PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Chers collègues,
We can hardly believe that the end of summer has come and that September is here. We have enjoyed a very productive and rejuvenating summer. We and several members of the Conseil Exécutif attended the annual Congrès in Milwaukee, where we were inspired by the words of the keynote speaker Azouz Begag, newly appointed minister of Equal Opportunity, and the French Ambassador to the U.S., Jean-David Levitte. It was wonderful to be surrounded by those who share our goals and passions. As we begin the new school year, we are eager to share with you the enthusiasm and sense of collegiality we experienced at the Congrès.
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. To increase the participation of our members at chapter meetings, we are again varying the sites of these meetings and offering Act 48 credits to those who attend. These events will be held at Widener University, Rosemont College, Chestnut Hill, and Immaculata University in hopes of appealing to a broader base of membership.
We look forward to working with all of you and wish you bon courage and a bonne rentrée.
Amitiés,
Kim Marucci, Elaine Danford
Fall events
Saturday, September 30, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Fall meeting at Immaculata University. La situation actuelle en Haïti: Comment l’expliquer aux étudiants. A presentation and discussion in French about culture and politics in Haiti by Rosenie Gabrie, formerly a journalist in Haiti. Rosenie immigrated to U.S. from Haiti in 2004. Act 48 credit will be available. Bring a colleague who is not a member of AATF!
Journée Francophone: This event will take place on Friday, November 3, 2006 at Widener University. The advance rsvp generated an overwhelming interest in this immersion experience for high school students. We will be creating a waiting list for those who would like to be considered for participation after September 22. For information, please contact: Stephanie Schechner at saschechner@mail.widener.edu or 610 499-4346.
Listserv
Our listserv is exclusively for National and Philadelphia Chapter members. We send reminders of meetings and other events, as well as news that has not been included in the most recent newsletter. The complete Listserv Policy is on our site, www.aatfphila.org. The listserv complements the website, and sometimes reinforces it. Members can request that open French positions be posted. 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
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. Five hundred thirty-two 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
Chestnut Hill College received this year’s American Association of Teachers of French “Friend of French” award at the Distribution des Prix, one of the many French events hosted by this excellent academic institution.
For many years, Chestnut Hill College has demonstrated enthusiastic support of foreign languages by hosting many academic, cultural, and social events and activities sponsored by the Philadelphia chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French.
The administration of the National French Contest has taken place at Chestnut Hill College since 1979. Until the 1990s, one Saturday each March, up to 1200 students would arrive on campus to take the Grand Concours and about 300 winners would come back to Chestnut Hill to receive their awards in May. For the past ten years or so, students have taken the exam in their own schools, but Chestnut Hill College, and more precisely, Sister Mary Helen Kashuba, professor of French and Russian—with the help of Chestnut Hill students and other college services—directs the organization, ordering, counting, and mailing of the exams. Students still come to Chestnut Hill, as you well know, for the Distribution des Prix in May.
Since the 1970s, Chestnut Hill College has often hosted meetings of the American Association of Teachers of French. Over these many years, Sister Mary Helen has served as president of the local chapter, member of the local executive board, and member of the national executive board as Region IV Representative. Also during this period, two regional conferences were held in Philadelphia, with planning meetings taking place at Chestnut Hill. MLAPV, The Modern Language Association of Philadelphia and Vicinity, has regularly held both its executive board and regular meetings on the Chestnut Hill campus. Sister Mary Helen was president, board member and, for about five years, editor of the MLAPV Newsletter. From 2000-2004 Sister was also a member of the Northeast Conference Board of Directors, and from 2004 to the present, she has served as the Northeast Conference Representative to ACTFL, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Chestnut Hill College has consistently supported her, enabling her to participate in and, in many cases, spearhead these significant foreign language activities.
Friend of French 2007
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 2007. Contact Kimberly Riviere for more information or for a nomination form. e-mail skriviere@comcast.net.
