Lisette Allen is one of the two teachers of the English Skills in
Cultural Communication. However, the majority of Mr. Delbos’s current first
year group claims they have never seen
the professor who made most of us (her year one group) shake and have
night-mares concerning the in-class 5-minute analytic presentations and long
essays. Though a photograph is not
included (find it on the UALK website… if you dare), the following
four-section interview will show you the positive nature of this
teacher.
- Which of the following do you prefer?
Beer, wine of cocktails?
Depends on
the occasion.
Mountains or the beach?
The beach, the beach, the beach – so long as it’s a sunny one.
The beach, the beach, the beach – so long as it’s a sunny one.
Austen or Bronte?
I suppose I should be pedantic and ask ‘which Bronte do you mean?’ but it would be a waste of time as Austen would win anyway.
I suppose I should be pedantic and ask ‘which Bronte do you mean?’ but it would be a waste of time as Austen would win anyway.
Byron or Shelley?
Byron. All that scandal. Where did he find the time to write any poetry?
Byron. All that scandal. Where did he find the time to write any poetry?
Shakespeare or Chaucer? Shakespeare. I
don’t dislike Chaucer though. Is it a shame we don’t know more about
Shakespeare’s life? Probably not – the endless rounds of speculation give
scholars something to do.
Poe or Pope?
Pope. I’m a bit bored by the macabre and have a fondness for dry wit, as anyone who has attended my seminars will be aware.
- What is your opinion on the following matters…
The future of books?
Books are very useful objects. It’s handy to have a
few around to prop up a wobbly table or to serve as intellectual furniture on
your bookshelves once you sell out and start your career at the very bottom of
the corporate ladder. A Kindle just can’t perform those functions. Paper will
win out in the end.
The current situation of Liberal Arts schools and what will become of them?
Hmm, tricky question. I believe that students will
continue to want to study these subjects, but will anyone offer them a job
afterwards? Hopefully the answer is yes. I agree with Martha Nussbaum that what
employers want is to employ the smartest people, regardless of which subject
they studied at university. I also agree with her that Liberal Arts subjects,
if taught properly, aren’t some kind of soft option, but offer a rare
opportunity to hone critical thinking skills while cultivating empathy. Failing
that, at least students will be able to drop a few names from the canon into
everyday conversation…
Virginia Woolf?
I am indeed a Woolf fan. Mrs Dalloway is my favorite
work of hers I think.
- Miscellaneous
Have you read any Czech literature?
I’ve read quite a bit of Czech literature in
translation: Kundera obviously, Klima, Ota Pavel, Hrabal, Petra Hulova… I enjoyed Petra Hulova’s All This Belongs
to Me very much (Paměť mojí babičce ed. note) and I’m also a big
Hrabal fan. My favourite novel of his is I Served the King of England
(of course!).
What do you like and dislike about the Czech country or people?
Likes include living in a city built on a human scale
(versus London which is a sprawling metropolis), the beer (predictably), the
array of quirky cafes to hang out in, the straight talking nature of the
people, the architecture (I never fail to notice some new detail on a building
when riding the tram), the trams, the importance of family here in people’s
lives.
Dislike: shop assistants insisting I always have
exactly the right change, dogs which are not on leads, the straight talking
nature of the people, icy pavements (but the subzero temperatures are okay),
Czech thriftiness when it’s taken too far. In other words, I have only very
minor grumbles.
Do you think that there’s something better here than in England?
As my previous answer suggests, I think there are lots
of things here which are better! Czechs are always surprised when I tell them
this but I think it’s a shame they fail to acknowledge many of the things which
are good about their country, which is sad.
Have you noticed any difference between English and Czech students?
Not so much the students but I think a lot about the
differences between the two university systems. I think, for example, it’s a
real shame that the Faculty of Arts doesn’t have a proper campus as such. I
also find it strange that a student would even attempt to try to do two – or
sometimes even three – full-time courses at different faculties at the same
time. This would never happen in the UK - so perhaps Czech students aren’t so
lazy after all!
How were your teaching years at The Sorbonne?
It was an interesting experience but the level of
motivation of the students varied a lot as English wasn’t their main subject
which made teaching challenging sometimes. I had more fun teaching at the
university and school of architecture in Toulouse: the South of France was a
much more laidback environment than Paris as you can imagine!
- And finally…
What does the “Cantab” after your
name and degree stand for?
M.A is a standard abbreviation meaning Master of Arts.
Graduates from Cambridge University get to add extra letters after their name
to compensate for the additional pain and suffering they’ve undergone, hence
the ‘Cantab’. The same principle applies to Oxford graduates who are ‘Oxon’.
Can we (your beloved students, not the D-group) call you Liz?
No-one actually calls me Liz: it’s Lisette or Ms Allen
only I’m afraid and until students successfully make it into the second year, I
prefer the latter J Unless you’re a blood relative and then you get to
call me Lizzie but I believe it’s unlikely either Jaromir or Tomas are related
to me, however far back we trace back our respective family trees.
Are you planning to grow your hair long (note: Ms Allen has signature short hair)?
I’ve had it long and it tends to go straggly (no idea
how you say that in Czech!) so I’m sticking with the streamlined look for now.
I’m flirting with the idea of going blonde though so watch this space…
Anna Hupcejová
Anna Hupcejová
