est fréquemment observée par ballon-sondage entre 2000 et 2500 mètres d'altitude, principalement en hiver austral. Cette inversion est l'une des causes principales de la présence d'une zone de maximum pluviométrique située entre 1400 et 1940 mètres d'altitude sur les planèzes du Volcan. Selon la position de l'inversion, la Réunion est soit dans la situation des îles très hautes, avec des sommets émergeant des nuages, soit dans la situation des îles hautes, pour lesquelles les précipitations sont fortes près des sommets. Les fortes pentes des versants du massif et la présence de grands encaissements contribuent également à expliquer l'emplacement de la zone de maximum pluviométrique et les lames d'eau importantes qui y sont enregistrées.Une nouvelle carte des isohyètes annuelles est proposée pour prendre en compte les nouvelles données. Une zone de maximum pluviométrique définie par l'isohyète 12 000 mm de moyenne annuelle est localisée entre 1300 et 1800 mètres d'altitude, localement jusqu'à 2000 m, sur le versant oriental du massif exposé aux vents dominants. De part et d'autre de cette zone la pluviométrie diminue: les lames d'eau moyennes annuelles décroissent jusqu'à 4000 mm au niveau de la mer, elles représentent 7000 mm au sommet à 2632 mètres d'altitude. L'atténuation rapide des précipitations sur les versants nord-ouest et sud-ouest est liée au changement de l'orientation des versants par rapport aux flux générateurs de précipitations mais sans doute également à l'influence de grandes discontinuités topographiques orientées perpendiculairement aux vents dominants.Reunion Island, located in the south-west Indian Ocean (21° S / 55° E), is composed of 2 volcanoes linked with a hot spot activity: the Piton des Neiges massif (3069 m) in the north-west and the Piton de la Fournaise massif (2632 m) in the south-east (Fig. 1). Climate is intertropical and characterized by two distinct periods: the hot rainfall season, from December to April, and the rather temperate dry season from May to November. South-east to east trade winds prevail during austral winter. However, polar atmospheric disturbances occasionally affect the island. Ascending wet air masses over a rugged topography with high summits and strong slopes release intense orographic rainfalls on the windward eastern slopes of the island. This phenomenon has been reported for other islands where rainfall was shown to be correlated with altitude (Rossignol, 1990; Oki et al., 1991). For trade winds and polar disturbances rainfalls, the maximum zone lies below the thermal inversion layer (Table 1). This layer, present 80% of the time, is found between an altitude of 2000 to 2500 metres in one third of the cases (Fig. 6 and Fig. 7). Cyclonic rainfalls, frequent during the austral summer, increase with altitude. Cyclones generate heavy rains on the eastern slopes of the Piton de la Fournaise massif while they approach the island from the north-east to east sectors (Malick and Mercusot, 1976; Fig. 12).Available isohyet maps (Fig. 3) show a maximum rainfall zone at 860 metres, centred on les Hauts de Sainte-Rose rain gauge, on the north-eastern slope of the Piton de la Fournaise massif. There, the average rainfall is higher than 10 000 mm.year-1, and decreases in the west and south directions: at the same altitude in Baril, on the south side of the massif, annual rainfall totals were estimated between 5000 and 6000 mm (Anonyme, 1975; Bargeas et al., 1984; Robert, 1986).In 1993, twelve tipping bucket rain gauges connected to data loggers or remote transmitters were installed between 220 and 2490 metres to precisely determine isohyets and define the presence of an altitude-dependent maximum rainfall zone (Fig. 2). On the south side of the massif, four rain gauges (altitude 650, 900, 1200 and 1600 m) form the north to south Baril transect along the main slope of the mountain.During the first sampling year at Baril 1600, where water totals are maximum, the annual rainfall was higher than 18 000 millimetres (Table 2; Fig. 4). This constitutes the highest amount ever recorded on Reunion Island. A previous record was set at les Hauts de Sainte-Rose rain gauge (15 381 mm, from 1 August 1979 to 31 July 1980). Return periods over the 27 February 1993 - 26 February 1994 time interval calculated from Météo France reference rain gauge data show that the studied year was not exceptionally wet (Table 3 and Fig. 5). Since 1993, other measurements from the Baril transect, as well as from Bois Blanc and Enclos transects on the east side of the massif, suggest an under-evaluation of isohyet estimations, principally on the east and the south sides of la Fournaise volcano (Fig. 8, Fig. 9 , Fig. 10 and Fig. 11; Table 4).A comparison between the climatologic and topographic environment of Reunion Island and other similar islands such as Hawaii, Maui, Kauai or Oahu in the Hawaiian archipelago (Bean et al., 1994; Ekern et al., 1971; Giambelluca et al., 1986; Giambelluca and Nullet, 1992; Giambelluca and Sanderson, 1993; Juvik and Nullet, 1994; Nullet and Juvik, 1994; Nullet et al., 1995; Peterson, 1972; Schroeder, 1993), Tenerife in the Canary islands (Custodio et al., 1991), Fogo in the Cape Verde islands (Juvik et al., 1995), or Guadeloupe in the Caribbean Sea (Robin and Rossignol, 1988) is presented (Table 5).In Hawaii a distinction has been made between high and very high islands. High islands (such as Oahu, Kauai, east Maui, Guadeloupe or Gran Canaria) have an elevation lower or equal to the thermal inversion layer mean altitude. Water totals are very high and located near the summits. In very high islands (such as Hawaii, west Maui, Tenerife or Fogo), with summits often higher than the thermal inversion layer, rainfalls are more moderate and located lower on windward slopes.La Fournaise volcano experiences these two situations alternately, depending on the presence, altitude and strength of the thermal inversion layer. When it is strong and low, during austral winter, rainfalls are restricted to low elevation zones. The frequent lack of thermal inversion during the hot season, or its high position when present, and the occurrence of tropical depressions cause heavy rains near the summits. These elements and the presence of great embankments and steep slopes, which are increasing relief effects, contribute to give to Reunion Island an original climatic and hydrologic environment. The maximum rainfall zone has a large extension in altitude, along the upper part of steep windward slopes. Recorded water totals and rainfall gradients count among the highest recorded values.Subsequently, atmospheric and topographic elements defining spatial rainfall variations are discussed, and a new isohyet map is proposed (Fig. 13). A maximum rainfall zone over 12 000 mm.year-¹ is defined on the whole eastern side of the massif between 1300 and 1800 metres, and locally up to 2000 metres. Above and below this zone, rainfall decreases to 7000 mm.year-¹ at the summit of the Volcano, and to 4000 mm.year-¹ at sea level respectively. Isohyets are nearly parallel to contour lines on all sides of the Volcano except along the north-western and south-western slopes. On the north-western part of the massif, rainfall decreases to 4000 - 5000 mm.year-¹ since slope exposure to prevailing trade winds diminishes. South-western slopes rapidly become leeward, and rainfall amounts to less than 2000 mm.year-¹

