PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Chers collègues,
August is drawing to a close and September is drawing nearer; and we are beginning to think about the school year and its many responsibilities and pleasures. We, your newly elected co-presidents, hope that you are also anticipating a successful and rewarding année scolaire. As we have reflected on the future of our chapter of the AATF, we have identified two major goals for our tenure as your presidents: (1) to increase the participation of our members at chapter meetings by varying the sites of these meetings and (2) to offer members more opportunities for involvement in chapter projects.
We and the members of the Conseil Exécutif have been busy preparing a program of events that we hope will enrich you and your teaching. These events will be held in various locations throughout the Philadelphia area (Widener University, Rosemont College, Chestnut Hill, and Immaculata University) in hopes of appealing to a broader base of membership.
Two new local committees are being formed: Advocacy, to be chaired by Marilyn Conwell; and Mentoring, to be chaired by Susan Zeager. The Advocacy Committee will be involved in promoting the study of French and informing the public of its value. The Mentoring Committee will work to support teachers who are new to the profession or those who seek new ideas. You are invited to become a member of either of these committees by contacting Susan at szeager@wsd.k12.pa.us or Marilyn at conwell@rosemont.edu. Please check the AATF website www.frenchteachers.org for more information about advocacy and mentoring.
We look forward to working with all of you and wish you bon courage and a bonne rentrée.
Amitiés,
Kim Marucci, Elaine Danford
Le Grand Concours
Have you been a supporter of the National French Contest for many years? Or have you abandoned it for one reason or another? Or have you never heard of the Grand Concours? Are you a French teacher K-12? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, this article is for you. Read on…
Over 100,000 American students in the US and abroad take this test. About 10,000 are national winners, and some 30,000 more receive honors in their local chapters. The Philadelphia Chapter has 3,000 participants, and about 50% have received honors. The National French Contest helps to prepare students for the AP, for college placement exams, and for DELF/DALF. Did you know that:
- The French Contest is reworked every year, to make it compatible with current pedagogy. Grammar items now appear in context, not in isolated sentences. The oral comprehension uses short exchanges, with age-appropriate voices. Culture is imbedded in context, not in random questions.
- The French Contest is not an elitist activity. Every student can receive an honor. There is now a new certificate, le certificat de réussite, for students in the top 50th percentiles. You do not need to drill your students after school; your class instruction is sufficient. All students of French are eligible, although AATF members have several advantages. The Concours provides for all levels and schedules.
- The Contest helps to publicize success in French, thus contributing to higher enrollments.
Would you like more information?
- Call Sister Mary Helen Kashuba, Local Administrator, at 215-248-7124, or e-mail kashubam@chc.edu.
- Consult the AATF website: www.frenchteachers.org/concours or www.aatfphila.org for more information
- Talk to any of the AATF Executive Board Members, or to a colleague who has participated in Le Grand Concours. We hope to hear from you soon!
Sr. Mary Helen Kashuba received a Certificat de Mérite from the National Committee of Le Grand Concours. This award was presented to contest administrators “who go above and beyond the call of duty in service to their chapter.” Under Sr. Mary Helen’s guidance our chapter enrolled 3,088 students, an increase of 2.36% from 2004 enrollment. 532 students in our chapter earned national medals.
On behalf of the chapter we wish to express our gratitude for her work and our congratulations on this national recognition.
FRIEND OF FRENCH AWARD
Murray Savar is the 2005 recipient of the "Friend of French Award" given
annually by the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Association of Teachersof French. A teacher of Music at the Agnes Irwin School for twenty-eight years and chair of the music department, he teaches French songs to students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Lower School students sing Sur le Pont d¹Avignon, Frere Jacques, and Entendez-vous les carillons? He coached Middle Schoolers as they learned to sing songs by Jacques Brel and TheBeatles, and he directed their French musical performances of Cendrillon andOz, le Magnifique.
As part of National French Week 2004, students- under his
tutelage- sang a variety of arias from the opera "Carmen" and the Bel Cantos
singing group performed "Je ne regrette rien" by Edith Piaf. In all three
divisions, the study of the French language is encouraged and reinforced by
this talented musician.
