FLAME NEWS

VOLUME 17 No 2                                                                                               APRIL 2006

FLAME CONFERENCE 2006

English Is Not Enough

The casual observer at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine on March 9 and 10, 2006 could not help but overhear many animated conversations in a variety of languages as the FLAME Conference celebrated that  “English is not enough”.  From book groups to discussions on the learning of culture to presentations on technology, excitement about communicating in other languages abounded.

The keynote speaker, Gisela Hoerchel-Alden, engaged all those present at the FLAME pre-conference dinner to question what is true communication in her keynote speech English is not enough: Promoting Cultural Proficiency in a Global Community. “True communication in another language is far more than an exchange of information”, explained Hoerchel-Alden in the description of her talk.  “It is an affective and often highly emotional activity, which can either lead to stereotyping and ultimate rejection of another language and culture or can ensure that learners appreciate the other ways of viewing the world. If language teaching is to move students beyond learning about culture with a capital C and toward effective communication, the curriculum must include intercultural awareness-raising activities”.  

Hoerchel-Alden explained that cultural proficiency is not a fixed checklist of random facts about the target culture, but rather a true negotiation of meaning in the target language that incorporates cultural awareness. Quoting Claire Kramsch, Hoerchel-Alden pressed the point that “culture is not an expendable fifth skill” and challenged us to ask ourselves whether we are truly teaching the National Standards.

Hoerchel-Alden cautioned awareness of  “what message we are sending when we teach culture”.   “Upper case C” culture includes the usual checklist of holidays, foods, music, dance, customs, and artifacts.  But these are only the “tip of the iceberg” and Hoerchel-Alden emphasized that we need to teach “below the waterline” to include such things as concepts of beauty, cleanliness, childrearing, humor, personal space, work ethics, communicative styles, and body language. Hoerchel-Alden admitted that such cultural elements and concepts are not easy to impart but that teachers need to meet the challenge and incorporate them in their courses. She pointed out the importance of exploring our “mother culture” before we embark on such cultural lessons and that we can help students understand culture by emphasizing that behavior is consistent with beliefs. Students also need to acknowledge that acquiring culture is an emotional process that engenders a variety of reactions, including confusion, laughter, even anger. In addition, stereotyping is a very real danger when exploring another culture. Hoerchel-Alden explained that though a certain amount of stereotyping might initially be appropriate, it is useful to engage students in activities where they may be on the receiving end of a stereotype.  “The moment it is about you, it can be troubling.” This can help students become observers and participants at the same time.

Hoerchel-Alden described the three stages most students go through when discovering the target language and culture: the first is Initial Enthusiasm, which lasts about two weeks; Stage two is the Culture Shock phase, where the student in aware of his or her incompetence in the language; the third stage is Adjustment, whereby the student accepts his/her incompetence.  Some students at this stage are even curious about differences between the languages. Hoerchel-Alden encouraged us to view the role of the teacher as one who guides students through their “interpretations of the culture they see” as they progress through each phase.  Students can feel veritable culture shock when experiencing authentic videos, advertising, texts or while visiting another country. Hoerchel-Alden concluded by reminding all present that teachers need to remain cognizant of the emotional aspect that each stage brings and allow students the time to “find their inner voice”.

FLAME Awards recipients

Every year, at the annual Conference FLAME awards certain individuals for their contribution to the teaching and learning of foreign languages in Maine.  Here are the 2006 awards recipients, as presented by FLAME president, Janice Clain, on March 10, 2006.

Student of the Year

The FLAME student of the year for 2005-2006 is Allyson Ettinger, a student at Camden Hills. She is taking AP Spanish, as well as an independent study French / Spanish Teaching class. She scored a “790” on the SAT II Spanish test. Her two Spanish teachers state that she is the most outstanding student they have ever taught, and they’ve been teaching a long time. She is the only student to have earned a 100 average in Spanish 4 and she completed the AP Spanish Literature list in one semester. She has studied and continues to learn French in an independent study class in which she and a friend teach each other French and Spanish, and which they have titled “Espançais”. She has studied Japanese at the Penobscot School in Rockland, and has helped eighth graders with translations in that language. As an example of her community service, she organized an International Night as a fundraiser for tsunami victims, inviting exchange students, teachers and “world travelers. She helped to raise about $1500 with and auction of international items at the event. She also wrote and played one of the principal roles in her school’s one act play.

