PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Chers collègues,
September is here. We have enjoyed a very productive and rejuvenating summer. Kim and other members of the Conseil exécutif attended the annual Congrès in Baton Rouge. It was wonderful to be surrounded by those who share our goals and passions. Elaine spent three weeks in France with 10 of her students, who studied at Azur Lingua in Nice. As we begin the new school year and reunite with our colleagues in the Philadelphia area, we are eager to share with you the enthusiasm and inspiration gained through our summer experiences.
We and the members of the Conseil exécutif have been busy preparing a program of events that we hope will enrich you professionally and personally. To increase the participation of our members at chapter events, we are varying the programs to appeal to different interests and needs of our members. For National French Week, November 5-11, we have scheduled two new events: a concert by an opera student at Widener University and a tasting of French wines at Restaurant Taquet in Wayne.
We look forward to working with all of you and wish you bon courage and a bonne année scolaire.
Amitiés,
Kim Marucci
Elaine Danford
Listserv
Our listserv is exclusively for members of both National and Philadelphia Chapter AATF. 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
Fall events
Wednesday, October 3, 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.
The Montgomery County Association of Teachers of Foreign languages invites you to its fall conference: The Language Classroom: How foreign is it?
Germantown Academy, Middle School Commons
340 Morris Road, Fort Washington, PA 19034
October 4, 2007 – January 6, 2008
RENOIR, Landscapes exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Interested educators can visit the museum website for pertinent information. This will be the only U.S. showing of this exhibit.
Friday, October 5
Salon Champagne with Caroline Weber, prize-winning author of Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette wore to the Revolution.
The Acorn Club, 1519 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
For more information and images:
http://app.e2ma.net
Friday and Saturday, October 19-20
Communities: The Languages Around Us
PSMLA, Crowne Plaza Valley Forge
260 Mall Blvd, King of Prussia, PA
Deadline for Registration: September 21
For further information: www.psmla.org
— Joanne Silver, Secretary-Treasurer AATF Philadelphia
National French Week, November 5-11
Dear Colleagues,
Tuesday, November 6, 7 p.m. at Widener University: Recital of French and Italian opera pieces followed by an informal reception. Free and open to the public. Directions at www.widener.edu to Kapelski Learning Center Lecture Hall 2 (music studio), on the corner of 14th and Walnut Streets. Entrance to the concert is on 14th Street.
Thursday, November 8, 5-6:30 p.m. at Restaurant Taquet in the Wayne Hotel:
Celebrate National French Week with family, friends and French teacher colleagues! We will taste five French wines from a variety of regions of France, including Alsace, Bergerac, Rhone Valley and Bordeaux, while listening to a lecture by a French sommelier. Please mail a check in the amount of $25 (AATF members) or $30 (non-members) made out to the "AATF" to:
Barbara P. Barnett
The Agnes Irwin School
Ithan Avenue
Rosemont, PA 19010
Cost includes wine, lecture, hors d’œuvres, tax and gratuity. Limited to 40 people!
Restaurant Taquet in the Wayne Hotel is at 139 E. Lancaster Avenue,
Wayne, PA (610-687-5005). Attendees who wish to have dinner at Restaurant
Taquet after the Dégustation de Vin should call for reservations, as this is
not officially part of the AATF event.
Philadelphie à la française
Tentative book-signing. Place, date and time to be announced. Please check our website at www.aatfphila.org.
Message from Alice K. CATALDI
Représentante de la Région IV de l’AATF
Pourquoi assister à un congrès de l’AATF?
Les pieds dans l’eau, face à l ‘horizon qui disparaît au loin, je me demande pourquoi ai-je quitté ce paradis pour m’enfermer dans un hôtel pendant huit jours à discuter, défendre, présenter, me coucher tard et me lever à l’aube ! Et bien croyez-moi que malgré tous les contretemps, ça valait vraiment la peine!