Murray has, in fact, done a wonderful job with World Languages in the Agnes Irwin Lower School as well as French and Spanish in Middle and Upper
Schools. In addition, his excellent work with the Bel Cantos and the 5th
graders on the three Carmen assemblies during National French Week in 2004 and his original musical score for the documentary La France Divisée made him a particularly outstanding candidate this year. He was honored by the AATF on Monday, May 16 at Chestnut Hill College at the Awards Ceremony for the National French Contest.
Do you have a colleague, principal or other administrator who is an active supporter of the French program in your school? Do you know of local businessmen or women who support the teaching and learning of French? You may wish to nominate him/her for the Friend of French Award in 2006. Contact Kimberly Riviere for more information or for a nomination form--skriviere@comcast.net.
Listserv
Our chapter listserv sends out reminders and news that have not been included in the most recent newsletter. The listserv complements the website, and sometimes reinforces it. Open French positions can be posted there. If you are not on the listserv and would like to be included, please send a message to josilver@erols.com. And of course, if you would like to be removed or have your e-mail changed, you have that option. Joanne Silver, secretary-treasurer AATF Philadelphia.
AATF Fall Meeting, Sat. October 1
Widener University in Chester, PA
Quick Center, Room 203, 10:00-11:45 a.m.
R.S.V.P. by September 16
Stephanie Schechner E-mail: sas0004@mail.widener.edu
Directions at www.widener.edu
ACT 48 CREDITS
COMMENT ENCOURAGER L’AMITIÉ
FRANCO-AMÉRICAINE?
A lecture (in French) by Villanova University
Professor Jan Rigaud, Ph.D., sponsored by the American
Association of Teachers of French of Philadelphia
Malgré la longue amitié entre la France et les Etats-Unis, la France, plus que n’importe quel autre pays, est mal traitée dans la presse américaine. Sur quoi cette francophobie repose-t-elle? Peut-elle être justifiée, ou au contraire n’est-elle pas le résultat facile de clichés, de stéréotypes, de préjugés ancrés dans une partie de la société américaine ? La mission du professeur de français aux États-Unis n’est plus seulement d’enseigner la langue, la culture et la littérature françaises, mais d’éclairer nos étudiants, de façon à ce que ceux-ci n’entretiennent plus « cette vision systématique distordue et volontairement négative » de la France et des Français.
Jan F. Rigaud, (Ph.d., The University of Michigan) is an Associate Professor of French and French Literature, and serves as Coordinator of the French section. His special interest is in 20th century literature, especially the existentialist movement. He has recently translated into English Correspondence between Albert Camus and Jean Grenier, 1932-1960, a volume that has been nominated for the French-American Foundation award for translation. Other publications have appeared in St. Martin Press and McMillan Presses. Dr. Rigaud teaches course in 20th century literature, French films and literature, the European Union, culture and civilization, and French phonetics. He is presently the program director for the Villanova Summer Program in France.
Québec, le Congrès National de l’AATF
Maria Mele received our chapter’s Professional Development Award, a $200 stipend to be used for attendance at a conference, and wrote this report of her trip to Quebec.
It’s hard to believe I am starting my sixth year of teaching French. Time flies when you’re having fun. This year, in particular, I feel armed and ready to go as the first day of classes quickly approaches. Why you might ask? Well, in June, I had the pleasure of taking my first group of students to France on a wonderful cultural and educational trip to Paris and Normandy. I cannot begin to describe the positive effect this trip has had on my students in raising their awareness of a different culture and in increasing their knowledge and use of the French language. Many students have described it as the best ten days of their entire lives.
In July, I experienced a new set of firsts. On July 6, 2005, I set out on a road trip to Quebec City for the AATF Conference. This was my first trip to Canada as well as my first attendance at an annual convention. I gained the same positive effect in Canada as my students did in France. By visiting and experiencing for yourself various Francophone countries, your ability to teach and learn about them is greatly enhanced. Enthusiasm for the subject matter increases for teacher and student alike with the knowledge that you were actually there.