Teacher of the Year

The FLAME Teacher of the year for 2005-2006 is Suzanne Janelle, who teaches at Cape Elizabeth Middle School.  She has been teaching since 1972, since 1989 in her present position. She has presented at FLES and FLAME conferences and has worked with the state’s Assessment Design Committee, as well as led an Assessment Initiative workshop at the Center for Applied Linguistics. She is LAS coordinator for the World Languages Team at her school.  Her colleagues and former students testified to her innovative methods, including the use of puppets to facilitate linguistic and cultural lessons, her varied thematic units and interdisciplinary activities, such as music and computer projects.

Leader of the Year

The FLAME Leader of the Year for the 2005-2006 is Catherine Hobby, who teaches at the Lunt School in Falmouth. She has been an invaluable asset, not only to the teaching staff and the students in her own school, but to all the members of AATF and FLAME.  On the local level, she has created curriculum and assessments for the elementary French programs in her system, and she has worked on curriculum review and alignment to the Maine Learning Results. At the state level, she has served as president and secretary of FLAME, compiles and distributes the FLAME newsletter, was instrumental in producing the advocacy video, The Many Faces of Maine, that all attendees at last year’s conference relieved. She has made workshop presentations at the annual FLAME and FLES conferences. When AATF desperately needed leadership, our award recipient stepped in and helped to form a team to keep the organization going.  At the national level, she has been a delegate to ACTFL and to NECTFL, and she has earned national certification and has served as a mentor to others who also aspired to the same level of professionalism. With all those time-consuming activities, she still manages to oversee the FLAME Listserv and keep all of us informed about anything and everything that we might need or want to maintain our own professional standing.

2

Sister Solange Bernier Award

Claudette O’Connell, who teaches at Brewer High School, is the well-deserving recipient of the Sister Solange Bernier Lifetime Achievement Award for 2005-2006.  She has devoted more than 25 years to instructing and inspiring her students, mentoring and leading her colleagues, and serving her school, her district and the educators of the state,. A proud Franco-American, she has taught French language, including courses in AP Language and AP Literature. Her students have consistently placed in the top 10 in the state on the Grand Concours, and 5 of her students have placed in the top 10 in the country.  In addition to her teaching duties, she has organized and led foreign trips, and has inspired her students and colleagues to be world trawlers, as she herself is. In her school, she has served as department chair, chair of the NEASC accreditation steering committee, as president of the local teachers’ association, has also been a delegate to state and national educators’ conventions, and presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Maine Education Association. She was instrumental in establishing and maintaining the Penobscot Foreign Language collaborative, and served for a number of years as treasurer of FLAME. A colleague stated that our reward recipient “seizes every opportunity to help students expand their knowledge of language and culture, is a mentor to her colleagues, and is the embodiment of the word teacher.” She received the Distinguished Teacher in her own school in 2004.

 The Conference Committee, who made it all happen!  From left to right:  Frank Troyan, Hassina Taylor, Marlies Reppenhagen, Catherine Hobby, Myra Thivierge, Dennis Glidden, Mary Lord, Carl Hevey, and Dennis Gallagher.

Réunion de AATF Maine

            The AATF Maine meeting was held at the FLAME Conference on March 10, 2006 in Portland, Maine.  The meeting was called to order by president Catherine Hobby who started off with a talk Pourquoi Etre Membre de AATF?.  Among the many benefits of being member of AATF she emphasized that each membership supports the National efforts to bring to the forefront issues of concern to all French teachers and to advocate and promote the learning of French. “Plus nous sommes nombreux, plus nous sommes visibles.”

            Secretary Priscille Michaud invited all those present to nominate a student for our Bourse Laurianna Boucher.  The deadline for that $300 award is now April 26, 2006.  (FMI see below.) Grand Concours manager Gail Carville also gave a report on the status of the national contest. 

Catherine Hobby has tried to launch a couple of new programs this past year and reported on progress to date.  One goal is to create Student Immersions around the state. Lyn Ballou has taken the lead and is organizing a first meeting of all interested teachers March 27, at 3:30 at the Borders in Brunswick.  The date and location of the student immersion are yet to be determined. Another goal is to create AATF book groups.  Hobby has gathered names and will plan organizational meetings.  More will be forthcoming.

            Past-president Irène Marchenay reported on efforts to revive the Alliance Française du Maine. AATF Maine, L’Ecole Française du Maine, and the Alliance will work together to this end.  A first event, a wine tasting, will be held at the Ecole Française du Maine in South Freeport on March 30^th.