D’abord, j’arrive à Bâton Rouge sans ma valise. Atlanta, au départ, ainsi qu’au retour, est un aéroport que je tacherai d’éviter à tout prix dans l’avenir ! Heureusement que j’avais emporté mes homards et mes écrevisses – pour ma présentation – dans mon petit sac. Quel cauchemar ! Arrivée à l’hôtel, je me procure une brosse à dents et du dentifrice tout en me demandant ce que je me mettrai sur le dos le lendemain ! Heureusement, la vue de mes collègues me fait oublier mes soucis de chiffons pour l’instant car nous avons tant de choses à nous dire…
Les discussions du Conseil d’administration durent deux longues journées. Les échanges d’idées sont passionnantes, n’empêche que j’ai des fourmis dans les jambes à force de rester collée à ma chaise pendant des heures. Pour quelqu’un comme moi qui bouge tout le temps, c’est le purgatoire, sinon l’enfer.
Ce soir, les inscriptions commencent et les participants arrivent petit à petit. On nous demande de les accueillir. Nous sommes heureux de voir les gens arriver, et nous espérons revoir d’anciens amis et d’en rencontrer de nouveaux. À un moment donné, je me retrouve seule et je vois avancer vers moi une vision, oui une vision que j’avais imaginée en lisant un des livres choisis pour le “Reading Club” du congrès de Bâton Rouge. Impossible de décrire la créature qui s’avance vers moi. Je suis envoutée par le charme de ce sourire qui me semble familier pourtant je n’ai jamais rencontré cette femme. Enfin, elle me tend la main et se présente pendant que je fouille au fin fonds de ma mémoire pour me rappeler son nom : Lili Maxime ! Oui, en effet, je la connais bien sans l’avoir jamais rencontrée. C’est l’écrivaine de Ouragan sur le Bayou que je venais de lire et qui m’avait transportée dans un monde cadjin qui me semblait chaud, exotique et chaleureux. Je ne pouvais pas m’arrêter de faire les éloges de ce livre qui permet au lecteur de pénétrer dans un monde cadjin si accueillant. Et bien, le deuxième roman de la trilogie, La Sang-Mêlé du Bayou nous donne en plus une entrée dans le monde des Amérindiens du Québec. J’ai hâte de lire le troisième roman. Si vous voulez en savoir d’avantage, consultez lili@lilimaxime.com. Le lendemain, quel plaisir d’entendre Lili parler de son travail, de sa vie et de ses passions ! Le soir même, elle ressucite de nouveau le monde cadjin et québecois en chansons.
Au déjeuner, c’est Amanda LaFleur, l’auteur de Tonnerre de Chiens, qui s’installe à notre table. J’ai la chance de la rencontrer plusieurs fois au cours du congrès. A chaque fois, je me rends compte que je suis bien chanceuse de côtoyer ces personnalités qui partagent leurs connaissances de l’héritage cadjin avec nous. Professeur Barry Ancelet, à son tour, partage ses connaissances de la langue cadjine avec l’assemblée.
Évidemment, ce sont les rencontres qui comptent le plus ! Je suis ravie de revoir Viviane Lévy et Kim Marucci, les co-présidentes des chapitres du New Jersey et de Philadelphie. Je suis également enchantée de rencontrer pour la première fois la co-présidente du chapitre de Virginie, Amy DeGraff et de pouvoir déjeuner avec ma chère collègue de l’Université du Delaware, Donna Coulet Du Gard. Imaginez ma grande surprise quand j’entends mon ancienne étudiante Tanya dire mon nom. Quelle joie de la voir embarquée dans la bonne voie ! J’entends dire qu’elle fait un si bon travail en tant que prof de français qu’on aimerait bien la cloner ! C’est Tanya ainsi qu’un autre jeune prof, Nathan Raley que je viens de rencontrer qui m’encouragent à continuer mon travail pour la promotion du français. Merci à Tanya et Nathan ainsi qu’aux autres jeunes profs.
