Promoting the teaching and learning of French in New York and reflecting on the richness and diversity of Francophone cultures.  The symposium will include experts from the fields of government, academia, and community organizations. Join us for a day that will inspire new ideas and strategies for increasing the study of French!

Symposium on the teaching and learning of French: One Language, Many Cultures

May 8, 2013  

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm   

SUNY Global Center

116 East 55th Street, NY

Click HERE to see the program

 RSVP by May 3rd to: RSVP.NY-Comm@mri.gouv.qc.ca 

This symposium is organised by the Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques, the SUNY-State University of New York Global Center, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and the Québec Government Office in New York.

Le Consulat général de Suisse à New York, la Délégation générale du Québec à New York et l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie vous proposent un voyage original en Francophonie :

Venez découvrir la tradition culinaire et goûter à la cuisine du Québec, du Sénégal et de la Suisse à l’occasion du Mois de la Francophonie à New York.

Date : 7 mars 2013
Heure : 18 h – 20 h
Lieu : French Institute Alliance Française –FIAF
Skyroom, 8e étage
22 East 60th Street

18 $ pour les membres FIAF, seniors et étudiants
20 $ pour les non-membres
Cliquez ici pour acheter votre billet.

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BIOGRAPHIES ET MENUS

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QUÉBEC - chef cuisinier Jean-Philippe Desjardins

Jean-Philippe Desjardins a suivi sa formation culinaire à Montréal, il a parfait ses connaissances à Londres et à Paris avant de s'installer à New York. Il nous propose une cuisine inspirée de ses racines et de ses traditions, influencée au fil des années par ses voyages et rencontres, mélange de savoir-faire traditionnel et d’art culinaire contemporain. Jean-Philippe est à présent chef cuisinier à la Délégation générale du Québec à New York.

HORS D’OEUVRES

Morue salée à la crème et genévrier

Cipaille, ketchup vert et betteraves marinées

Grands-pères au sirop d’érable et pacanes

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SÉNÉGAL – chef cuisinier Pierre Thiam

Pierre Thiam, chef de cuisine d’origine Senegalaise, basé a New York, est ’auteur du livre de cuisine “Yolélé! Recipes from the Heart of Senegal” (Lake Isle Press) nominé finaliste du prix Julia Child. www.pierrethiamcatering.com

HORS D’OEUVRES

Boulettes de Riz Rouges Fourrées aux Epices de Rof et au Tamarin
Thiebou Jenn Balls

Chaussons de Thon au Parfum de Coriandre
Pastels

Pudding de Riz au Parfum de Coco et à la Mangue
Sombi

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SUISSE – chef cuisinier Yannick Germanier

Yannick Germanier a commencé son apprentissage de cuisinier à l’Hôtel Terminus à Sierre, 19 Gault et Millau et 2** Michelin. Son parcours l’a amené à Genève, Hôtel Beau Rivage 5*****, en tant que chef de partie, puis, comme sous-chef, chez Damien Germanier à Vétroz. Yannick est à présent le chef cuisinier du Consulat général de Suisse à New York.

HORS D’OEUVRES

Rösti bernois : Pomme de terre, bacon grillé, tomate et oignons frits

Papet vaudois : Poireaux, saucissons

Rüeblitorte : Petit cake à la carotte parfumé au citron

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Who hasn’t had to make up an imaginary penpal to write to? Most of us can relate to that school experience, especially when learning languages. But My Transatlantic School is something else: imagine instead that the classroom extends beyond its physical borders and opens a door onto the world. You can do that in just a few clicks…actually, in the era of new information and communication technology, much is made possible.

My Transatlantic School is an internet-based exchange platform open to education professionals. The concept of this online platform is quite easy to grasp: it enables schools in the United States to connect with schools in France, and vice versa. On My Transatlantic School, students in one country can meet other same-age students from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean to communicate with through new media directly available on the platform: e-mailing, blogging, chatting or putting up pictures or even videos. These tools stimulate learning and change class dynamics by allowing the focus to shift towards a genuine interest and curiosity of the other: who are they, where do they live, what do they do, what do they like and- let’s get to know each other by working together! Teachers and education professionals see the potential of establishing common pedagogical projects, stimulating intercultural exchange and develop interdisciplinary skills by using My Transatlantic School. Maureen, a high school teacher and platform member describes her students as being “very enthusiastic” about their video conferences. Maureen is a fan of the platform as she realizes it definitely motivates her classes. Another active platform member, Marie-Pierre, works closely with her transatlantic elementary school students to bring France to her Bronx classroom by means of My Transatlantic School video features: for example, one video shows two little girls explaining - in French- to their transatlantic friends what they have in their backpack. These are only a few examples of the variety of tools and resources you can use thanks to the platform!

Not surprising, since its creation about a year ago, My Transatlantic School has gained more than 300 member schools and it has hosted a variety of contests and festivals in which members have participated. Fabrice Jaumont, Education Attaché at the Department of Education of the French Embassy in New York, who is at the origin of the project, is confident in relation to the development of the platform: “We’ll soon partner with more countries on each side of the pond!".  My Transatlantic School has the support of the French Ministry of Education, the Office of European and International Relations and Cooperation and works in cooperation with the Board of Education of New York and Connecticut. Thanks to this official support and a lot of good will by members and administrators, there are no limits to the growth of My Transatlantic School. It is the beginning of a new dimension in education, where there are - virtually - no limits!