            Also on the agenda was the election of officers.   The following slate of officers for 2006-2007 was unanimously approved: President, Katharine Harrington; Vice-President, Ray Pelletier; Treasurer, Sylvie Charron; Secretary, Priscille Michaud. Anne Moreau-Burg has agreed to take on the Grand Concours.

The meeting ended with vice-president Ray Pelletier and treasurer Sylvie Charron giving an update on the MAT French program started by the University of Maine system with courses offered this summer on college campuses throughout the state. (FMI see page 14.) 

For more information on AATF Maine visit http://www.angelfire.com/me4/aatfmaine/ .  For membership applications, useful teacher resources and links visit the national website at www.frenchteachers.org .

After a few more delightful poems…we departed, “con el corazón lleno de amor…” “e com saudade.”

                        We are most grateful to Jenny Oulton for the wonderful and thorough job she has done as president of the García Lorca Chapter – to bring the cultures together – and for her selfless dedication.    Gracias/obrigada Jenny!

Note: De Amor y Travesía is Kátia Sherman.’s first published book of poetry. It was launched in Madrid in

February 2006, by Ediciones Torremozas. As the title suggests, the book explores the theme of love both

from its ephemeral and circumstantial aspects, as well as from its life changing lessons and trials.   Copies are available at $10 from the author at ksherman@brunswick.k12.me.us, or directly from the publisher at www.torremozas.com

Update from the Maine Department of Education

by Don Reutershan of the Maine Department of Education

Learning Results Implementation and Assessment

During the current session of the Maine Legislature, the Commissioner of Education has made the following recommendations to the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. A final bill will need approval by the Legislature.Place a moratorium on the requirements for Local Assessment Systems (LAS). In Informational Letter #85, the Commissioner stated that “the moratorium as applied to the Local Assessment System would be a legally authorized period of delay, a waiting period set by the Legislature to redefine strategies most likely to succeed in implementing the assessment part of the Maine Learning Results.  This will require a modification to current statutes and Chapter 127.” [Chapter 127: Instructional Program, Assessment, and Diploma Requirements] Maintain current graduation dates associated with achievement of Learning Results. [2012 for Modern and Classical Languages] Place an emphasis on K-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

§         Define a core curriculum for high school.

§         Design end of course common assessments for high school in ELA, Mathematics and Science.

§         Maintain credit requirements for standards in other content areas.

§         Provide Learning Results endorsements.

Additionally, the Commissioner has stated previously that the K-12 curriculum implementation requirements for Career Preparation, Modern & Classical Languages, and Visual & Performing Arts remain in effect for the 2007-2008 school year.

Future work with LAD (Local Assessment Development) tasks for Modern and Classical Languages is on hold until legislative decisions are made concerning the LAS moratorium.

Once the Learning Results Review for Modern and Classical Languages has been completed, the Department will reconvene the State Advisory Committee for Modern and Classical Languages to provide recommendations for future planning and actions.

Learning Results Review

At the same time that the Learning Results were adopted in 1996, the State Legislature mandated that the Learning Results be reviewed starting in 2004. Our profession and world have changed in many ways since the 1990s. The movement from a manufacturing-based economy to an information-based economy has accelerated. Technology is a growing part of our lives and our workplaces. We know more about how people learn, about future economic trends and about the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the future. In addition, we increasingly apply cognitive research to instructional strategies to improve student learning.

Today is an opportune and critical time to think about the skills and knowledge that will be needed by the students who will graduate from our schools 15-20 years from now. This review provides Maine with the chance to plan for the welfare and success of the next generation. The Commissioner of Education is committed to a thoughtful and research-based review of the Learning Results that anticipates the future needs of the young people of Maine. It is our intent that the review process build toward the future while honoring those aspects of the Learning Results that allow us to clearly identify and assess essential knowledge and skills.

Additional information about the Learning Results Review, including the work of the Content Area Panels, is available at http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/review/.  The Department of Education anticipates that the proposed revised standards document for Modern and Classical Languages, accompanied by an online survey, will be available for review beginning April 1, 2006 at http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/review/revised_mlr_standards.htm.

Any proposed changes to the language of the standards or performance indicators in any of the eight content areas of the Learning Results will need approval of the Maine Legislature during its initial session in 2007.  When and if any changes are made, they will not be made earlier than the 2007-2008 school year. The Commissioner will recommend that changes be phased in over a period of years, beginning with the early elementary grade span, to ensure that students learning under the current standards will be given fair notice and time to prepare for assessments under the revised standards.

 Portland Maine Ambushed!

