6. The internationally popular music genre jazz originated from African-American communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Its musical style is difficult to define, but it regularly encompasses improvisation and is characterised by group creativity, interaction, and
collaboration. If you’re learning an instrument like the saxophone or piano, you can specialise and take jazz exams in the UK (rather than classical music exams), and there are many jazz bands you can join.
7. The headquarters of the French Academy (Académie française) is in Paris, the capital of France. It is the national authority on the French language: its usage, vocabulary and grammar. However, it can only recommend – it has no legislative powers. The Academy has frequently been criticised for acting in an excessively conservative manner. With the increasing use of English in the French media and in technological words, the Academy has tried to prevent the “anglicisation” of the French language. It has recommended that expressions from English such as email and software be replaced with words derived from French. Does the practice of importing non-native words without translation damage the language and the culture? If the population is using a non-native word, then it surely becomes part of that language. On the other hand, it is understandable that people feel protective of their language because it expresses their identity. English has certainly taken words from different languages to build its vocabulary. One study suggests that nearly 30% of English words may have a French origin. Examples include: café, courgette, menu, lamp, exercise, mention, and attitude.
