The Department of World Languages at New Manchester High School recently coordinated a series of events to commemorate la semaine de la francophonie (French Language Week). Teachers decided to celebrate the French speaking world February 11-17 because the dates aligned with Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, and Black History Month, leading up to Francophone Month in March.
“The week offered us enriching opportunities to engage our students inside and outside the classroom,” said Dr. Ann Marie Moore, teacher of first year and AP French at New Manchester High School. “Our state standards for world languages heavily emphasize the teaching of all cultures that share the French language.”
Students enjoyed the opportunity to participate in “Fat Tuesday” where French students ate New Orleans style king cakes. During each lunch period, a raffle was held to determine who would become holiday royalty and be crowned Mardi Gras King or Queen. Members of the International Club earned volunteer hours by organizing the festivities and distributing festive beads.
First year students participated in exchanging Valentine cards–written en français for Valentine’s Day while third year students researched a famous French speaker’s life and accomplishments to share with their class. On the Friday of Francophone Week, scholars earning an International Skills Diploma Seal watched a francophone movie from Africa.
Throughout the week, Principal Casey Bethel announced other engaging facts about the French speaking countries including France being the number one tourist destination in the world.
Overall, there are 29 independent countries that have French as an official language, which does not include those countries with large French-speaking populations or areas of the world where French is commonly studied as an additional language.