            Linguistically ambushed that is! The FLAME Year of Languages committee gathered a few language teachers to ambush the Old Port on November 10, 2005 during lunchtime. This was to make people aware that 2005 was the Year of Languages as decreed by the US Congress and proclaimed by Governor Baldacci. The teachers wanted to emphasize the importance of learning of Foreign Languages in Maine to compete in a global economy, to better serve our tourists, and for our own personal pleasure and curiosity! Donning YOL caps, the teachers asked passers-by "What time is it?" in the language they teach. The plan was to ambush Portland in Chinese, French, German, Spanish, and Swedish. Seventy-seven percent of the people asked offered no response, showing that they did not understand the question. Fourteen percent responded correctly in English, showing that they understood the question but could not respond in the language. Nine percent responded correctly in the foreign language. The teachers asked what other languages people spoke and found one person who responded in Russian, two from the Sudan whose language was Achoric, one person who spoke Chinese, one who spoke Portuguese, and one ASL. Channel 8 filmed the event and interviewed Chris Gram and Catherine Hobby during the ambush.                                                                                                            

Catherine Hobby, editor

Teachers on the Go!

The MATSL Program-A great way for working teachers to get ahead!

by Emily Davison, Modern Language Teacher, Yarmouth HS

Hello FLAME colleagues!  The purpose of this article is two-fold, to inform you about a Master’s Program that is designed for working teachers like yourself, and to make you aware that FLAME annually provides Professional Financial Awards to teachers for endeavors that promote the use of modern and classical languages in Maine.  I am currently a Spanish and French teacher at Yarmouth High School and a first-year graduate student at Bennington College (Bennington, VT) in the Spanish MATSL program.  MATSL stands for a Master of Arts in Teaching a Second Language and there are two programs available, one in Spanish and the other in French.   With an undergraduate degree in French and education, and plenty of undergraduate Spanish courses to put me in the “Highly Qualified” teaching category, I wanted a Master’s degree in Spanish to round out my education, and to improve my teaching practice.  My search for a graduate program in Spanish brought me some frustration, as there are currently no Spanish Master’s degree programs in the state of Maine.  So, I looked beyond the borders of Maine and researched other schools: Middlebury, UNH, and various other universities that had summer programs in Hispanic speaking countries.   It was through this journey that I found the MATSL program.  The MATSL program is a two-year, low-residency Master’s program that consists of two residency terms (three weeks on the Bennington, Vermont campus in July) and 2 non-residency terms (from September-June with one final week on campus).

 Last July I started my 3-week intensive program on campus in Bennington, VT. I lived in a college dorm with 7 other Spanish students and 8 French students.  All of the students in the MATSL program are working K-12 Spanish and French teachers from all over the United States-California, Missouri, Massachusetts, Michigan, Vermont, and Georgia to name a few.  All of the students share a love and a passion for language and teaching.   Over the course of the three weeks I took three classes, Experience and Analysis, Integrating Technology into the Foreign Language Curriculum, and an Action Research Seminar.  The Experience and Analysis course wove language and culture together with pedagogy and assessment through the study of the Spanish Civil War.  These classes were conducted daily from early morning through late afternoon and were entirely in Spanish.  All meal times were also entirely in Spanish.

 The Technology course was for all MATSL students, regardless of language.  We met every afternoon during the school week.  The projects that we worked on (blogs, podcasts, and videos) were designed in the target language.  The Action Research Seminar was an introduction to Action Research, and met on Saturdays with a lot of group work in between.

 In September I started the non-residency term.  The non-residency term is during the school year and consists of two on-line courses. It took me a little while to get used to the nature of on-line courses (I missed the face-to-face interactions with my professors and colleagues) but I have adjusted and am now more than half-way through my two classes, Spanish Language and Culture, and Action Research.  In the Language and Culture class we are focusing on Argentine history and politics. Some of the texts that we are reading include Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges, Don Segundo Sombra by Ricardo Güiraldes, and La invención de Morel by Adolfo Bioy Caseres, in addition to many short stories, poems and various chapters from texts (available on-line and in print).  Every week I have a reading assignment and a writing assignment (a reaction, essay, or lesson plan in Spanish that I post on EZ-Board, an on-line community discussion board).  The weekly workload is between 4 and 6 hours. 