I was overwhelmingly impressed by the variety of workshops offered at the conference and the know-how demonstrated by my fellow colleagues. I have attended other national language conferences but none that focused exclusively on the French language and French culture.
As the French teacher at my school, I came away with so many ideas that will help me instruct at all levels. While singing and dancing are not my forte, I learned techniques that will help my students acquire French in a fun way as well as introduce them to an important aspect of Francophone culture. Some troublesome areas for students learning French include grammar and grammatical errors, memorization, writing and of course conversing. The workshops introduced me to methods designed to make grammar easier, facilitate error corrections, improve writing skills and get students to talk.
Aside from the wonderful workshops, I was thrilled to be in Quebec City during its Festival d’été. The streets were alive with music and performers of all kinds. I was also fortunate to be able to see the fascinating Claudel and Rodin exhibit at the Quebec Museum of Art. These were cultural experiences I will never forget! I am looking forward to many more AATF conferences in my future.
Maria Mele
Saint Basil Academy
Several other members of our chapter also attended the Congrès National and presented sessions on the following topics.
Sister Mary Helen Kashuba
La Francophonie in an Intermediate French Course Her aim was to familiarize colleagues with selections of Francophone literature and culture that are applicable to intermediate classes, both high school and college. The first example described a project in which students engage after viewing the film, Noël au Québec. (Educational Video Network, www.edvidnet.com 2128D). Students use the vocabulary and concepts they learned to plan a trip themselves (using the future tense), and then write a letter in the passé composé and imparfait to describe the trip to a friend. They use authentic resources available on the website: www.bonjourquebec.com. The second example was a selection from Yves Beauchemin, Une Enfance canadienne. After reading the text and discussing the cultural items it contains, students examine the use of the imparfait and passé composé. They then relate an episode in their own childhood modeled on the passage. The presentation attempted to show an integrated, standards-based approach with pertinent assessments. Both of these units focus on all four skills and most of the Standards through holistic language learning. The use of the future and the past tenses are contextualized through active student participation. Teachers were then encouraged to create applications to the lessons or to propose similar ones.
Joanne S. Silver and Barbara P. Barnett
Sixty Years Later: France and Its Past The focus of the presentation was an overview of “France and the German Occupation Through Film and Literature," in particular the materials published or distributed by Beach Lloyd Publishers. The presenters included clips of the award-winning documentary Visages de la Shoah: Marcel Jabelot and discussed the use of first-person survivor testimony in the French classroom. Attendees received supporting materials and had the opportunity to learn about the following literary works, available in both French and English: Drôle de Mémoires en Normandie (the captivating story of a young Frenchman who experienced D-Day and the landing of the Allies) and its abbreviated classroom version, Ma Normandie : Un jeune homme vit la Deuxième Guerre mondiale;Tu t’appelles Renée (a poignant narrative about "hidden child" Ruth Kapp Hartz and; Visages de la Shoah: Marcel Jabelot (the moving testimony of one French Holocaust survivor). This publisher session received excellent ratings and comments.For additional information, consult www.BEACHLLOYD.com.
Jean Faustman SSJ of Chestnut Hill College and Daniel Noren of Ferris State University.
Childhood as an Approach to Francophone Literature This session included childhood stories from the oral tradition in the Congo and from the French Caribbean, which were rewritten in a Reader’s Theater Format. Participants enjoyed playing the roles of the various characters and each received a CD with vocabulary workups. The session also included a presentation on Camara Laye and L’Enfant noir and Simone Schwarz-Bart and Pluie et vent sur Télumée Miracle. The participants received information on the authors’ biographies, a summary of the literary work, a vocabulary list from the novel, excerpts for use in the classroom, discussion and composition questions, and a list of further resources to aid the instructor. Advantages of using these works in AP high school courses or other advanced high school and university courses were cited. Further materials were distributed on Gabrielle Roy and Patrick Chamoiseau. Participants’ comments were “Fun!”, “Very popular session”, and “Bigger room next time” because attendance happily exceeded expectations.
