Tatiana Biggemann attends Alliance Francaise de Dunedin
yesterday. Photo by Jane Dawber.
Columba College year 12 pupil Tatiana Biggemann has a bit
of a flair for languages.
The 17-year-old grew up in Bolivia speaking Spanish, before
emigrating to Australia at 7, where she had to learn English.
Five years ago, her family moved to New Zealand, where she
won the Alliance Francaise de Dunedin French-speaking
competition this week.
Tatiana will leave Dunedin tomorrow for two weeks to stay
with a French-speaking family in New Caledonia as her prize.
"I'm stoked. I've always loved French, since I started
learning it at school. I love the sounds of the language and
the food and the culture and just everything about it,
really," she said yesterday.
But if it all goes from tres bien to tres mauvais, she has a
back-up plan. Tatiana is also studying German and Spanish at
school.
Alliance Francaise de Dunedin president David Moir said up to
90 years 9 to 13 pupils entered the New Caledonia
Air-sponsored competition every year.
"We hope it will help Tatiana become more proficient in the
language, living every day in a French-speaking household,
where French is the language of survival."
Anyone with an interest in learning or improving their French
was welcome to visit Alliance Francaise de Dunedin in Bond
St, Mr Moir said.
- nigel.benson@odt.co.nz
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