The Action Research course requires a bit more time.  The workload averages about 8 hours a week.  So far this year, I have come up with a line of inquiry, defined an overarching action research question (in addition to several sub-questions), designed and carried out several research designs (each research cycle lasts 1 month), searched for existing research related to my topic, and created an expanded conceptual framework.  I am currently collecting and analyzing data from my students for my current research cycle. The idea behind action research is to focus on one area of your teaching practice that you wish to learn more about and improve, for the benefit of you, your students, and the wider educational community.

The program is intense, but I would expect no less of a Master’s program.  I feel that I am being pushed both intellectually and linguistically and that I am growing as a professional.  The professors at Bennington are highly skilled and care about your progress as a student.  I hope that I have given you a snapshot of what this program looks like and I am happy to share more information with you.  Please feel free to contact me via email me at Emily_Davison@yarmouth.k12.me.us  or check out the MATSL website at http://www.bennington.edu/acad_grad_matsl.asp . You may also contact the Assistant Director, Nancy Pearlman, by e-mail: npearl@bennington.ed 
by phone: 802-440-4710 or by mail:  Nancy Pearlman, Bennington College, 1 College Drive, Bennington, VT 05201. 

I want to conclude this article with a huge thanks to FLAME for their support and a message of hope and encouragement to all of my FLAME colleagues in their pursuit of higher education and professional development! For more information regarding the FLAME Professional Financial Awards please check out the following website: http://www.umaine.edu/flame/policies_of_financial_awards.htm 

MATSL Students-Summer 2005

My experiences in Perú

by  Nancy Cushing Sparacio,  recipient of the New Teacher Scholarship

     I wanted to go to Perú. But, I didn’t just want to go to a language school or merely travel as a tourist, I wanted to take my ability to communicate in Spanish and use it to get to know the locals while doing some sort of volunteer work. So, I scoured the Internet for possibilities.      Being a fairly new teacher I don’t have a lot of funds to work with and so I looked for an organization that didn’t require a huge payment to volunteer my time and services. It’s somewhat of an enigma to me as to why certain organizations charge an inordinate amount of money just to be able to go to a particular country and help out where help is desperately needed. Anyway, I came across Angeles que Aguardan, a grassroots organization located in Perú. The director and founder, Jenny Torres, is a young mother with the desire to help the poorest of her fellow Peruvians. She runs her organization from a home office where she can attend to her young daughter while having the love and support of her parents and the rest of her family. Her parents often play host to the many volunteers who come to Perú with a desire to make a difference and they do a wonderful job of providing clean, safe bedrooms, a separate (but-shared by the volunteers) bathroom with a shower, laundry facilities, and three meals daily from Monday through Saturday. I was able to have a single room, as I requested, and there were three other young female volunteers staying in Jenny’s home at the same time that I was there. A house just across from where we were located played host to two other American volunteers who had gone through a well-known volunteer organization only to arrive at the same destination. In fact, they paid approximately $2000 for a month of volunteer work (with most of the money going to pay for advertising costs), while those of us who went directly through Angeles que Aguardan paid less than $300 for the same length of time, accommodations and volunteer placements. It pays to research your options! I was also fortunate enough to receive the New Teacher Scholarship from F.L.A.M.E.  that helped to make this trip a possibility.
     Angeles que Aguardan offers its volunteers the following choices of cities in which to stay: Cusco,Huancayo, Trujillo and Chiclayo. I chose Trujillo because it is located near the Pacific Ocean in a desert climate. Most days were warm and sunny, after the morning fog burned off, and the nights were very comfortable for sleeping. Perú has opposite seasons than the northern hemisphere and therefore it was the beginning of winter when I arrived on June 24th. The average daily temperature range was from the mid 60s to lower 70s. The sun is very strong, but being near the equator, the days are fairly equally divided between daylight and darkness.
     I first landed in Lima and chose to stay at a hotel that offered free transportation in from the airport. I also had them arrange a car and driver to take me on a tour the next day to see the sights of Lima. The cost was $8 / hour and my driver was very informative, as well as friendly.
    After two days in Lima, I flew to Trujillo. The flight cost less than $200 and I arranged it ahead of my arrival to Perú via Trafico-on-line (www.mitrafico.net). I could have taken a bus instead for much less, but it would have taken about 8 hours and although the buses are clean and efficient, they sometimes do not have toilet facilities and make no stops. There have been instances of buses being hijacked and all passengers robbed, so this can be a concern as well. The plane ride was excellent and we were served a sandwich, which is a rarity these days on such a short flight. Angeles que Aguardan can arrange to have someone meet you at the airport and that was my desire; however, the actual time of my arrival was very different from what I had e-mailed earlier and when I arrived, no one was there to meet me. Luckily a woman, a medical doctor, was there and saw that I was in need of some assistance. She was waiting for her brother to show up and they generously offered to give me a ride to wherever I was headed. I found the telephone number for Señora Torres and after breaking down in the desert for about 20 minutes we wound our way through Trujillo until we found her house.
     Why Perú? Why go by myself to a country in which I had never been before? Well, after I visited Nicaragua with a delegation from my church in 2004, I felt inexplicably drawn to Perú. My ultimate goal was to get a feel for the Peruvian way of life, make a difference in the lives of others and go it alone. I was testing myself and my ability to communicate effectively in a foreign language while dealing with the mishaps that always seem to occur while traveling. I wanted to experience the rhythm of daily life there, get an idea of the history of the nation, and also to listen to the people as they discussed their hopes and fears for themselves, their families and their country. I am fully aware that what I experienced is only representative of some of the people of Perú, since it is a fact that different cultures exist within any given set of political boundaries. I have often studied in other countries and truly believe in the benefits of  immersion, but this time I wanted to do more than just “study,” and volunteering gave me the chance to do something meaningful.     