Milwaukee, le Congrès National de l’AATF
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 5-8, 2006, we (Kim and Elaine) attended the Congrès Annuel of the American Association of Teachers of French. The theme of the annual meeting was Views on the Francophone World: Cinema and Society. During the four days of the conference we attended business sessions in our role as co-presidents of the Philadelphia chapter of AATF, and other sessions related to our work as teachers of French at the high school level. We spent the morning of July fifth with the national officers and commission chairs, learning about the activities of the various commissions as well as the work of the national officers, especially the executive director, Jayne Abrate. Of special interest to us was the report of the Commission on High Schools: the commission is preparing the criteria for recognition of outstanding departments of French in high schools. The criteria should be available some time in the near future. The Commission on Middle Schools is working to produce several thematic units for use in the classroom and hopes to complete that task during the next year. All commissions are looking for new members to share in the work. See the AATF website, www.Frenchteachers.org, for more information or to join a commission.
By far the most inspiring and enlightening parts of the conference were the opening sessions with an address by Azouz Begag, Ministre délégué de l’égalité des chances (equal opportunity) in France, and the luncheon with Jean-David Levitte, Ambassador of France to the United States of America. Mr. Begag is an amazing speaker and a talented writer, whose autobiographical novel, Le Gone du Chaâba, inspired a movie by the same title. Ambassador Levitte addressed the group and stressed the long history of friendship, even brotherhood, between the United States and France. He also reminded us that even close friends and brothers can disagree without ceasing to be friends or brothers. Wednesday evening, we were privileged to view the film Le Gone du Chaâba and discuss it with Azouz Begag. All of these events made the opening day one to remember and savor.
In her role as a teacher of French, Elaine attended numerous presentations by other teachers at all levels. Among the more interesting were a presentation on Belgium by Carole Bergin of Harvard University , and a presentation on teaching Le Petit Prince by Margaret Schmidt Dess of Shorewood High School in Shorewood, Wisconsin. Ms. Bergin used her native country, Belgium, as a model for the study of other francophone countries, which might include the following topics:
- typical expressions (that might differ from expressions used in France)
- oral presentations by students on the geography, history and culture of the country
- texts to read
- songs to be studied for pronunciation or grammar points
- videos for listening comprehension
- food and other customs
The session accomplished two goals: a model for the study of francophone countries and an introduction to Belgium, the other country of the French language Those of us who love Le Petit Prince are always looking for new ideas to add to our repertoire, and Margaret Schmidt Dess suggested reading and viewing Le Ballon Rouge as an introduction to the world of the imagination, and concluding the study of Le Petit Prince with viewing the film Le Huitième Jour, in which the life of very busy businessman is transformed by his encounter with a young man with Down’s syndrome. She demonstrated many similarities between the film and Le Petit Prince. I was deeply moved by the excerpts of the film and inspired to refine my lessons for teaching the book.
As a teacher of French, Kim is always looking for new methods and materials to use when incorporating the study of art and music in her classes. She attended two wonderful sessions entitled Utilisation de l’art pour enseigner le français and “Discovering the Diversity of the Francophone World Through Music.” The session on art was presented by Abbe Guillet of C.W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, NY, whom many of us remember for the two excellent presentations she has given to our chapter. Ms. Guillet shared a variety of activities, techniques, and resources that she uses to inspire and motivate her students. Ms. Guillet provided a template for her lessons and encouraged us to use them to create our own lessons and activities for paintings and artistic movements which might be of interest to us and our students.
Molly Krueger Enz of Augsburg College and Jennifer Watland of the University of Wisconsin-Madison presented an informative session on francophone music. Ms. Enz and Ms. Watland not only introduced us to songs from around the francophone world by artists such as Zazie, Lynda Lemay, and Amadou & Mariam, but also provided us with detailed listening activities to implement with each song and an extensive list of other francophone artists whose songs could also be used in the classroom in much the same way.
