Microsoft Word - Un_Café_Americain

“Un café américain” à Nice
A Case Study for First-Semester French
by Jocelyne S. Hunsinger, Ph.D.
Cas Pratique:
Depuis 25 ans, Jean-Pierre Renoult, un Français expatrié, vit en Californie avec sa femme Leslie, une
Américaine. Depuis dix ans, ils sont les propriétaires d’un petit café qui a
beaucoup de succès. Ils y servent des boissons non alcoolisées et des patisseries. Leurs clients
apprécient non seulement la qualité de ce qu’ils servent, mais aussi l’atmosphère comfortable et sans
façon de leur café. Depuis un certain temps, Jean-Pierre pense retourner en France, non seulement
pour se rapprocher de ses parents d’un âge avancé, mais aussi pour ouvrir un “Café américain” à Nice
sur la Côte D’Azur. Sa femme adore la France et parle couramment la langue. Elle ne s’oppose donc
pas à ce départ.
Les Français, comme les Américains, aiment le café, mais Jean-Pierre et Leslie veulent leur offrir une
plus grande variété de boissons (café parfumé, thé, jus de fruits et de légumes tels que le jus
“pomme-carotte” servi à Jamba Juice). Ils pensent également que Nice est un endroit idéal pour
commencer une nouvelle vie. Avec la vente de leur café aux Etats-Unis et leurs économies, ils sont
prêts à tenter leur chance à Nice. Mais, tout d’abord, il est essentiel qu’ils trouvent le meilleur local
pour leur nouveau café. Aidons-les!
Case Study:
For 25 years, Jean-Pierre Renoult, a French expatriate, has been living in California with his
American wife Leslie . For 10 years now, they have been the owners of a small but successful Coffee
shop where they serve drinks and pastries. What their customers like is not only the quality of what is
served, but also the comfortable and relaxed atmosphere of the place. For some time, Jean-Pierre has
been thinking of returning to France, not only to be closer to his aging parents, but also to start a
“Café américain” in Nice on the French Riviera. His wife has always been in love with France and
speaks fluent French. She has no objection to the move.
The French, like the Americans, love coffee but Jean-Pierre and Leslie want to introduce them to a
larger variety of beverages (flavored coffee, tea, health drinks such as the “apple-carrot”juice served
at Jamba Juice). They think that Nice is an ideal location to start something new. With the sale of
their café in the United States and their savings, they are ready to start this new endeavour in Nice.
But first, a thorough research of the best location is essential. Why don’t we help them!
Points to think about:
1. What name can we give the café?
2. What part of Nice would be best suited for the café?
3. It would be a café somewhat like Starbucks, where a variety of coffees and
teas (plain and flavored) would be served (hot or cold) according to the
customers’ taste. Special attention would be taken for holidays (Halloween,
Noël, etc..) when special coffees and teas would be served. Special “holidays”
menus must be prepared.
4. Coffees and teas would not be the only drinks being served. Healthy drinks
could also be served for clients who were concerned with health food.
A list of those drinks is necessary.
5. Of course the customers would also be tempted by an array of American
treats (muffins, donuts, brownies…) some French pastries and chocolates
would be included as well.
6. Newspapers could be available to read at no charge (French, American,
British, German)
7. Would there be smoking allowed?
8.
What about the décor? What we need to show is that comfort is a prevalent
feature in the American way of life. So, the Café should have comfortable
furniture (armchairs, small tables, lamps, etc..) so that the customers may
savor their drink while relaxing and reading their favorite newspaper.
9. When will the café open and close? What days will it be opened?
10. Will it be useful to the staff to speak English? What would their salary be
and their working hours?
Organization of the Case Study:
Students will divide in small groups (3 to 4 students). Each group will do its own research and present
their findings and advertising poster to the class at the end of the semester.
Objectives:
Help the students to:
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Learn about the city of Nice and the surrounding region.
Familiarize themselves with the cost of living, labor laws, working hours, salaries, and
smoking laws.
Understand the social and economical importance of selecting a good location to establish a
business.
Incorporate American and French holidays into their menus (special drinks, pastries…)
Improve their verbal and writing skills in the target language.
Written and oral work:
Students will be required to submit two typed reports to the professor.
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Report #1 (1 page typed report), submitted three weeks before presentation, will give the
name of the “café”, the reasons for selecting a particular location and any other findings
(salaries, working hours, etc…).
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Report #2 (1 ½ to 2 page typed report), submitted at the time of presentation, will
Be a detailed report about the “café”. It will include the information from Report #1, as well
as any appropriate findings about the staff, décor, menus, newspapers….
In these reports, students will make use of the vocabulary and grammar they would have learned
during the semester.
The oral presentation will take place during the last two weeks of the semester. Each group will
supplement their presentation with either power point, overhead or collage and their advertising
poster.
Vocabulary and grammar to review for the Case Study:
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drinks and food
furniture and accessories
days – how to tell the time
newspapers (French and foreign)
address
ordering and tipping
numbers and quantities
verbs such as: être, avoir,, désirer, préférer, je voudrais..
the negations (ne…pas, ne…plus…)
the articles (definite, indefinite, partitive)
adjectives, possessive and demonstrative adjectives
adjectives of nationality
adjectives of color
tenses: present, near future, recent past