More than 90 French speakers from across Maine filled �鶹APP Augusta campus with lively conversation, laughter, and learning during this year’s French Immersion Weekend.

The annual event, held Oct. 4, brought together students, teachers, and community members of all ages for a full day of speaking, listening and celebrating French language and Francophone cultures around the world. The entire weekend unfolded in French through games, films, conversation circles, and cultural exchanges that made the campus feel like a small corner of the Francophone world.

“My favorite part of the weekend is seeing connections built between participants of different speaking abilities, backgrounds and generations,” said Chelsea Ray, coordinator of the French Immersion Weekend and UMA professor of French. “Our organizing committee, which includes leaders from AATF-Maine and French educators from USM and across Maine, is proud to showcase the diversity of the French language, from Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo to France, Quebec and Maine itself.”

The weekend began Friday night with a Franco-American dinner at Le Club Calumet in Augusta, the largest Franco-American organization in New England. Guests shared stories, music and memories of Maine’s French-speaking heritage. Among them was Blackie Béchard, past president of the club, who reflected on the early days of Le Festival de la Bastille, an event that helped strengthen ties between Maine and Quebec.

Saturday’s sessions included professional development for French teachers, organized in partnership with Villa Albertine, the Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques and the Quebec Government Office in Boston. Educators explored ways to support French heritage programs across Maine communities.

As one of the only French immersion experiences in the country on a university campus that includes middle and high school students, as well as heritage and native speakers and French teachers in the country, �鶹APP event continues to be a celebration of connection, linking language learners with heritage speakers and classrooms with community. 

Hosting the French Immersion Weekend reflects �鶹APP commitment to connection, community, and lifelong learning. By meeting students, educators and heritage speakers where they are, UMA helps keep Maine’s French traditions vibrant while fostering understanding across cultures.

Once there, you can click on the images for their captions.

PARLEZ-VOUS FRANÇAIS? Want to have fun and meet other people trying to improve or retain their French? Join us for full day of immersion on Saturday, October 4th and an optional dinner on Friday, October 3rd at Le Club Calumet.

You need two years of high school or one year of college French, or equivalent, to participate. VENEZ TOUS!

This year, we are offering wonderful and interactive workshops on topics such as: African storytelling, Franco-American culture in Augusta, yoga, cooking Jambalaya, visiting Quebec, songs, games, and more!

The deadline to sign up is September 23rd–don’t wait!

The �鶹APP (UMA) and the Maine chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF-Maine) are thrilled with the success of their annual French Immersion Weekend held this October. The event was attended by intermediate and advanced French speakers of various ages and experiences.

Numerous workshops were held exclusively in French throughout the day on Saturday, including crepe making, an interactive session on Quebec, yoga, outdoor games, card games, a French film “Le Carrefour,”  news in French, Francophone Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, singing in French, and many others. 

Attendees loved the icebreaker games at the beginning of the day. One participant said, “The ice breaker was fun and a good way to meet everyone in a short space of time; it was great to be in contact with so many people conversing in French!” The Quebec, Senegal and Congo sessions were also immensely popular.

One teacher who brought her class to the event said, “It was great to see my students enjoying themselves speaking French! And it’s always great to connect with colleagues and friends.”

This annual event is a rare opportunity to enhance French skills outside of a classroom, engage in real-world conversations, make new friends, and celebrate the Francophone world. It is one of the few immersion events in the U.S. that brings together such a diverse group of French enthusiasts. “We are very passionate about this immersion weekend, which has been part of Maine’s Francophone community for decades,” shared Dr. Chelsea Ray, UMA French professor and event coordinator. “It is an honor to host this event at UMA and welcome everyone to campus to practice their French in a supportive, warm community of teachers, students, and community members.” The organizing committee is made up of officers from the AATF, as well as other local French teachers.

Highlights include:

• Interactive workshops on Quebec, crepe making, Francophone Africa, news in French, Franco-Americans in New England, puppets, artwork and crafts
• Fun-filled activities like indoor and outdoor games, yoga, singing, and nature walks
• Opportunities to connect with fellow French speakers

This event is perfect for intermediate to advanced speakers looking to challenge themselves in a 100% French-speaking environment. Whether you’re a high school student, college learner, French teacher, or community member, there is no need for perfect French – our experienced workshop leaders will guide you through this immersive journey. However, for the best immersive experience, we require that high school students have completed two years of French, while college students must have one year or equivalent.

