Uncovering the Story of DuSable: A Chicago Visionary Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable (c. 1745-1818) is regarded as the first permanent non-native settler of what would later become Chicago, Illinois. Recognized as the city’s founder, the site where he settled near the mouth of the Chicago River around the 1780s is memorialized as a National Historic Landmark, now located in Pioneer Court. DuSable was born to a French father and a Black African slave mother in Saint Domingue (present day Haïti).
Get to know the materials presented by the French Heritage Corridor to help your students explore “Le français chez nous”! FHC raises awareness about the Midwest's rich French history and cultural heritage from the 1600s on. Investigate with your students the legacy of Marquette, LaSalle, the voyageurs, les habitants, DuSable, and more with FHC's teaching materials. Ready-made activities in French, online and on paper, introduce the region’s French history: they’re Standards-aligned and fun! Venez explorer!
When your target audience inhabits a country of English Only laws, your educational institution is located in a monocultural area whose students have never ventured beyond their home state, locating French culture through food labs might help transcend these pedagogical challenges. This interactive presentation offers educators a cost and time-effective method for formalizing something many of us already do in the classroom, eat culture, affording it the same prominence as all other regular learning activities.
Dans un contexte de mutation profonde de l'enseignement des langues étrangères aux États-Unis, caractérisé notamment par une diminution des effectifs, les départements de langues sont amenés à repenser leurs offres pédagogiques. Notre département a entrepris une initiative novatrice en développant deux cours distincts : Heritage French : Developing Foundational Skills et French for Global Studies and Economics. Cette communication propose une analyse critique du processus d'élaboration, de mise en œuvre et d'évaluation de ces programmes de niveau intermédiaire, chacun répondant à des objectifs pédagogiques spécifiques.
Venez nombreux pour une aventure avec la première girafe à Paris. Vous recevez une histoire unique à partager avec vos élèves, une leçon multidisciplinaire, et des idées pour collaborer avec les zoos et/ou les musées pour des excursions supplémentaires. Cette présentation montre l’amitié entre pays francophones et la générosité des personnes.
Our session will focus on how to energize your program by creating interdisciplinary learning experiences with colleagues across the curriculum. Bonnie will highlight successful projects with Agriculture, Art, and World History. Mary will share her experiences with Culinary and Art. Attendees will leave with concrete examples of finished products as well as how to get started in their own learning communities.
Teachers will work on mindfulness strategies that they can use for themselves and their students. This interactive workshop will allow teachers to deepen their own skills, take some time for self-care, and share those techniques with students in the target language. Learning how to be in the present moment helps to create a greater sense of community in the classroom and help teachers and students navigate the ever-changing world. This is an "active" workshop, so attendees will experience first-hand what they can do and how the different activities feel. While the workshop will be taught in English, links and examples will be provided in French so teachers can provide these skills to their students while adapting to each proficiency level.
This session is for World Language teachers who want to begin a Free Volunteer Reading Program in class, but are not sure where to begin. Get resources for planning, student-based activities, and recommendations for organization of your library.
This session features a French Studies program at a small liberal arts university which, counter to national trends, has seen an increase in enrollments. The program’s new curriculum now focuses on the development of students’ intercultural competence and sense of legitimate speakership in French. We will first describe the program’s new capstone course and interdisciplinary project. A recent graduate will then present her capstone project: a translation of a previously untranslated text by Marie Curie.
How are French teachers like you collaborating with our Alliance Française partners? We’ll share their personal stories and offer examples that show teachers, students, and French programs benefitting from a relationship with an AF chapter. This session offers the opportunity to see “close up” how you and your students can connect with the Alliance Française network, both locally and nationally.
Although Huguenots and their descendants are a minority in France, their history symbolizes resistance and freedom of conscience—values central to French identity. Yet, American students rarely encounter their story in French studies. This presentation demonstrates how historical novels can introduce students to this cultural heritage. It explores these texts as “lieux de mémoire” and provides classroom activities to engage with their themes.
Being understood is a primary goal of language learners. However, their various backgrounds may influence their pronunciation. What if language teachers could invest in their students' musical backgrounds to help them improve their French pronunciation? Is it more important for language teachers to focus on achieving native-like pronunciation, or is intelligibility of pronunciation more beneficial for building communicative competence? What other components besides a musical background contribute to the development of their language skills?
Following up on our session in San Diego, we will provide our session participants with more ways to plant culture throughout their teaching, rather than teaching culture as a separate entity. The session will give participants an opportunity to share ideas and bring new strategies to plant seeds of culture with any level of students.
Join us for our dinner groups, Dîner en ville avec des ami.e.s. Be escorted to a restaurant by a local chapter member. Each person will pay for his/her/their own meal, but will eat in the company of other AATF members. It's a great way to make new friends and experience favorite local restaurants!
