Activities

Over the course of the year, we will be organizing events related to French and Francophone studies at the University of Alabama: guest speakers, film series, French Club, Pi Delta Phi, Soirées Crêpes, and more. Please check back often for the latest announcements regarding upcoming conferences, lectures, films, sorties, and discussion tables.

Below, please find more information on our Film Series, French Club, the Spring 2009 Camp McDowell French Language Immersion Retreat, and some fantastic study/work abroad opportunities: Assistantship Program in France, Summer School at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, French Consulate Scholarships, and the Gérin-Lajoie Québec-US Internship Program.

2008-2009 Film Series
Join us for the 2008-2009 film series, which began in August, 2008 and continues every first and third Tuesday throughout the academic year, 3:30-5:30 p.m. in B.B. Comer Hall, room 203. Titles for the Fall 2008 Francophone Film Series can be found here.

French Club

To join the UA French Club LISTSERV:

1) Send an email to LISTSERV@bama.ua.edu containing the subject heading "SUBSCRIBE UA-FRENCH-CLUB” followed by your full name. If your name is Joe H. Smith, the subject heading should read: "SUBSCRIBE UA-FRENCH-CLUB Joe H. Smith"

2) In the body of your message you can paste the same thing (SUBSCRIBE UA-FRENCH-CLUB Joe H. Smith---whatever your name is), then send your message; Voilà! You should be subscribed to our newly created LISTSERV, and you will always be up to date on French Club activities.

Welcome to our 2008-2009 French club! Congratulations to our new French club officers: Stephanie Casto-Clark (Présidente), Zack Stillings (Vice Président), Taylor Hall (Trésorier), and Gaby Munoz (Secrétaire)! We are grateful to Bethany Stevens, Caroline Carden and John Nick Pappanastos, who will all serve as Events Coordinators this year.

It goes without saying that our officers from last year did an outstanding job running the election. Merci! What a fabulous turnout: Thank you all for your collective enthusiasm and good humor!

If you have not already done so, please consider joining the UA French Club group on Face Book, created by Melinda Sears. It is an ideal location for disseminating information and it seems to be an effective way to keep in touch with members from previous years as well. Activities will still be posted here on the French programmatic web site.

Who can become involved in French Club? Anybody on campus or from the Tuscaloosa community interested in French and Francophone language and culture! For more information about the Club, please contact Dr. Mayer-Robin, French Club Advisor, or any of our officers named above.


Spring 2009 Camp McDowell French Language Immersion Retreat
Interested in earning credit while speaking French? Join the French program in Spring 2009 for an overnight French Language Immersion Retreat at Camp McDowell: March 28-29, 2008, noon to noon. Conversation, cooking, nature walks, songs and games are some of the activities planned for this full immersion retreat. Plan on using and improving your spoken French for the full 24 hours (all levels welcome). Student participants may enroll for 1 elective credit in FR 380. Spaces will be limited (first come, first served). Please contact Dr. Mayer-Robin to get on the list now.

Vous nous honorez!
During Honors Week each Spring, the French program has the pleasure of recognizing several of many talented students.

Looking ahead to 2009, our honorees are:

James Lamar McCann Award for Excellence in French: Hayley Dewar, Morgan Wilbanks, and Bethany Untied

In Spring 2008, our honorees were:

Outstanding French Major: Zach Stillings

Outstanding Freshman in French: Maggie Bailey

Outstanding Graduate student in French: William Holley

James Lamar McCann Award for Excellence in French: Ellie Killian, Livia Woodard

In Spring 2007, the following students were honored:

Outstanding Graduate Student in French: Audrey Cooper

James Lamar McCann Award for Excellence in French: Fred H. Clay & Brittany Sims

Outstanding Freshman in French: David Bonilla

Outstanding French Major: Morgan Wilbanks

Prix d’excellence en français: Amy Hobbs

In Spring 2006, our honorees were:

Outstanding teaching by a Graduate Student in French: Amanda Harvie

Outstanding French Major: Jennifer West

Outstanding French Minor: Rachel Horton

James Lamar McCann Award for Excellence in French: Sherri Elizabeth Milam, Emily Miller & Teresa Kendrick

You honor us with your excellence!

If you are thinking of majoring or minoring in French, please take our survey. This will help us to better serve your needs as a French student. Merci beaucoup! Click here for survey

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Félicitations et Bienvenue aux nouveaux membres de Pi Delta Phi!
Would you like to become a member of Pi Delta Phi?
To qualify, you must have a GPA in French of 3.0 and have taken at least one course at the 300-level or above. To apply, please pick up an application in 200 B.B. Comer or click here. Leave checks and applications with Dr. Bruce Edmunds. The Eta Sigma chapter of Pi Delta Phi is the National French Honorary Society and a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.

