This cultural group provides students in French 300 and above with an overall cultural experience while they use their language skills above and beyond the classroom. They engage with French culture through a wide range of topics: history, economics, geography, social issues, and human relationships.
Activities presented by " Le Cercle français" include:
Le film français: French movies (subtitled in English) are shown weekly.
Les nouvelles: Students meet to explore news through the French media. Broadcast news is taped from the public channel, analyzed by the French T.A., who provides the students with the keys elements needed for a full understanding of the reports: political, historical, economical and cultural elements, and vocabulary. The written French press, such as " Le Monde" is also used for comparison.
Le café: Students visit the French T.A.'s house for hot drinks and snacks in a relaxed atmosphere, and socialize in French.
La table française: Faculty and students gather for lunch and conversation. Only French is spoken here!
Occasionally, students go on an excursion! Les excursions are French-focused field trips which include plays, exhibits and dinners in Harrisburg, Baltimore or Washington DC. Some events are in conjunction with the French Embassy and the Alliance Française. These opportunities aim at giving students a better insight of French culture, and allowing them to be in contact with the language as much as possible. The proximity to the nation's capital and the French ambassadorial presence is taken advantage of during the 4-6 trips of the year.
For more information, contact our Teaching Assistant, Berangere Collobert!