Supported internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy programs for depression, anxiety, and stress in university students: open, non-randomised trial of acceptability, effectiveness, and satisfaction

BACKGROUND: Many university campuses have limited mental health services that cannot cope with the high demand. One alternative is to use internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) as a way of tackling barriers such as lack of availability and scheduling issues. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and satisfaction of a supported iCBT intervention offering 3 programs on depression, anxiety, and stress to university students. The design was an open or nonrandomized feasibility trial. METHODS: Participants were recruited from 3 counseling centers at a large midwestern University in the United States. Those agreeing to take part chose 1 of 3 iCBT programs-Space from Depression, Space from Anxiety, or Space from Stress -all comprised 8 modules of media-rich interactive content. Participants were supported throughout the trial by a trained professional. The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, and stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were completed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 3-month follow-up. A Satisfaction With Treatment (SAT) questionnaire was completed at 8 weeks, and qualitative interviews were completed by a subsample of participants at 3 months. RESULTS: A total of 102 participants were recruited, with 52 choosing Space from Anxiety, 31 choosing Space from Depression, and 19 choosing Space from Stress. Mixed-effects models showed a significant decrease in symptoms of depression (F₄=6.36, P<.001), anxiety (F₄=7.97, P<.001), and stress (F₄=8.50, P<.001) over time across all 3 programs. The largest decreases in PHQ-9 scores at 8 weeks were among participants who chose the Space from Depression program (d=0.84); at 3 months, the largest decreases in PHQ-9 scores were among those who chose the Space from Stress program (d=0.74). The largest decreases in GAD-7 scores were among those who chose the Space from Anxiety program (d=0.74 at 8 weeks and d=0.94 at 3 months). The largest decrease in DASS-21 stress subscale scores was among those who chose the Space from Stress program (d=0.49 at 8 weeks and d=1.16 at 3 months). The mean time spent using the platform per session was 27.4 min (SD 33.8), and participants completed 53% (SD 37.6) of the total program content on average. Most (37/53, 69%) participants found the programs helpful or very helpful and liked the convenience and flexibility of the intervention. Qualitative interviews (n=14) indicated the intervention met students' expectations, and they saw it as a valuable complement to face-to-face treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The iCBT programs tested in our study appear to be feasible, acceptable, and effective in a university environment. Participants described the benefits of having a flexible, supported Web-based intervention available on campus. Larger trials should be conducted to further test the effectiveness of supported Web-based interventions that give students a choice of program depending on their symptom profile.Published versio

Dietary inulin intake and age can significantly affect intestinal absorption of calcium and magnesium in rats: a stable isotope approach