The French faculty wish to welcome our Pi Delta Phi inductees for the 2007-2008 academic year:

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Assistantship Program in France
DEADLINES IN DECEMBER, JANUARY, and FEBRUARY! !Would you like to study and work in France as an English assistant in a French lycée? To apply, one must be a native English speaker with good French speaking skills. Undergraduate and graduate students can apply. Applications for the 2008-2009 Assistantship Program will be available in October 2007. Application deadlines are generally in December, January, and February. Check the web site of frenchculture.org for updates.

Congratulations to our many students who have served through the assistantship program in years past:

Will Horton, Macon
Andrew Parker, Toulouse
Martin Sepic, Orléans
Carley Suther, Lorient

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Summer School at the Ecole Normale Supérieure
DEADLINE APRIL 15th! The Summer School at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, one of France's most prestigious 'grandes ecoles', announces its first two-week session, which will take place on July 13-27, 2008 and will be of particular interest for international students who wish to improve their French and to study French humanities.

Every academic year, the ENS hosts already a great number of international students from major universities around the world. Expanding this program, the ENS Summer School will fit in particular for students of 18 to 23 years old, possessing sufficient knowledge of French to be able to attend courses at intermediate and advanced levels. The program offers intensive advanced French language study (1.5 hours a day, six days a week), thematic seminars, and workshops in small groups on French philosophy, literature, theatre, history and art history. For more information, visit the web-site of the Ecole Normale Supérieure summer program, or send your email inquiry the team of summer school respondents.

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Interested in studying or working in France?
Scholarships available!! The French Consulate of Atlanta has an active grant and scholarship program, including "Jeunesse et sport" grants available for cultural and tourist activities in France during the summer. These scholarships cover everything (lodging, meals, on-site transportation) except for airfare. Many work programs for undergraduate and graduate students are also offered. Eligibility for these programs cover a wide range: some are available exclusively to American citizens, others to students of all nationalities; some require fluency in French, others only familiarity; areas of interest include literature, art history, French studies, math, science, sports, among others. These programs offer an inexpensive (and sometimes compensated!) way to spend time in France. Interested? We encourage you to apply! For more information, ask your French professor or go to www.frenchculture.org.

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Gérin-Lajoie Québec-US Internship Program
DEADLINE APRIL 23rd! The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars together with the Government of Québec is pleased to announce the Gérin-Lajoie Québec-US Internship Program. Open to upper division, undergraduate and graduate students with a working knowledge of French and a desire to explore Québec-US relations, the Gérin-Lajoie Québec-US Internship Program offers an unique opportunity. Students will intern in various offices within the Québec Government. The Government of Québec and The Washington Center will award five (5) Gérin-Lajoie Fellowships, which provides single-unit housing at Laval University and reduced fees. Orientation is in Washington, DC for two days prior to arrival in Québec. The Gérin-Lajoie Fellowship also covers airfare and accommodation in Washington, DC. Academic credit may be available from home US institutions.

The Gérin-Lajoie Québec-US Internship Program will provide a valuable insight into Québec society, its political institutions, economy, and culture. Students will be housed on Laval University campus and participate in seminars, workshops and cultural events in addition to the on-the-job training. The program is twelve weeks long beginning on 19 May and ending on 8 August 2008. The Washington Center will review applicants and submit top candidates to the Government of Québec Office in Washington, DC. We are accepting applications now, on a rolling basis through Wednesday, 23 April 2008. Successful candidates will be notified by Monday 28 April 2008.

To submit an application, please include a letter of intent, resume, academic transcript, and two letters of reference to Ms. Sonia Ziadé at The Washington Center, 1333-16th St. NW Washington, DC 20036. Ms. Ziadé may be reached via email or by phone at 202 238 7955.

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Websites of interest

For listings of French films being shown on American TV:
CUNY station (New York City): http://www.cuny.tv/
The International Channel: http://www.cuny.tv/
TV5: http://www.tv5.org/usa/

Website for the French Consulate of Atlanta, with French-related information for the South-Eastern United States: http://www.consulfrance-atlanta.org/

On everyday life in France: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/civ/

A site containing links to live media in French: http://www.francelink.com/

A reference site containing links to multiple French sites on subjects of all kinds: http://www.nomade.tiscali.fr/

A site containing materials for teachers of French:
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi/Resources/Subjects/Foreign_Language/French.html

An online dictionary:
http://www.linternaute.com/dictionnaire/fr/

The Gallica site for BNF's (Bibliothèque Nationale de France) digitalized library holdings:
http://gallica.bnf.fr/

Have you found some other interesting French-related sites? Please send the links to Dr. Mayer-Robin for inclusion on this page.