Once settled, Jenny and I discussed what kind of volunteering placement she had in mind for me. Before leaving the United States, I expressed to her my desire to work with children and had been told that I would be working in an orphanage, but that was all I knew. She placed me in a group of volunteers who were working in the public orphanage for boys run by the government. Half of them were working with boys ranging in age from 5 to 12 years and the other half were working with the teenagers. I went to work with the teens. It wasn’t difficult to get to know these young men, as they were very eager to meet foreigners and enjoyed interacting with us. The major problems we encountered were: limited supplies (we basically used whatever we could bring with us) and a lack of cooperation from the directors of the orphanage. There were times when we could help the boys with their studies, but they were few-and-far-between. Most of the time we didn’t know what to expect when we arrived. Would the boys be doing laundry? Cleaning their bunk areas? Being reprimanded? Playing a game of soccer? Having a birthday celebration? We didn’t know. When we did try to organize a game for them to play, the students would be called away for various reasons. We found this only to be the case with the teenage boys. The group working with the younger boys had a much better experience. We did go on a trip to the countryside with the entire orphanage in tow and found that to be a fun and rewarding day.
     After two weeks of this and several discussions with Jenny, who tried to get this placement to work, she decided to remove us from this orphanage and have us work in a private orphanage for girls (and boys under the age of 3) run by the Catholic church. We found this to be a much better situation. We all worked with a different age group, mine being the toddlers. It was my job to take care of their basic needs, play with them and show them the love that they craved, while the Sisters running the orphanage could focus on tutoring those girls who were struggling in their studies and attend to the basic operations of the facility. In both cases, we were expected to work 3 hours daily (Monday - Friday) in the orphanages and had the rest of the time to to take care of our personal needs, check out the sights of Trujillo and its surrounding area, and interact with the locals.
     Trujillo is located near the desert ruins of the Chimú people called Chan Chan, which is said to be the remains of the largest pre-Hispanic adobe pueblo in Latin America. Another nearby attraction is a wonderful pyramid museum located in Chiclayo displaying an unbelievable amount of artifacts associated with an ancient local population. Another popular destination is the beach at Huanchaco. It’s only a short taxi drive away from downtown Trujillo and there is a collection of huts on the beach that sell local crafts and souvenirs. You can also learn to surf from one of the many surfing schools or take a ride on one of the hand crafted boats made from reeds that grow in abundance along the coast. The Moche temples of the Sun and Moon and the tallest adobe structure in the Americas are some other sights that are very popular with tourists. Trujillo itself is a charming city with colorful colonial architecture and the largest Plaza Mayor in Perú with a lovely Basilica. The market area is a short walk from the Plaza Mayor and bargains abound. There you can get clothing, shoes and jewelry at terrific prices, if you can handle the crowds.
     I learned a great deal about Perú from my host family. They were eager to tell me stories dealing with the history of their country and to describe many of the social issues that plague this country today.  Peruvians are very proud and they will tell you that their country should in no way be considered “third-world.” A good amount of the people there have access to education and many go on to continue their studies after finishing their secondary education. One huge problem is unemployment. If a Peruvian is lucky enough to land a “professional” job, it isn’t often that he or she will voluntarily leave this position. There are many people living in poverty, but there are also many people who are surviving in what I would describe as a working-class situation. I saw people being very resourceful in finding ways to make enough money to get by on a daily basis. The goal of most of the people with whom I spoke was to become a “professional.” This means that you have a decent job that is fairly secure. A post-secondary education is required to achieve such a goal and even then, the opportunities are few. Many Peruvians are leaving the country to find work. Since there is basically no language barrier and with the high unemployment rate in Perú, it is not surprising that Spain is actively recruiting Peruvians to fill low-paying positions, mainly in the service industry. Most of the people I met knew of someone or had a relative living and working in Spain. Many were talking about making the move themselves.
     So, now the question is, “Was it worth the effort and would I do it again?” Yes, on both counts. I learned a great deal about Perú and its people and hopefully I did some small amount of good where it was needed. In the process, I learned so much about myself. There is no way that I could have gained such insight other than through an experience such as this. My next trip? Guatemala.
* For more information on Angeles que Aguardan check out their web site: http://www.geocities.com/angelesqueaguardan