Stephanie Schechner
Formulating an Individual Professional Development Plan Stephanie revisited the presentation that she gave to our Philadelphia chapter last February at the national convention in Quebec. Her goal was to motivate attendees to keep up all their skills (linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical) as they progress through their careers. Professional development can be especially challenging for us as French teachers since we are often isolated from our peers. The session was well received by the audience members, several of whom had some suggestions for all of us. Stephanie was especially pleased to find Sally Seiloff-Magnan, a nationally known specialist on foreign language pedagogy and one of her professors from graduate school, in attendance!
Eileen Angelini
France and the Holocaust-Forced residence in Occupied France during World War II This program, co-presented with Fernande Wagman, gave the historical perspective of a young French Jewish child in forced residence from 1941-1945 in a village near the Swiss-Italian frontier. It showed the anti-Semitic experiences in the school-system as well as the courage of Christians willing to risk their life to protect the Jews of the village.
What's Hot Off the Press: National Commission on French for Business This sessionc co-presented with William Thompson of the University of Memphis, presented a cédérom of resource materials for the teaching of business French, a project supported by the Commission. Information found on the cédérom included textbooks for classroom use, works on French business culture, dictionaries, audio-visual aids and programs, Web sites, as well as pedagogical aids. Meeting of the AATF Commission on French for Business and International Trade.
Dr. Maria G. Traub
George Sand: Woman, Artist, Mother This session of sixty minutes focused on the artistic production of the writer's career. It pointed to her sources for character and plot development in various works, to the strains on her time and energy that arose from domestic turmoil, and to her role in the development of children's literature. Advantages to using her works in the High School AP courses or other advanced courses in high school and college were also cited. The audience was most appreciative and the evaluations showed 5's (Excellent) for the most part, with two that gave 4's (very Good). In answer to the question: "Would you recommend that this session be repeated at a future conference?", all said yes! |
Calendar of Events
Saturday, Oct. 1 10a.m.to 12 noon
Fall meeting at Widener University, Quick Center, Room 203. Professor Jan Rigaud of Villanova University will speak in French on French-American relations. Please contact Stephanie Schechner at sas0004@mail.widener.edu if you plan to attend. Bring a friend or colleague. Act 48 credit will be available. Directions can be found at www.widener.edu.
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Saturday, October 15
MLAPV at Rosemont College
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Sunday, Oct 16
4:00-5:30 La France Divisee, a documentary by AATF members Barbara P. Barnett and Eileen M. Angelini, will be screened at Beaumont as part of Main Line School Night on Sunday October 16 at 4:00 p.m. The film explores the two sides of France during World War II. Both collaborators and resisters are seen through the eyes of survivors and historians; apologies of the French government and Catholic Church are also included. Barbara P. Barnett, Filmmaker and Head of Modern Languages, will lead a discussion after the screening.
(In French with English sub-titles)
Interested parties should contact Main Line School Night at www.mainlineschoolnight.org.
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October 28 & 29
PSMLA at the Lancaster Host Resort and Converence Center. World Languages: Promoting Peace for the Next Generation. For more information, www.psmla.org or muweb.millersville.edu/~forlang
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November 2-8 National French Week
See www.frenchteachers.org or www.aatfphila.org for ways to celebrate.
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Thursday, November 3 7-9p.m.
AATF and Alliance Française present a lecture and book-signing at the Mansion(Main Building) at Rosemont College (directions on website)
Ruth Kapp Hartz will speak in English about her experiences as a Hidden Child in Vichy France. The brand-new French edition of her story, Tu t'appelles Renée, was written by Stacy Cretzmeyer, translated by Ruth Hartz and published by Beach Lloyd Publishers. Mme Hartz will sign copies of her book after the talk, and the original English version, Your Name is Renée (Oxford University Press), will also be available for purchase. (prices: French version, $16.95, English version; $12.95) Act 48 credit available
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November 17-20
ACTFL in Baltimore
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Saturday, January 28 10-12
Winter meeting at Immaculata University. S. Jean Faustmann will speak on the topic she presented at Quebec, “Childhood as a key to Francophone Literature”.