Je cours à droite et à gauche pour ne pas râter telle ou autre sesssion qui m’intéresse. Je réussis tout de m&ecedil;me à passer un peu de temps dans la salle des exposants. Imaginez-vous que c’est le seul congrès où l’on peut trouver “tout” en français et où l’on peut parler français constamment ! Le stand de l’AATF offre des livres, des posters et l’occasion de se faire une photo avec un membre du Conseil d’administration. Juste en face, l’Ambassade de France est bien présente puisque Catherine Pétillon de Washington et Adam Steg de Louisiane sont là pour offrir leur aide.
À l ‘autre bout, il y a une petite foule qui entoure le stand de Beach Lloyd Publishers. J’avais assisté à la session de Joanne Silver et de Barbara Barnett sur l’emploi d’histoires sur la Shoah dans l énseignement du français. J’ai appris par la suite, que les participants de cette session avaient acheté tous les exemplaires de plusieurs des livres ! Puisque j’avais déjà acheté plusieurs livres sur la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, je me suis dirigée vers le stand du Centenary College of Louisiana pour acheter des romans et des collections de légendes sur la Louisiane. Quel régal !
Grâce aux rencontres d’anciens et de nouveaux collègues, je me sens prête à affronter tous les obstacles, mais c’est aussi le projet publicitaire entrepris par l’AATF et l’Ambassade de France qui me rassure que l’avenir est aussi lumineux que l’horizon qui s’étale devant moi. Le projet est une aubaine qui mérite toute une rubrique à part…
En attendant, je vous prie de faire tout effort pour assister au congrès de l’AATF à Liège. Les Liégeois sont en train de “s’habiller le cœur” pour nous recevoir.
L’Ordre des Palmes académiques
Barbara P. Barnett, Teacher of French and Head of Modern Languages at the Agnes
Irwin School, was decorated Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes académiques on May
18 by former Honorary French Consul of Philadelphia Mme Danièle Thomas-Easton
(Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur). Michael Scullin, Esq., current Honorary
French Consul of Philadelphia, read a message from the Ambassador of France to
the United States, Jean-David Levitte. Ambassador Levitte had planned to confer
the award himself, but was called to Paris by newly elected President Sarkozy,
to serve as his diplomatic advisor.
Message of Ambassador Levitte
While serving French-American friendship [...], Mrs. Barnett greatly contributed
to the diffusion of the French language in the Philadelphia area. Her pedagogic
abilities, her energy and her devotion are recognized by all her peers, and she
is highly regarded within the community of French teachers. Since 1972, Mrs.
Barnett [...] gave numerous generations of students the chance to open their
mind to the realities of this world and to share the best of French culture.
In addition, I would like to praise the incredible work Mrs. Barnett has done on
the Holocaust. Thanks to interviews she conducted with survivors of the
Holocaust and members of the Resistance, she was able to produce several
documentaries on this important moment in history. Thank you, dear Barbara, for
having participated in this effort of collective memory. You have shown how much
language education is intertwined with defending the values of humanism that are
at the foundation of both our nations.
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!
Friend of French Award
Widener University recieved this year’s American Association of Teachers of French “Friend of French” award at the Distribution des Prix. The University, with the co-ordination of Stephanie Schechner, hosted the Journée francophone during National French Week 2006. The campus provided a perfect setting for students and teachers and supported the event financially as well. University president James Harris welcomed students and teachers to the campus and recognized the importance of studying French in this age of globalization. He also encouraged students to study abroad and to learn other languages. Widener has long been a supporter of our AATF chapter and host for numerous local events.
Friend of French 2008
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.
AATF Dues
For 2008 AATF national membership dues will be $55 for regular members and local dues will be $7. Membership renewal invoices and national election ballots will be mailed in September. Remember, membership is from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 of each year.
Teacher Tips
The book Philadelphia à la française can now be ordered, and suggested field trip itineraries will soon be available. For more information, visit http://www.beachlloyd.com.
