Bonjour chers amis / chères amies!

A coffee mug next to a laptop. On the screen a Zoom conference is displayed. Return to this page often for updates and information about the upcoming immersion day.

For the second year in a row, French at UMA and AATF-Maine are teaming up to take our beloved tradition of the French immersion weekend online due to concerns about COVID-19. We hope that the next one will be…en personne!

You can attend from home.

It will take place on Friday, January 14th 6-8:30 p.m. & Saturday, January 15th 8 a.m.- 4:45 p.m. 2022.

We would love your participation! The entire event will take place on the video conference software Zoom, which is free to download. There will be a Zoom training session a week before the event so that you can test out your technology and be all ready to go!

We aim to keep all the elements we loved from the past immersion experiences, but in a virtual format. Here is a description of last year’s event on Zoom.

You will rank your choices for workshops a week in advance (intermediate, advanced, or activities for “tout le monde”) and have your schedule sent to you with all relevant handouts and links.

French Immersion Group Photo 2019

Group photo from “Le Français au Bord de la Mer,” French Immersion Weekend 2019 at Blueberry Cove Camp.

Immersion Weekend Logo

This program was featured in the national AATF newsletter.

Thème de l’année pour la journée d’immersion: Le Carrefour!

Our theme this year is “Le Carrefour” (literally: Intersection!) as we aim to intersect with new people, new technologies, and new cultures! We will also highlight the intersection between Maine’s Franco-American community and the broader Francophone world, including new French-speaking African immigrants. Our aim is to have fun while continuing to build our knowledge of the French language and the Francophone world!

Activities

We are designing a fun, interactive, and enjoyable day to help you take your French speaking skills to the next level. Immersion is great because it gives us time to absorb more language and encourages us to find new ways to communicate with the tools and vocabulary that we have used in the past. It also helps you to expand beyond your current knowledge.

This year, we will offer hands-on, interactive workshops on the following topics:

  • writing haiku
  • yoga
  • crepe making
  • making classic cake from Brittany France
  • composing a song with singer/songwriter Brice Kapel
  • exploring Quebec
  • French conversation
  • fun games (with cards and dice)
  • songs
  • knitting
  • Franco-American relationship to French in Maine
  • Acadian history
  • listening to news in French
  • learning about French variants around the world
  • There are also two workshops led by leaders currently living in France. One will speak on the Franco-American experience living in France and the other will talk about what it is like living and studying in France.

At the beginning of each workshop, you may be paired with another student in a “break out room” where the two of you will have questions to ask each other. This allows for informal speaking time to encourage you without the pressure of speaking in front of a large group.

On Friday evening, we will do a few ice breakers in French and then watch the film Carrefour, which focuses on Maine’s Franco-Americans and their connection to Francophone African communities in Maine. Jessamine Irwin will be present to answer questions on the film and discuss it with us.

Watch the trailer

On Saturday, we have a full day of activities, including more ice-breaking conversations (to wake us up!) and then we will have workshops throughout the day. There will be an optional lunch if you wish to talk to others or you can simply take a breather. The renowned Brice Kapel will give a midday concert (like last year) in his native Mina (language from Togo), French, and English.

To see what the weekend was like in its traditional format, see this recap of the 2019 immersion weekend at Blueberry Cove.

Eligibility

We welcome intermediate and advanced speakers of French, whether they are high school students, college/university students, French teachers, or interested community members who are seeking the challenge of a 100% French-speaking environment.

We only speak French throughout the weekend, so you will need enough French to participate. This does not mean that your French must be perfect, however! There will be handouts, supports, and visual aids to help you along. The workshop leaders are experienced teachers and can guide you through and facilitate understanding and communication.

High school students should have completed two years of French study or equivalent and college students should have completed one year of French study or equivalent.


Registration Information

There are two registration windows.

  • The first registration window is for Maine residents only. This window is from the start of registration until November 30th.
  • On December 1st, residents from other locations can sign up if there are any remaining spots. We appreciate your understanding!

Note: There is a two-step process for registration. First, please fill out the google form to register. Next, go to the online store to make your payment. YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED A SPOT UNTIL YOU COMPLETE BOTH STEPS. If you receive a scholarship, there will be a place to note that during the registration process.

Registration for this event is now closed.

We expect to fill this year as we have in years past. Once we do, there will be a waitlist posted here rather than the registration form. You will be able to register for the waitlist and will be asked to pay once a spot opens up.

Cost

Registration cost is $80 for part- and full-time students and $110 for community members. If you cancel your registration on or before December 6th, you get a 50% refund. Cancellations after December 6th will not receive a refund.

See the FAQ section below for information on available scholarship opportunities.