BACKGROUND: previous studies have shown that non-digestible inulin-type fructan intake can increase intestinal mineral absorption in both humans and animals. However, this stimulatory effect on intestinal absorption may depend on experimental conditions such as duration of fermentable fiber intake, mineral diet levels and animals' physiological status, in particular their age. OBJECTIVES: the aim of this study was to determine the effect of inulin intake on Ca and Mg absorption in rats at different age stages. METHODS: eighty male Wistar rats of four different ages (2, 5, 10 and 20 months) were randomized into either a control group or a group receiving 3.75% inulin in their diet for 4 days and then 7.5% inulin for three weeks. The animals were fed fresh food and water ad libitum for the duration of the experiment. Intestinal absorption of Ca and Mg was determined by fecal monitoring using stable isotopic tracers. Ca and Mg status was also assessed. RESULTS: absorption of Ca and Mg was significantly lower in the aged rats (10 and 20 mo) than in the young and adult rat groups. As expected, inulin intake increased Ca and Mg absorption in all four rat groups. However, inulin had a numerically greater effect on Ca absorption in aged rats than in younger rats whereas its effect on Mg absorption remained similar across all four rat age groups. CONCLUSION: the extent of the stimulatory effect of inulin on absorption of Ca may differ according to animal ages. Further studies are required to explore this effect over longer inulin intake periods, and to confirm these results in humans

Dairy product consumption in french children in 2010

Dairy food consumption is important for children as it contributes to the intake of key nutrients, especially calcium. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of dairy products consumption for French children, according to age, sex and type of dairy products. Adequacy of dairy and calcium intakes in line with French national guidelines "3 portions of dairy products per day" were also evaluated. Data were extracted and analyzed from the CCAF-Comportementet Consommations Alimentairesen France-study. Seven-day questionnaires were administered to free-living individuals from autumn 2009 to summer 2010. Subjects were children (n=1171) aged 3-17 years. Dairy products contributed substantially to the intake of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamin B2 and vitamin B12. A general decrease in DP consumption has been observed since 2003. This is most notably due to a lower milk intake which is not compensated by increased cheese or fresh dairy products. Most of children (67%), and up to 73% of adolescents (15 - 17 y), did not reach the recommended "3 servings of dairy products per day". Twenty percent of children from the age of 6 and nearly 2/3 of female adolescents did not reach their estimated average requirement for calcium. The overview of French dairy food consumption during childhood, of particular Public Health concern, emphasizes the need to encourage dairy consumption and particularly milk consumption at breakfast in order to maintain a nutrient adequacy in children and adolescents

Improvement of the guiding performances of near infrared organic/inorganic channel waveguides

New sol-gel derived organic/inorganic hybrid single mode waveguides devices have been developed for telecommunication applications in the two near infrared windows at 1310 and 1550 nm. The overall procedure of fabrication of these devices is described and the refractive indices of the guiding, the buffer and the protective layers are adjusted by a precise control of the materials' composition. Due to the improvement of the composition of the guiding layer, the attenuation losses are significantly decreased to 0.8 dB/cm and 2dB/cm at respectively 1310 and 1550 nm

Walking journeys into everyday climatic-affective atmospheres: The emotional labour of balancing grief and hope

The postapocalypse as a mobilising discourse for climate action operates largely out of anger over experienced and anticipated injustices as well as paradoxical hope that fuses loss and grief with freed-up solidarities in support of liveable futures. However, negotiating this emotional tension can be both draining and isolating. Here, we examine how white settler populations in Western Australia balance grief and hope in places they hold dear and the role emotions such as sadness, worry, disappointment, joy, and pride play in relational place making. Through an innovative in situ and mobile methodology we call Walking Journeys, we trace how participants navigate their climatic-affective atmospheres and make sense of their agency in changing ‘Places of the Heart’. We find evidence for emotional complexities of solastalgia where pessimistic outlooks for the future are wrapped up in prefigurative visions of a better world. By holding the tension between paralysis and restoration, urban and rural residents explore affective co-existence and differential belonging in their homes and the landscapes around them. We highlight the challenge of enfranchising emotions beyond individuals and conclude by endorsing entangled, reflexive, and (re-)generative responsibilities for hopeful postapocalyptic journeying

Nématodes de l'abomasum du dromadaire au Maroc : une enquête épidémiologique

Les nématodes de l'abomasum sont responsables de lourdes pertes économiques pour les élevages camelins marocains. Peu d'études ont été réalisées dans la région et la présence de troupeau mixte (ovin, caprins et camelins) rend possible la présence d'infestations hétérologues. Les objectifs de l'étude sont de recenser la faune abomasale du dromadaire et d'évaluer l'importance des infestations hétérologues à Haemonchus. Les résultats de l'étude menée pendant un mois à l'abattoir de Lâayoune ont montré l'existence d'une helminthofaune de la caillette limitée à Haemonchus longistipes, confirmant une faible réceptivité du dromadaire aux infestations hétérologues à Haemonchus spp.

Um modelo para o aprendizado do trabalho em equipe, utilizando um jogo de empresas como suporte de treinamento

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro TecnologicoModelo de apoio para o aprendizado de habilidades para o trabalho em equipe na situação específica de um jogo de empresas, o GI-EPS. O modelo propõe primeiro uma restruturação do jogo em si com um direcionamento individual e funcional das tarefas e instrumentos do GI-EPS, e, segundo, uma proposta para a organização do trabalho dos jogadores, baseado na teoria da Liderança Situacional de Hersey e Blanchard