Suzanne Stadnicki, one of the recipients of an AATF scholarship in Montreal suggests using the song Dégénération by a popular Québécois group Mes Aïeux. This song is said to be a quick history of Québécois society in three and a half minutes, and can be used as a means of explaining the Quiet Revolution in Québec. From the song title, one can see the play on words about the changes that have occurred in Québécois society over the last few generations. The lyrics are available on the internet.
Emily Wagner suggests French Word-A-Day. It is free to sign up and really fun to read. It is written by a woman born and raised in Louisiana who married a Frenchman; they have just moved after many years to a new region, where they are fixing up a run-down home. She is very clever...if you go to the HTML version, you can hear the word spoken too, which is an added bonus! French Word-A-Day [mailto:kristin-espinasse@wanadoo.fr].
More useful websites
www.couleurfrance.net, la web radio des francais de l'etranger.
www.rfi.fr, fait du jour for listening comprehension
www.tv5.org, enseigner-apprendre-francais
www.bonjourdefrance.com, un cyber magazine pour apprendre le français
www.peinturefle.free.fr, apprendre le français en peinture
www.usinaquiz.free.fr, fabriquer des activités pédagogiques sur Internet
www.jeudeloie.free.fr, apprendre le français en s’amusant
www.lexiquefle.free.fr, des fiches de vocabulaire en flash
www.phonetique.free.fr, phonétique pour pratiquer le français
www.polarfle.com, apprendre le français avec l’inspecteur Roger Duflair
www.afphila.com, the Alliance Française de Philadelphie
www.philadelphieaccueil.com, Philadelphie Accueil
www.ambafrance-us.org, French Embassy (free subscribiption to News from France)
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Calendar of Events
Friday, October 19, 2007 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
3 NJ or PA Act 48 hours
Renoir Landscapes
Paid reservations required
Members $36
Non-members $45
Limit: 80 teachers
Pierre-Auguste Renoir is most often associated with figure painting, but was also an accomplished painter of landscapes. This special evening will introduce you to the Museum’s exhibition Renoir Landscapes, exploring the inventiveness and importance of landscapes during the first thirty years of the French Impressionist’s career. Following an introductory lecture, tour the exhibition at your leisure with an audio guide. Attending teachers each receive a copy of the Renoir Landscapes preparatory materials, filled with images, information, and curricular connections.
To register, please contact the museum's ticket center at (215)235-7469.
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Wednesday, October 3, 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.
The Montgomery County Association of Teachers of Foreign languages invites you to its fall conference: The Language Classroom: How foreign is it? Germantown Academy, Middle School Commons, 340 Morris Road, Fort Washington, PA 19034
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Thursday, October 4, 2007 – January 6, 2008
RENOIR, Landscapes exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Interested educators can visit the museum website for pertinent information. This will be the only U.S. showing of this exhibit.
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Friday, October 5
Salon Champagne with Caroline Weber, prize-winning author of Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette wore to the Revolution. The Acorn Club, 1519 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
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Friday and Saturday, October 19-20
Communities: The Languages Around Us, PSMLA, Crowne Plaza Valley Forge, 260 Mall Blvd, King of Prussia, PA. Deadline for Registration: September 21.
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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 5-11
National French Week.
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Tuesday, November 6
Concert at Widener University
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Thursday, November 8
Celebrate National French Week with family, friends and French teacher colleagues! We will taste five French wines from a variety of regions of France, including Alsace, Bergerac, Rhone Valley and Bordeaux while listening to a lecture by a French sommelier.
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November 16-18
ACTFL in San Antonio, TX.
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Saturday, January 26, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Winter meeting at Rosemont College. L’architecture du désastre de la fracture sociale. Nancy Mellerski and Michael Kline from Dickinson College.
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Saturday, February 2
Snow date for winter meeting.
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Tuesday, March 4; Wednesday, March 5; Thursday March 6, 2008:
The Grand Concours dates for the Philadelphia chapter.
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March 27-29
NECTFL in New York City.
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July 16-19
AATF Congrès annuel in Liège, Belgium. |
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