Catherine McAuley High School

Academic Cultural Exchange

by Terrilynn Dubreuil

Catherine McAuley High School is in the second year of an Academic Cultural Exchange with a school in Santiago de Chile.  A teacher in Chile who had been an exchange student in Maine started the exchange with Cheverus a few years ago and the program has expanded to include McAuley.  The Chilean students come to Maine during March, and the Maine students go to live with families and attend school in Santiago during our summer vacation. 

 Beyond attending classes, there are many field trips to get to know the area and activities to get to know people.  In Chile the Maine group skied in the Andes, toured Pablo Neruda’s home, la Moneda (the presidential palace and site of the 1973 military coup), and el Congreso.  But the highlight was making new friends and second “families”.  The students say they will never be the same.

 A plus for this trip is traveling in the group of 6-8 students with a teacher from the home school.  For students who would be uncomfortable alone, this gives a safe initial experience.  The group exchange also spreads the experience to a wider audience at school and encourages everyone to be more understanding of other cultures.  It strengthens international ties between countries and helps young people to understand that others are not “weird” but different and intriguing.  Many of the experiences last a lifetime and pass from one generation to another. 

 Please check out the Blog for details on the experiences and comments from the students who went.  Also visit the WebShots site to see more photos.  The Chilean school link is below. If you are interested in more information, contact Terrilynn Dubreuil at:  tdubita@yahoo.com

http://mcauleyhs.blogspot.com

http://community.webshots.com/user/mcauleyhs

http://www.cph-cja.cl/

US & Chilean students at la Moneda

      Santiago, Chile (Aug.2005)                                      Reunion in Maine (Feb. 2006)

Mark Your Calendars!

                PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT                  

FTPRS with Blaine Ray in Maine!!

¥ Lunch Provided

¥  $170.00*/Both days

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*Register by September 15 2006 and pay only  $150.  Save $20!!!

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Master of Arts in Teaching French

Background and Purpose

There is a critical need statewide for more and more qualified teachers of Modern Languages. As a first response, the M.A.T. in French at the University of Maine has been redesigned in a collaborative effort involving the campuses of the University of Maine System and Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin Colleges to better meet the needs of Maine’s K-12 teachers of French.  The revised program is summer-institute based with an intensive, immersion format, and courses will also be offered state-wide through technology during the academic year. 

The program is intended for master’s candidates who are currently teaching at the K-12 level and who hold conditional, transitional, provisional, professional, or targeted needs certification in French. This degree is designed to provide candidates with both the advanced level mastery in language and culture and the pedagogical knowledge they need for full certification from the Maine State Department of Education. It is congruent with the new guidelines for Modern and Classical Language Teacher Endorsement.

Teachers who are already fully certified in language education and who want to pursue the MAT will take additional courses in French language and culture (or they may opt to study a second foreign language at the intermediate level or higher) in lieu of the courses leading to certification.

Maine State Teachers Institute Courses Summer 2006

Offered jointly by the universities of the University of Maine System in conjunction with Bates, Bowdoin and Colby Colleges:

Degree Requirements

4 Courses in film, literature, linguistics, language, and/or cultural history at the 500 level.  (Taught in French, 12 cr.)

For more program information, contact Prof. Raymond Pelletier at 207-581-422 or at Raymond.Pelletier@umit.maine.edu

Course Delivery Mode

Courses in French and education are offered in the Maine State Teachers Summer Institute and via distance education during the academic year.  It will be possible to complete the 30 required credits in two summers (12 credits x 2) and one academic year (6 credits).  Credits from other courses offered at participating institutions may, upon approval by the Graduate Coordinator at UM, be counted toward the M.A.T.