Several other members of our chapter also attended the Congrès National and presented sessions on the following topics.
Joanne S. Silver and Barbara P. Barnett presented a sixty-minute publisher's session entitled La France dans la Seconde Guerre mondiale: Histoire et Mémoires. The presenters discussed materials produced and/or distributed by Beach Lloyd Publishers, LLC, including: new 2006 books summarizing WWII main events; a unique script/activity book for Au Revoir les Enfants; testimonies from a Holocaust survivor from Paris and a Hidden Child in Southern France; male and female leaders of the Résistance; and the recent classroom editions of the memoirs of a young Frenchman who lived through the War in Normandy. The session suggested films to create the appropriate historical background for a unit on France under the German Occupation. Video clips of an award-winning documentary were shown. Most materials are in French, with several available in English editions as well. A plan for creating a manageable unit on France under the German Occupation was suggested, and teachers were invited to pick up a complimentary Teacher Resource packet at the exhibit booth. The session was well-attended by enthusiastic teachers, many of whom then purchased one of everything!
Sister Mary Helen Kashuba presented “Shattering Stereotypes—Le Tiers Etat in Seventeenth-century France.”
Marilyn J. Conwell presented “Give Your Students the Opportunity to Earn an Official French Diploma with the New DELF/DALF Examinations.”
*****
TALK AND BOOK-SIGNING
Wednesday, November 8, 2006, 7 p.m.
Rosemont College, 1400 Montgomery Ave., Main Building
What better way to celebrate La Semaine du français than becoming acquainted with the rich French heritage in our region? You are invited to a talk and book signing by co-author Lynn H. Miller, who has truly developed his expertise on this subject. Below is the back cover copy of this travel/history/guide book consisting of 59 color photographs and illustrations, Philadelphia neighborhood maps, listings of Philadelphia’s French-American organizations, references and extensive index.
FRENCH PHILADELPHIA
The French Cultural & Historical Presence in the Delaware Valley
Lynn H. Miller & Annette H. Emgarth
*****
Photography by Emmanuel Pierre Gee
Published for the Alliance Française de Philadelphie by Beach Lloyd Publishers. |
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Many will be delighted with this colorful guide to the French presence in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, both yesterday and today. Visitors and resides alike will learn much about the culture and history of the region relating to momentous events and prominent French individuals. The French presence in Philadelphia has contributed treasures and beauty to the cityscape, furnishing tangible evidence of the historical and philosophical ties between France and the United States - ties that date from the birth of our nation and continue to the present day.
Lynn H. Miller is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Temple University, author or co-author of several books on international politics, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance Française de Philadelphie.
The late Annette H. Emgarth, who for many years led fascinated tourists through Philadelphia, was honored by the French Government with the Palmes AcadEacute;miques and Officier d'Instruction Publique awards.
After the talk, attendies will have the opportunity to buy the book ($18.95), and have Mr. Miller inscribe and sign copies.
*****
ROSEMONT COLLEGE NAMED EAST COAST CENTER FOR
THE CENTRE INTERNATIONAL D'ETUDES PÉDAGOGIQUES
DELF-DALF FRENCH PROFICIENCY EXAN
Rosemont, PA - Marilyn J. Conwell, Ph.D., Professor of modern languages and chair of the Foreign Languages Division for Rosemont's Undergraduate Women's College is pleased to announce that the French Government CIEP (Centre International D'Etudes Pédagogiques) has designated Rosemont College as the first East Coast center for the new DELF/DALF French language proficiency examinations. Rosemont is one of 3 testing centers in the United states to offer exams for these diplomas. Each exam evaluates the skills of oral and written comprehension and expression.
"I have worked very closely with the French Ministry of Education to make Rosemont the site for the Delf-Dalf exam," said Conwell. "This is a wonderful honor for Rosemont and is a unique opportunity to expand the foreign language capabilities of the school as well as the French speaking community."