This is a rare opportunity to enhance your French skills outside of a classroom, engage in real-world conversations, make new friends, and celebrate the Francophone world. It is one of the few immersion events in the U.S. that brings together such a diverse group of French enthusiasts. “We are very passionate about this immersion weekend, which has been part of Maine’s Francophone community for decades. It is an honor to host this event at UMA and welcome everyone to campus to practice their French in a supportive, warm community of teachers, students, and community members. Venez tous!” shared Dr. Chelsea Ray, UMA French professor and event organizer. The organizing committee is made up of officers from the AATF, as well as other local French teachers.

All Immersion Weekend events will be held at �鶹APP Randall Student Center, 46 University Dr, Augusta. The weekend begins the evening of Friday the 4th with an optional catered dinner event featuring delicious cuisine from a Francophone country. There will be icebreaker activities as people arrive at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:00 p.m. After dinner, join us for French conversation or play games such as Sept familles (a “Go Fish” type of game in French), Scrabble (in French), ping pong, foosball, cornhole, and Molky (a Swedish throwing game).

Registration for both the dinner and the immersion day is open through September 24th or when sold out. When you register, you may choose the full immersion day on Saturday with or without the dinner. Registration cost is $90 for part- and full-time students and $125 for community members. The optional Friday night catered dinner is $45. Scholarships are available.

For more information or to register, visit uma.edu/frenchimmersion.

�ճ�����鶹APP��(UMA) is pleased to announce it will co-sponsor with the��Maine Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French��the annual French immersion weekend virtually on January 14 and 15, 2022.�� This year’s theme��is “Intersections,” and participants will watch the newly released film��Carrefour, “”�� The immersion weekend will celebrate the intersections of language, culture, and community in the Francophone community in Maine and in the broader Francophone world.

UMA Professor Chelsea Ray is the coordinator of this program, which is one of French at �鶹APP signature events.�� It is co-sponsored by the Maine chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French. AATF Maine Chapter President Nathalie Gorey plays a key role on the planning committee.����This is a��continuation of a program begun by the Penobscot Bay Language School in Rockland in 1991, and an extension of the successful��Le Français au Bord de la Mer�����Ի���Le français dans les bois.

Last October,��Le Français au Bord de la Mer��was held virtually with over 50 participants of diverse backgrounds, a variety of locations, including Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and France, and varying levels of French. The entire immersion day took place on Zoom, with the same vitality and enthusiasm as previous in person immersion camping trips. The theme was “Le Français branché” (“French plugged in”) to emphasize that French is “plugged into” many cultures, many continents, and translates across virtual platforms.

During the January 2022 immersion weekend, highly skilled and experienced volunteer instructors, many of whom are French teachers, as well as native-speaking exchange students attending UMA from l’Université de Bretagne in Brest, France, will lead online group activities.�� The highlight of Friday will be the viewing of��Carrefour, followed by a group discussion. Saturday will be comprised of the daylong immersion, including the participation of renowned singer/performer����for a concert that crosses languages, cultures, and continents.

Additional details about the program are available on the��French Immersion Day webpage.

This weekend event is open to intermediate and advanced speakers of French, whether they are high school students, college/university students, French teachers, or interested community members who are seeking the challenge of a 100% French-speaking environment. Participants must be able to speak French for the entire immersion experience.

To be eligible, high school students should have completed two years of French study or the equivalent and college students should have completed one year of French study or equivalent.

For additional information about the weekend and to register, please visit:��uma.edu/frenchimmersion. This event usually fills quickly, so early registration is encouraged.

The �鶹APP sponsored its third French immersion weekend in October 2020, in the tradition of Le français au bord de la mer. Due to the pandemic, the entire immersion day took place on Zoom, with the same vitality and enthusiasm as previous in-person immersion camping trips. The theme was “Le français branché” (“French plugged in”) to emphasize that French is “plugged into” many cultures, many continents, and can translate across virtual platforms.

UMA Professor Chelsea Ray coordinated this program, which is one of ’s signature events. It is co-sponsored by the Maine chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French. The chapter’s President, Nathalie Gorey, plays a key role on the planning committee. It aims to bring a diverse group of French speakers together to practice and expand upon their language skills, make new friends, and learn more about the French-speaking world.