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Saturday, February 4
Snow date for winter meeting. |
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La Semaine du français - Poster Contest - 2005
Theme: Our Francophone Heritage in the U.S. (Notre patrimoine francophone aux Etats-Unis)
Eligibility: Original work by individual students of AATF members
Deadline: Received by Thursday, October 6, 2005 (no exceptions, please)
Limit: Five entries per school
Guidelines:
- Theme must appear on each entry. No copyrighted figures (Snoopy/Astérix, etc.) will be accepted.
- Student’s name, grade level, level of French, school, school address and phone number, and teacher’s full name and e-mail address must be written on the back of the poster.
- Poster must measure 18" by 24" and have a flat surface with no moving parts. No
3-dimensional posters accepted. No glue is to be used. Tempera paint, India ink, markers, flairs, or crayons may be used. Use white, flexible poster paper.
- Please do not mail entries in a tube. National AATF guidelines require that all entries be mailed flat.
***Any posters not following the specified guidelines will be disqualified from judging.
Unfortunately, there have been disqualifications in the past, so please explain the stated
guidelines to your students.
Divisions:
Elementary: Grades 3-5
Intermediate: Grades 6-8
Secondary: Grades 9-12
College/University
Judging criteria: Visual impact, theme relevance, originality
Awards: A $50.00 award will be given to winners, and Honorable Mention will be awarded when appropriate.
Please mail posters flat to:
Natalie J. Smith
1077 E. Boot Road
West Chester, PA 19380
For additional information:
Telephone: 484-467-7932
E-mail: nsmith@ojrsd.com
***Winning entries become the property of AATF and may be used in AATF publications and
materials.
***Those teachers who would like their students’ posters returned should contact Natalie Smith no later than November 11, 2005.
ESSAY CONTEST: 2005
Topic: Our Francophone Heritage in the United States/ Notre patrimoine francophone aux Etats-Unis
Eligibility: Original work by individual students of AATF members (no group work accepted)
Deadline: Postmarked October 5, 2005. Please e-mail a copy or send a disk in addition to the written work.
Limit: Five entries per school
Details: Essays may be written in French or English. They will be judged separately in each category. Students with two or more years of French are strongly urged to submit their essays in French. Retired teachers of French will judge essays. They will be evaluated globally on theme relevance, content, originality, accuracy, mechanics, and organization. Please submit typed or word-processed materials only, and attach an e-mail copy or send a disk. All submissions become the property of AATF. We will submit winning essays (in English only) to the National Essay Contest of the AATF.
A cover sheet is at the bottom of this page for all submissions. Please do not put the name or school on the copy, or indicate either in the essay. This information is to be noted on the cover sheet only. Students and teachers must both sign that this work is the individual work of the student, without any outside help.
Categories: There will be a separate English and French category for each grade level.
K-2: maximum 50 words
3-5: maximum 150 words
6-8: maximum 250 words
9-12: maximum 350 words
College students: maximum 500 words
Awards: A $50.00 award will be given to the winner in each category. A mention honorable prize will also be awarded where appropriate. The winners will be honored at the Distribution des Prix, May 2006 at Chestnut Hill College.
Please mail essays along with signed cover sheet by October 6, 2004, to:
E-mail a copy of the essay or send a disk/CD.
Sister Mary Helen Kashuba
Chestnut Hill College
9601 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia PA 19118
e-mail: kashubam@chc.edu
For further information, call: 215-248-7124
Cover Sheet: French Essay Contest: 2005
Name: __________________________________ Grade: ___________
School: ____________________________________________________
Address of School: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Telephone of School: ___________________________________________________
Name of Teacher: ____________________________________________________
E-mail and telephone of teacher: ____________________________________________________
I certify that this work is entirely my own, and that I have not received any help from parents, teachers, or others who might give me information about this essay.
(Signature of student) ___________________________________
I certify that this work has been done by the student alone, and that I have not given any help in the writing of this essay.
(Signature of teacher) ___________________________________
Number of words in the essay: ______________________________
Please do not put the student’s name or school on the essay or refer to them in any way. The appropriate information should be on this paper only. | |
