Students who are searching for Class 12 NCERT English Flamingo Chapter 1 The Last Lesson Answers can get it here on this page. By following these answers students can score more marks in their exams. All exercise questions with answers are mentioned in the below sections. These Class 12 English Flamingo Last Lesson answers are very easy to learn and understand by every student. Students must practice these NCERT Solutions without fail, so they can attempt the exams within the time. For better practicing, students can download the Flamingo Class 12 English pdf from the below page.
NCERT Solved Questions Class 12 Chapter 1 – The Last Lesson
Notice These Expressions In The Text. Infer Their Meaning From The Context (page 2)
- In great dread of – fear in anticipation of something
- Counted On: to rely or trust on somebody/something
- Thumbed at the edges: worn or soiled edges caused by frequent handling
- In unison: something happening or being done at the same time
- A great bustle: an exciting activity or a rapid, active commotion
- Reproach ourselves: to express disapproval, criticism, or disappointment
Think As You Read (Page 7)
Q1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Answer: Franz was expected to be prepared with the lesson on participles because M. Hamel had said that he would ask questions on participles. Franz did not know anything about participles.
Q2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Answer: Franz notice that the absence of the routine commotion when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table, was under M. Hamel’s arm. Everything was quiet as Sunday Morning. His classmates were already in their places. The village elders occupied the last benches in the class.
Q3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
Answer: The bulletin board has notified the news that an order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine after the Prussians defeated France. The order indicated that the native language of France will be banned from the country.
Think As You Read (Page 8)
Q1. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Answer: The order from Berlin has brought all the routine hustle-bustle of school life to a standstill. The teacher M. Hamel had put on his best dress- his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black slip cap, all embroidered. The teacher, M. Hamel became more sympathetic to his students and taught his lessons with more patience. All the villagers sat on the last benches and the students became more attentive in their classes. This was the contrasting scene when school would be buzzing with activity. The only sound was heard of the scratching of pens on paper. On that day everyone was working quietly.
Q2. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Answer: Franz was shocked when he came to know that it was the last lesson in French that M.Hamel would give them. He forgot about his teacher’s ruler and how cranky he was. He became more sympathetic towards his teacher. He felt sorry for not learning his lessons properly. His books seemed a nuisance but now they became his old friends and felt he could not give up them. He had disliked his teacher, M.Hamel previously but he felt sad on that day at the thought of his leaving.
Understanding The Text (Page 9)
Q1. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer: M.Hamel told the students and villagers that only german will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The persons who called Frenchmen would neither be able to speak nor write it. He praised French as the most beautiful, clearest, and most logical language in the world. He said that for the enslaved people, their language was the key to their prison. Then the people realized how precious their language was to them. This shows people’s love for their own culture, traditions, and country. Pride in one’s language reflects pride in the motherland.
Q2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons What could this mean? (There could be more than one answer.)
Answer: When Franz wondered whether they would even make the pigeons sing in German, he uses it as a metaphor to mean that the French language was as natural to them as cooing was to the pigeons. It suggests that human power is always limited. Robbing them of their right to speak in their own tongue and forcing the german Language on them would call for unnatural practice.
Talking About The Text
Q1. “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 conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?
Answer: Some of the examples of the native language taken away from its people and imposition of the language of the conqueror are:
- English imposed on the various Celtic peoples
- Portuguese became the Lingua Franca of Angola
- Spanish Imposed on the Basques and the Catalans
- Turkish imposed on the Kurds
- Chinese imposed on the Tibet
- Arabization in North Africa
- French imposed on Britain
Q2. 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
Answer: A linguistic minority in a state does not have as much liberty to exercise linguistic skills as the natives of the state. They often try to learn the language of the majority of the speakers so that they can blend and be accepted in society. Some cities such as Mumbai and Delhi have a cosmopolitan outlook. The linguistic minority attempts to preserve its identity through intimate contact, interaction, and language preservation in regional festivals, family functions, and social gatherings. They have a mini Chennai in Mumbai, a mini Surat in Kolkata, a mini Punjab in Bangalore, and a mini Bangalore in Delhi.
Q3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what “linguistic chauvinism” means?
Answer: Linguistic Chauvinism refers to an unreasonable, enthusiastic, and aggressively loyal attitude toward one’s own language. Being overly aggressive and fanatical about one’s language is referred to as carrying pride. (OR) When the sense of belonging to one’s own language crosses the thin line between ‘pride’ and ‘proud’, it becomes linguistic chauvinism.
Yes, it is possible to carry pride in one’s own language too far and the linguistic enthusiasts can be easily found by their extreme zeal for the preservation and spread of their language. Indifference towards other languages is not healthy for any democracy like India. If people feel good about their language and traditions they must have tolerance for other languages too. Everyone has the right to follow the religion as well as speak the language as per their desire. In fact, it is disparaging to distort the names of communities, for example- Bongs for Bengalis, Gujju for Gujratis, etc.