There were over 50 participants, and they came with diverse backgrounds and varying levels of French: high school and university students (some attending with their French teachers), French teachers, and adult community members participated. They attended via Zoom from a variety of places, including Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and France. Participants filled out an evaluation and regarded the weekend as a great success. According to Professor Ray, “It was exciting to see the workshop leaders and participants come together on Zoom, all for the joy of learning French and connecting with each other. Although the format was different, we still were able to make lasting connections and see old friends as well.”

Special Workshops for Intermediate and Advanced Speakers

Participants could register for workshops that suited their interests and language level. The volunteer workshop leaders included four UMA students on exchange from the University of Western Brittany (Université de Bretagne Occidentale, UBO) in France. The workshops were wide-ranging. Two students from UBO taught the group how to make crêpes. Jean-Claude Redonnet, professor emeritus from the Sorbonne University, taught an advanced workshop on memory and reading, using his own creative writing piece on Acadian culture. Other topics included: online exchanges with Quebec, a conversation with a former UMA student currently living abroad in France, North African dancing, and games such as Kahoot or trivia.

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Special Concert with Brice Kapel

Singer/songwriter Brice Kapel gave a midday concert to the group. He is originally from Togo and now lives in France, so songs were in Mina (a native language to Togo), French, and English. His latest album, “Eteignons les écrans” (“Let’s Turn Off the Screens”) underscored the theme of the day, “Le français branché” (French plugged in). Participants had access to the words and translations for many of the songs, so that even less advanced speakers could fully appreciate the depth and meaning of the songs. In addition, Kapel gave a special afternoon workshop in which participants helped to create a new song.

Participant evaluations made it clear that the group greatly appreciated the diversity of ages, French language abilities, and cultural origins represented. When asked what they liked best about the weekend, one replied, “French in Maine!! Meeting Bénédicte and the other [people from the Democratic Republic of Congo] was cool, too. I liked the knitting circle as well; we had a great time talking and knitting!” Another wrote that her favorite workshops were Hatha Yoga, Theater Games, and a session meeting Professor Ray’s host family (attending from France via Zoom).

Julia Schulz, who founded the program at the Penobscot Bay Language School in 1991, described the purpose of the weekend: “Our experienced and dedicated instructors create a safe and fun learning environment for students of French, whether they are adolescents or senior citizens, or any age in between. Engaging together in activities like singing, games, crafts, cooking, and theater, all conducted entirely in French, creates a lively and cohesive learning community, much like daily life in a French-speaking country!”

Scholarship sponsors for the weekend included the University of Maine and the Maine Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF). A Small Grant from the National AATF helped to support the weekend. French at UMA (current for this year)

The UMA Faculty Development Center (FDC) supported the Immersion Day on Zoom by providing additional training to Professor Ray. She then helped the teaching team gain confidence and better understand how to utilize the technology for an optimal learning experience. Greg Keneborus provided technical support throughout the day to help those who experienced issues. Professor Ray also held a training for all participants the week before the immersion day to give everyone a chance to try Zoom and meet each other before the actual day.

Due to uncertainty about the pandemic during the planning period, the next French immersion will be on Zoom as well. It will take place January 14-15th 2022. Participants will do ice breakers and watch and discuss a short film on Friday night and then participate in the day-long immersion the next day.

More information about the weekend immersion program.

Do you want to have an opportunity to speak French in a supportive, fun community? This year, we will hold a French immersion day on Zoom on October 24th. Sessions include: Gastronomie bretonne (cooking from Brittany, France), discussion on the Republic of Congo, knitting, theater play, songs from Quebec, conversation with a family in France, a session on monuments of France, and films, among others!

In addition, you can take FRE 202 with UMA in conjunction with the day and get college credit.

Participants need either two years of high school French or one year of college French (or equivalent life experience) to attend.

The deadline to register is October 12th so that we have enough lead time to get you all links and handouts before the event. You will also get a chance to sign up for your choice of workshops. Sign-ups for the workshops of the day start soon, so register today and get your first choices!

There will also be a training on how to use Zoom for all participants to help the day go smoothly and without issue.

Questions? Contact: chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu.

Learn More and Register ]]> /news/umas-le-francais-au-bord-de-la-mer-a-great-success/ Thu, 07 Nov 2019 16:54:54 +0000 /?p=3946 … Read More]]>

For the first time, �鶹APP sponsored a full weekend immersion in French language and Francophone culture in late September at the UMaine Cooperative Extension Blueberry Cove Camp site in Tenants Harbor, Maine.