Frequently Asked Questions

This event is open to intermediate and advanced speakers of French, whether they are high school students, college/university students, French teachers, or interested community members who are seeking the challenge of a 100% French-speaking environment.

We only speak French throughout the weekend, so you will need enough French to participate. This does not mean that your French must be perfect, however! There will be handouts, supports, and visual aids to help you along. The workshop leaders are experienced teachers and can guide you through and facilitate understanding and communication.

High school students should have completed two years of French study or equivalent and college students should have completed one year of French study or equivalent.

We welcome French from around the world and we encourage people who have grown up speaking French or have learned it outside the classroom to attend as well! There are many variations, and we celebrate each one, as they make the language richer. If you grew up speaking French but did not formally study it, we hope you will join us to reawaken your French! We extend an especially warm welcome to local Franco-American participants, as well as to new Mainers from around the world who speak French and wish to continue!

If you are not sure if your level of French is appropriate for the weekend, please contact Chelsea Ray at chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu.

During the immersion weekend, highly skilled and experienced volunteer instructors (many of whom are French teachers) will lead group activities and workshops. You will have the choice of either intermediate or advanced activities.

We’ve thought of everything! You will have 15-minute breaks between workshops to refresh, stretch, get up, get a glass of water, etc. In addition, the lunch with break out rooms is optional, in case you wish to take a longer break. Our expert instructors will keep the workshop interactive and include some movement, etc. whenever possible. This will help keep you going!

If you wish, we encourage you to have a French-speaking friend at your home location who is also participating in the immersion day. That way, you can still interact in French during the breaks and downtime.

We are designing the weekend to be an enjoyable opportunity to become more comfortable with your speaking skills and to get to know other French speakers. It is a chance to get to know the varied Francophone cultures around the world. We think you will find that the weekend will go fast!

You will need a computer or a Smartphone with a camera to participate. You will be broken into small groups throughout the weekend, and it is important for your partner or small group to see who they are talking with.

We recommend attending via computer, as the screen is much larger, and the instructor may be sharing materials on the screen during the workshop. Using a phone may make it too small to see the French words and you won’t get as much out of the experience. You also only see one person at a time on the smaller screen and it can be harder to get a full sense of the group.

UMA will have a dedicated tech support line available. You can reach this person via chat, email, phone or Zoom. In addition, we plan to do a “tech test” a week before with all participants to troubleshoot any problems. That way, you can start the day with confidence.

Yes, French teachers are welcome to attend, either alone or with their students. There will be CEUs available. Please check the box to indicate that you wish to receive CEUs when you fill out the Immersion Day registration form. Please include payment for CEUs when you pay for your spot in the online store. It is $10 and you will see a separate CEU item to add to your cart.

Yes, there are a number of scholarships available.

French at UMA offers:

  • 2 scholarships for UMA students to attend. Email chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu a paragraph asking for a scholarship. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
  • 2 scholarships to French-speaking residents at Hope House in Portland to support this important work in the community. For more information on this organization, see https://hopeacts.org/.
  • 1 community scholarship to an individual in the community who cannot afford to attend. Email chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu a paragraph asking for a scholarship. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

AATF-Maine offers 3 scholarships: 1 for a French teacher and 2 for high school students.

AATF Scholarship info (doc)

Yes, you can either do the weekend as a stand-alone experience or take FRE 200E at UMA for college credit. This course counts towards the French minor at UMA as well as towards UMA’s French certificate (for dual enrollment students and non-matriculated students).

You will need to pay for this course as well as pay the registration fee for the weekend. You can sign up by calling the Enrollment Services Center at 207-621-3185 or the Registrar’s Office at 207-621-3079 for assistance.

If you have questions, contact chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu.

Event Staff and Sponsors

Julia and Chelsea
Julia Schulz and Chelsea Ray

In 2018 and 2019, Julia Schulz and Professor Chelsea Ray worked as co-coordinators for the immersion weekend. In 2020, Professor Ray took on the role as sole coordinator as Julia Schulz has stepped back to work on other projects in her role as Co-Director of the non-profit organization Speaking Place.

As Co-Founder and President of the Penobscot Bay Language School, Schulz was the heart and soul of this event for many years, and we pay tribute to her contribution, along with that of the Penobscot Bay Language School, by featuring her biography. We also have provided a brief history of how the immersion weekend came to be.

Scholarship sponsors for the weekend include the French at UMA, University of Maine, and the Maine Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French. A Small Grant from the National AATF is helping to support the weekend as well.

 Follow “Le Français au Bord de la Mer” on Facebook.

Donate to French at UMA!

By donating to French at UMA, you are supporting this kind of French language programming and help ensure that future students receive scholarships to the immersion weekend and other events. MERCI BEAUCOUP!

Please donate to our French Cultural Gifts here.