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 Â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 Â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.

Add some color to the dreary winter weather-scape of March in Maine! We will spend the day in Portland, first visiting the and then having lunch out. There will be a final hour where students can walk around and enjoy the city, shop, etc.

Cost is $10. Please call Student Activities to sign up and be ready to pay this nonrefundable sign-up fee: (207) 621-3374. There will be no additional costs (transportation, the museum, and lunch out are included).

Signups start on March 8th and spots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can meet us at the museum at 10:30 a.m. or take the bus.

If you need transportation, you can be picked up on the UMA Augusta campus or at the residence halls in Hallowell. Please be at the UMA Randall Student Center by 8:45 a.m. or Stevens Hall in Hallowell (by the handicapped ramp in the back) by 9:00 a.m. to be picked up. We will return by 4:00 p.m.

Note: please do not be late if you wish to be picked up on campus or at the residence halls. We cannot wait for people who are not there at the appointed time.

This event is for UMA students. If you wish to include community members, please contact Chelsea Ray at chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu to see if we can accommodate additional participants.

SNOW DATE: MARCH 26TH. Please check your email on March 24th and 25th if we have inclement weather.

°Őłó±đĚýÂ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 Â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 MerĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýLe 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 Â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/french-conversation-tables-for-the-spring-20-semester/ Fri, 24 Jan 2020 19:27:53 +0000 /?p=5111 … Read More]]> Would you like to practice your French in a comfortable environment? We hold a free monthly French conversation table at UMA for students and community members alike.

Come join us and practice your French at noon on February 25th and/or April 21st in Jewett Hall room 189! Beginners are especially welcome and we devote the first 15 minutes to you.

On March 31st, we will be having a special concert in place of the regular conversation table, so be on the lookout for more details and a chance to claim your free ticket.

Looking forward to seeing you!

]]> /news/french-radio-station-interview-with-prof-chelsea-ray-and-uma-students/ Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:19:28 +0000 /?p=5013 … Read More]]> During the June 2019 Student Government Association trip to France, UMA students spent five nights in the city of Brest in Brittany. They were interviewed in French and English about their experiences by a reporter at the University of Western Brittany. This interview was conducted in both English and French.

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