Co-Coordinators of the weekend, UMA Prof. Chelsea Ray and French Instructor Julia Schulz, presided over the planning of the weekend with administrative support from UMA staff. Over sixty people—high school and university students (some attending with their French teachers), French teachers, and adult community members participated, traveling from all over Maine as well as �ϳ�é����, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.

Participants regarded the weekend as a great success. According to Prof. Ray, “All of the elements were there: very enthusiastic participants with a high level of French; talented and knowledgeable workshop leaders offering lots of choices; wonderful and authentic meals; lovely Maine fall weather; and a tranquil and beautiful coastal site!”

The volunteer staff of 17 French teachers included four UMA students on exchange this year from the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, in France. The workshops were wide-ranging, including crêpe-making, pétanque (French lawn bowling), traditional French-Canadian folksongs and dancing, diversity in French language, politics in France today, puppet shows and theatre exercises, baking croissants, games, and even knitting—all entirely in French.

Participant evaluations made it clear that the group greatly appreciated the diversity of ages, French language abilities, and cultural origins represented. When asked what they liked best about the weekend, one replied, “My absolute favorite part of the weekend was simply being able to connect with other French speakers and the sense of community that was quickly formed over the two days. I enjoyed working together in the kitchen and also really enjoyed the dancing.” Another wrote, “It was a great boost to my confidence in my abilities.”

Schulz described the purpose of the weekend: “This is a rare opportunity for students and teachers of French to experience everyday life and ordinary conversation entirely in French, having fun while enjoying familiar or new activities together. Teachers boost their knowledge and learn new classroom strategies, and learners might be trying out their conversational skills for the very first time here, in this supportive environment.”

Scholarship sponsors for the weekend included the University of Maine and the Maine Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French. A Small Grant from the National AATF helped to support the weekend as well as donations from Borealis Bread, Ducktrap of Maine, and individual farmers and gardeners.

For more information about the weekend immersion program, please visit French at UMA.

��.

Media contact:

Prof. Chelsea Ray
Associate Professor of French and Comparative Literature
chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu
(207) 621-3487

Every year she helps put together a French Immersion Weekend where students and people of any age can spend a weekend at Blueberry Cove Camp in Tenants Harbor, Maine and participate in various activities all while speaking only French. In this episode, Jesse asks Dr. Ray about growing up in California and how she ended up in Maine, what it’s like taking 20 college students to France for two weeks, and how some of her classes might relate to the overall theme of the podcast.

]]> /news/french-immersion-weekend-scheduled-for-september-2019/ Wed, 29 May 2019 15:38:21 +0000 /?p=3172 … Read More]]> UMA and the Maine Chapter of American Association of Teachers of French to co-sponsor, “Le Français au Bord de la Mer”,��a French immersion weekend

Blueberry Cove Camp, Tenants Harbor |��9/27–9/29

The �鶹APP (UMA) is pleased to announce it will co-sponsor with the Maine Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French��the annual French immersion weekend,��Le Français au Bord de la Mer,��at Blueberry Cove Camp in Tenants Harbor, site of prior immersion weekends.

UMA French Professor Chelsea Ray and Julia Schulz, co-founder for the Penobscot Language School, are co-coordinators for the weekend.�� This is a continuation of a program begun by the Penobscot Language School in Rockland in 1991, and an extension of the successful Le Français au Bord de la Mer and Le français dans les bois that has run for nine years.

During the immersion weekend, highly skilled and experienced volunteer instructors, many of whom are French teachers, as well as native-speaking exchange students attending UMA from l’Université de Bretagne in Brest, France, will lead group activities.�� On Saturday, participants have a choice of workshops targeting intermediate or advanced language skill levels.

“Our theme this year is��French North America, with a focus on French-Canadian, Acadian, and Franco-American culture, music, and food,” stated Chelsea Ray, UMA Associate Professor of French Language and Literature. “One of our aims is to explore together the rich diversity of the French-speaking world.”

This weekend event is open to intermediate and advanced speakers of French, whether they are high school students, college/university students, French teachers, or interested community members who are seeking the challenge of a 100% French-speaking environment. Participants must be able to speak French for the entire weekend.

To be eligible, high school students should have completed two years of French study or the equivalent and college students should have completed one year of French study or equivalent.

For additional information about the weekend, UMA student testimonials, videos of various weekend activities, and to register, please visit French Immersion Weekend.

This event usually fills by August and it is filling even more quickly this year, so early registration is encouraged.