A side note for those of you who shudder upon reading about “internet“, “ICT“or “social network provider“: first, know that the platform serves strictly pedagogical purposes and that it is in that sense not to be compared to other social networks. Second, rest assured that platform users are more (as in, very much at ease) or less (not comfortable at all) used to working with new technology in class. The team of administrators in both the US and France are ready to help members use the platform. Upon signing up, members are greeted with a welcome message giving indications as to how to approach My Transatlantic School platform. Also, tutorials are available to guide members through easier uses such as “browsing” the platform - and more technical uses such as putting up videos, for example. Plans have also been made for a web-based training session around the 20^th of April, 2012 among other efforts to better help users. In fact, members work together with the administrators to build My Transatlantic School for the platform to be what it needs to be:  a tool serving international education.

The importance of networking applies to all professional fields, including education. So if you want to connect with peers abroad and feel like you are ready to go beyond textbooks and simulated exchanges, come join us on My Transatlantic School: http://nycfrench3.ning.com

Linda Hanssler Wenner, My Transatlantic School platform coordinator.

Photo credits: Christophe Legris and Jonas Cuénin.

Walking down the halls of the New York French American Charter School in Harlem, you will hear languages you have never heard before. This everyday aspect agrees with the school's mission: foster global citizenship for a multicultural society. The New York French American Charter School is in fact a bilingual school. “The school blends the rigorous standards of learning that are characteristic of the French educational system with American approaches that value individuality and critical thinking,” says their website. In class, children from K to 3rd grade are used to alternating between French and English. The teachers are multilingual and work with French interns and assistants who further contribute to establishing a French-speaking environment. Say what you will, but read this much French: “à NYFACS, on aime le français!”

Yet, it is not one single kind of French that we speak here. With children from Haiti, Algeria, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Togo, France and many other countries, the New York French American Charter School constantly reminds us that French is also a language of many faces. Harlem is a cradle of francophonie and there is no doubt that NYFACS reflects the cultural variety of its community.

The French Heritage Language Program is committed to helping the numerous francophone immigrant students across the United States keep a strong connection with their respective language, culture and identity. On the program’s agenda is the establishment of a curriculum that focuses on strengthening the acquisition of French and more specifically, on promoting French-speaking cultures to these minorities. It is therefore not surprising that this school has become the main partner of the program for working on establishing a curriculum that embraces the diversity of the francophone world. Indeed, since January 2012, a pedagogical team of students and professionals has met on a weekly basis to work for a common goal: developing a francophone, task-based curriculum for students aged 5 to 11 years. Bringing professionals from both institutions, French teaching assistants as well as students from Columbia’s and New York University’s Masters' programs: it is a good share of volunteering and a strong mix of professional experience of teaching French!

Four themes have been set for this curriculum: living environment, food and culinary habits, literature and arts, traditions and festivities. These themes are organized by age group into three levels of progression with an increasing difficulty in terms of language acquisition. Adding to their regular French classes, students at the New York French American Charter School can now benefit from an extra three hours of “French enrichment” each week. With this new curriculum two invaluable elements are brought to the class - knowledge of the cultures of the francophonie and task-based learning. The cultural aspect of the curriculum informs of the diversity of the francophone world in relation to the students in the class. Drawing on each student’s cultural background, the projects thus allow for children to share their own personal experience of francophonie with their peers. The task-based curriculum is a countdown in terms of linguistic and cultural learning towards a final project related to francophone cultures. Final projects vary from one age group to another, but examples may include for a class to follow the recipe of a traditional dish they will prepare for snack time, to create carnival costumes for the celebration of francophonie, or even to write a folk tale inspired by francophone African stories they will then share with another class.

While the focus of the curriculum can be French language acquisition and awareness of francophone cultures as enrichment to the program at the New York French American Charter School, this program may be the core French language class in other partner schools of the French Heritage Language Program. For the time being, the curriculum is being developed at the school so that it can be tested directly in class with the students. In a constant exchange between teachers, students and the pedagogical team, the curriculum will take shape until it can be transferred and adapted according to the needs of other French Heritage Language Program partner schools across the nation.

It is quite a challenge to turn diversity into one common language, yet this is what Francophonie is about, it is the language of sharing par excellence. By allowing young students to develop natural bilingual skills and better understand where they are from, the New York French American Charter School and the French Heritage Language Program are now simply raising opportunities for these kids to better learn and succeed where they are.

By Benoît Le Dévédec & Linda Hanssler Wenner

Benoît Le Dévédec, program coordinator and Linda Hanssler Wenner, pedagogical assistant for the French Heritage Language Program. For more information on the French Heritage Language Program, take a look at: http://facecouncil.org/fhlp/


FHLP in collaboration with Vanessa Handal-Ghenania, Supervisor of Curriculum and Teaching, Victor, Mélissa, Sandra, French assistants from NYFACS, Tina Simon, Master’s student at Teachers’ College and Grace Sutton, Masters’ student at NYU.
To learn more about NYFACS, please visit the school's website: http://nyfacs.net/

Photo credits: Jonas Cuénin.