Living/Learning Center Programs
The
La Maison Française
Program Overview
Students
who are studying French language, literature and culture in an American setting
need opportunities to speak the language outside the classroom, to develop the
use of the language in their everyday lives, and to enrich their understanding
of the contexts of Francophone culture.
The
Living/Learning Center offers students a community based on their interests in
Francophone language and culture, in which they make French the language of
their everyday activities. A student
resident organizer will lead the group.
Residents of the French house will agree to use French exclusively for a
specified portion of the day. The French
house will also be the center for many activities based on Francophone culture
which are available in or close to Burlington; films, lectures, contacts with
French speakers throughout the University and city community, visits from
experts on the Francophone developing world, visits to Quebec, theater, music,
museums, television programs and reportage.
Participants in the French house will improve their fluency and gain a
greater familiarity with issues in contemporary Francophone experience.
Students
will have the option of signing up for one unit of credit per semester, with a
grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. To earn this credit, students will be
expected to participate in at least one specific activity per week, such as:
Students
are expected to design their own program of activities in consultation with the
faculty advisor. They will also keep
individual journals of their activities, which will be part of the evaluation
of their work for the unit of credit.
Program Co-Directors:
Joseph Acquisto,
Department of Romance Languages, 656-3575; Joseph.Acquisto@uvm.edu
Janet Whatley,
Department of Romance Languages; 656-1371;
Janet.Whatley@uvm.edu
Description of Student Needs
Students
who are studying French language, literature and culture in an American setting
need opportunities to speak the language outside the classroom, to develop the
use of the language in their everyday lives, and to enrich their understanding
of the contexts of Francophone culture.
The course work of the department provides an excellent intellectual structure
and a certain amount of practice, but budgetary constraints have dictated class
sizes of 15-25 students, even at the highest levels. In classes this large, the amount of active
oral participation of each student is limited, and in any case the classes meet
only three times a week. Students are
often searching for ways of getting together to pool their energies to develop
not only their spoken French but also their knowledge and contact with the
Francophone world.
The
We
expect that participants in the French house will bring back to their academic
course work an increased fluency and ease in the spoken word which is almost
invariably reflected in improved writing; a greater familiarity with issues in
contemporary Francophone experience; an increased capacity to take initiatives
in organizing for themselves activities that will further develop their
interest and knowledge of Francophone culture.
The interaction between the classroom and the French house should
contribute to the vitality and to the multiplication of resources of each.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE I:
To help students improve their fluency in French.
Action Steps
1. Establish
French as the language of communication for a definite period of time or set of
circumstances (for instance, all communal meals, all meetings and public
discussions, and informal interactions in public areas).
2. Make
available audio tapes, video tapes, TV programming from SCOLA, the French CBC
channel, magazines, and dictionaries.
3. Establish
contact and organize meetings with Francophone speakers from the university and
the community (see below).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE II:
To make accessible the Francophone intellectual and artistic resources
of our region.
Action Steps
1. Films: There is a wealth of great French film
available on videocassette. Possible topics for film series include: World Wars I and II, the end of the French
colonial empire, the art of the theater, perspectives on feminism, etc.
2. Art
exhibits: The Fleming Museum frequently
has exhibits or lectures involving art of the Francophone world.
3. Lectures:
(a) From French-speaking UVM faculty:
the French House students would interview Francophone faculty to
discover their common areas of interest, including subjects related to Canada,
Africa, the Caribbean, etc. (b) Other speakers from the region (possibly
including Montreal) whose specialties in literature, the arts, the social
sciences or natural sciences interest the students.
4. Visits
to
5. Video
and Television resources such as French CBC and SCOLA.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE III:
To foster relations with the Francophone community in the University,
the city of
Action Steps
1. Contact
local Francophone organizations for exchange of hospitality: for instance, the
Pause-Café in downtown
2. Invite
undergraduate and graduate students who are native French speakers from other
disciplines.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
The
French House will serve as a center of hospitality for Francophone people in
the University and in the
Time Commitment
The
commitment can be quite flexible, but if the program is to flourish, students
must be prepared to plan activities, publicize them, and support them with
their presence.
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