The DELF/DALF is the official French proficiency exam offered by the French Ministry of Education and is the French equivalent of the English proficiency test TOEFL. Certification consists of multiple test sessions and rather than a score, DELF, DALF candidates work to obtain one of three certificates: DELF Level 1, DELF Level 2, and DALF. These certificates are further broken down into independent units. Once a candidate has passed each of that certificate's units, they will receive a certificate and can then work on units for the next certificate. Thus there is no score; the French speaker's level is identified by the highest certificate obtained by the speaker.
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Founded in 1921 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Rosemont College is an independent liberal arts institution in the Catholic tradition located on the Main Line, 11 miles west of Philadelphia, on the border of Montgomery and Delaware Countes. The nationally-acclaimed, traditional Undergraduate Women's College confers B.A., B.S. and B.F.A. degrees in twenty-three majors. Rosemont College also includes the Schools of Graduate and Continuing Studies, which are open to both Women and men. For more information, visit www.rosemont.edu.
TEACH EUROPE - SEPTEMBER 30, 2006
At the Goethe-Institut in Washington, DC
8:30AM-3:30PM
EUROPEAN LANGUAGE POLICY: the “European Common Framework for Languages: Learning,
Teaching, Assessment”
This seminar will be conducted by Daniel Coste, a professor Emeritus of Language and Linguistics at the École normale supérieure de Lyon, in charge from 1998 to 2003 of the research team on “Plurilingualism and the Learning Process,” and Co-President of the Foreign Language Project for the Council of Europe (1994-1997).
Jacqueline Van Houten is currently the World Language and International Consultant in the Kentucky Department of Education and the President of the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages. She will present similarities and differences between the European and US Foreign Language Policies.
Certificate of attendance will allow participants to earn Professional Learning Credits.
Registration is $25 and includes lunch and materials.
For further information, visit the website www.teacheurope.org or email Carmen Velasco of the Spanish Embassy at carmen.velascom@mec.es. |
Calendar of Events
Saturday, September 30 9:30 to 11a.m.
Fall meeting at Immaculata University. La situation actuelle en Haïti: Comment l’expliquer aux étudiants. A presentation and discussion in French about culture and politics in Haiti by Rosenie Gabrie, formerly a journalist in Haiti. Rosenie immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti in 2004. Act 48 credit will be available.
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Saturday, October 14
MLAPV at Rosemont College
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Friday and Saturday, October 20-21
PSMLA in Erie, PA.
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Thursday, October 26 3:30-6:30
MCATFL (Montgomery County Association of Teachers of Foreign Language) is sponsoring a program called "ISLAM IN EUROPE". Three profs from McDaniel College in MD will speak about Islam in France, Spain and Germany. It will be at Germantown Academy. ACT 48 credits available.
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November 2-8
National French Week.
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Friday, November 3
La Journée Francophone at Widener University. An immersion day for high school students.
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Wednesday, November 8 7p.m.
Rosemont College, Main Building. Lecture and book-signing by Lynn Miller, who, with Annette Emgarth, is author of the new book French Philadelphia: The French Cultural & Historical Presence in the Delaware Valley.
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November 16-19
ACTFL in Nashville, TN.
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Saturday, January 27 10 a.m.
Winter meeting at Chestnut Hill College. Janel Lafond-Paquin will present strategies and materials for teaching Le Petit Prince. ACT 48 credits available.
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Saturday, February 3
Snow date for winter meeting
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April 12-14
NECTFL in New York City.
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July 12-15
AATF Congrés Annuel in Baton Rouge.
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ESSAY CONTEST: 2006
Topic: La Musique francophone: Tout un monde à découvrir/Francophone Music: A Whole World to Discover
Eligibility: Original work by individual students of AATF members (no group work accepted)
Deadline: Postmarked October 5, 2006. 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 2007 at Chestnut Hill College.
Please mail essays along with signed cover sheet by October 5, 2006, 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: 2006
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. | |