Working With Words
Q1. English is a language that contains words from many other languages. This inclusiveness is one of the reasons it is now a “world language”. For example.
petite – French
kindergarten – German
capital – Latin
Democracy – Greek
Bazaar – Hindi
Find out the origins of the following words:
tycoon, barbecue, zero, tulip, veranda, ski, logo, robot, trek, bandicoot
Answer: Tycoon – It originated from the Japanese Word “taikun”, which means great lord.
Barbecue – It originated from the Caribbean word “barbacao”, which means a wooden structure used to cook.
Zero – It originated from the Arabic ‘cipher’.
Tulip – It originated from Turkey. It was derived from the Persian ‘Dulband’, describing the shape of the flower.
Veranda – It originated from Hindi ‘Varanda’, but it is related to the Spanish Baranda, meaning ‘railing’.
Ski – It is originated from the Norwegian ‘snowshoe’
Logo – It originated from Greek logos means ‘imprint’.
Robot – It is originated from the Czech word ‘forced labor’
Trek – It originated from South African means to travel in Dutch.
Bandicoot – It is originated from the Telugu word ‘Pandikoku’ which means a pig-rat
Q2. Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the option that best explains their meaning:
(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”
The words were
(i)loud and clear.
(ii)startling and unexpected.
(iii) pleasant and welcome.
Answer: (ii)startling and unexpected
(b) “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.”
It is as if they have the key to the prison as long as they
(i)do not lose their language.
(ii)are attached to their language.
(iii)quickly learn the conqueror’s language.
Answer: (ii) are attached to their language.
(c) Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time. You will get to your school
(i)very late.
(ii)too early.
(iii)early enough.
Answer: (iii)early enough
(d) I never saw him look so tall.
M. Hamel
(i) had grown physically taller.
(ii) seemed very confident.
(iii) stood on the chair.
Answer: (ii) seemed very confident
Noticing Form
1. Read this sentence:
M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles.
In the sentence above, the verb form “had said” in the first part is used to indicate an “earlier past”. The whole story is narrated in the past. M. Hamel’s “saying” happened earlier than the events in this story. This form of the verb is called the past perfect.
Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of the verb and say why this form has been used.
Answer: In the following sentences, two activities of the past, occurring at two different points of time in the past are indicated. The five sentences in the past perfect tense:
(i) For the last two years all our bad news had come from there.
Reason: The ‘coming’ of bad news happened earlier than the bulletin in the story.
(ii) Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat … prize days.
Reason: Getting over the fright happened before he noticed his teacher’s green coat.
(iii) Hauser had brought an old primer
Reason: The event of ‘Bringing’ happened earlier than Franz noticed it.
(iv) That was what they had put up at the town hall!
Reason: The ‘putting up’ of the bulletin happened earlier. Now it is recalled.
(v) They had not gone to school more.
Reason: The action of not going happened much earlier.
Writing
Q1. Write a notice for your school bulletin board. Your notice could be an announcement of a forthcoming event, a requirement to be fulfilled, or a rule to be followed.
Answer:
NOTICE
XYZ High School
26 April 2022
All the students are informed that NCC Camp is going to be held from 1 May 2022 to 4 May 2022. The event included the plantation of trees and the cleanliness of the nearby Govt. Hospitals. All the interested students must participate in this program. Students who are participating in this program must enroll their names to their respective class teachers before 29 April 2022.
XYZ
Secretary
NCC Unit
Q2. Write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.
Answer: Study Of three languages at school
Students learning new languages at an early age helps to build up a more cosmopolitan view. The student will show more interest in new languages and shows more concentration in them. In most the states in India, Students have to read three languages at school. First Language is the mother tongue “Telugu”, Second Language is “Hindi”, and the Third Language is “English”. The three Language formula helps in the national integration of the culture and traditions, rituals, and social customs of the various parts of the country. The study of three languages at school may be structured suitably after their problems.
The child is more accepting of a new culture, and people and knows about them. The only drawback of this system is that puts an excessive burden on the children. If they live in a country where the language is not spoken frequently and they don’t use what they have learned languages they will forget after some time. No use in learning so many languages if you are not going to use them.
Q3. Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what led you to change your mind.
Answer: As I was in child, I have never liked vegetables, I always skip vegetables in my daily meal. I used to throw them in the dustbin if forced to eat them. But later when I felt sick I started eating vegetables to recover especially leafy vegetables and seasonal vegetables. My decision is completely changed when I saw the effect it had on my body. All the vegetables are good for my health and skin felt better and my face and body were healthier. Now I started eating vegetables happily after knowing the importance of vegetables.
Things To Do
Q1. Find out about the following (You may go to the internet, interview people, consult reference books, or visit a library.)
(a)Linguistic human rights
Answer: Linguistic rights are the human and civil rights concerning the individual and collective right to choose the language or languages for communication in a private or public atmosphere are called Linguistic human rights.
(b)Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India.
Answer: India is a secular and democratic country. A group or collectivities of individuals residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a district language or script of their own.
Q2. Given below is a survey form. Talk to at least five of your classmates and fill in the information you get in the form.
Answer:
| S.No | Languages You Know | Home Language | Neighbourhood Language | City/Town Language | School Language |
| 1 | Telugu, English | Telugu | Telugu | Telugu | English |
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 4 | |||||
| 5 |
Classroom Activity: Do It Yourself