Admission

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree, have successfully completed 24 credit hours (or equivalent) in French and submit GRE scores.  Application forms are available from the Graduate School at 207-581-3219 or online at www.umaine.edu/graduate/onlineap.htm 

M.A.T. Advisory Council

Nancy Bouzrara, Ph.D., University of Southern Maine

Sylvie Charron, Ph.D., University of Maine at Farmington

Charlotte Daniels, Ph.D., Bowdoin College

Katharine Harrington, Ph.D., Consortium Universities of Maine at Fort Kent, Presque Isle and  Machias

Sue Huseman, Ph.D., University of Maine System

Claudette O’Connell, M.A.T., Brewer High School

Anne Pooler, Ed.D., University of Maine

Raymond Pelletier, Ph.D, University of Maine, Program Coordinator

Kirk Read, Ph.D., Bates College

Jane Smith, Ph.D., University of Maine

French Immersion Program in Saint-Georges, Beauce, Québec

June 24th to July 1st

Improve your French -- All Levels Welcome!

Challenge yourself and have fun! Make new friends on the other side of "la frontière"

French Immersion Program features:

• Language instruction taught by local teachers

• Home stays with families for a total immersion experience, including sharing meals with host families.

• Visits to Québec City and other points of interest.

• Activities with local residents, such as pétanque.

• Visits to museums, parks, churches, historical sites, and artisans’ studios

Spanish Immersion in El Salvador

 June 25th to July 2nd, 2006

 Join the Founders of Let's Talk Language School and  Spanish Teacher and El Salvadoran Native,  Sonia Aldalgiza Zepeda Stevenson for a

Central American Adventure!

All Levels of Spanish Speakers Welcome!

FMI contact Let's Talk Language School, 31 Temple Street, Waterville

207-873-0432, sbuchsbaum@letstalklanguageschool.org

Regina Coppens

Let's Talk Language School

Waterville, ME 04901

207-873-0432

www.letstalklanguageschool.org

Penobscot School

Penobscot School offers weekly language classes, weekend workshops, immersions programs, and special celebrations throughout the year, all geared toward language learning and international cultural exchange by the people of Maine and all over the world.

March-May   Weekly conversation lunches (French, Spanish, Italian, German) & monthly potluck suppers (Italian, Russian, French, Spanish) open to all levels. http://www.languagelearning.org/conversation

MARCH

3     Cena Comune: Italian potluck supper open to all levels  http://www.languagelearning.org/Italian
4     Beginning French for Travelers Workshop, Fundamentals  http://www.languagelearning.org/French

10   Russki Uzhin: Russian potluck supper open to all levels  http://www.languagelearning.org/Russian

11   Beginning Spanish for Travelers Workshop, Fundamentals  http://www.languagelearning.org/Spanish

12   Tea, Music & Photographs of 1953 Japan & Korea  http://www.languagelearning.org/JapanesePhotos1953.htm

14-May 2   Practical Japanese for Beginners, 7 weeks of Tuesday classes  http://www.languagelearning.org/japanese.html

15   Submission deadline for Keiko Takahashi Scholarship applications of Maine residents who wish to attend July or August 2006 English Immersion Program at Penobscot School  http://www.languagelearning.org/pressrelease040204.html

17   La Petite Soirée: French apéritif hors d'oeuvres open to all levels  http://www.languagelearning.org/French

18   Tuscan Style Italian Cooking Workshop in English  http://www.languagelearning.org/ItalianCooking2006  

24   Cena y Cine: Spanish film & potluck supper open to all levels  http://www.languagelearning.org/Spanish

25   Beginner French for Travelers Workshop, Finer Points  http://www.languagelearning.org/FrenchTravelers2006

25   Beginner Spanish for Travelers Workshop, Finer Points  http://www.languagelearning.org/SpanishTravelers2006

APRIL

1    Beginning Italian II Saturday Workshop

1    German Immersion Day, intermediate

7    Cena Comune

8    Beginning Arabic II Saturday Workshop

8    Beginning Spanish II Saturday Workshop

14  Russki Uzhin

20-24   Accès Cinéma Africain (French language & film immersion) and

27-30   Real Africa (a special teachers’ seminar) at 2006 Vues d'Afrique Festival in Montreal  http://www.languagelearning.org/AfricanCinema2006.htm

28   Beginning Italian for Travelers, Day I

29   Beginner Chinese for Travelers Workshop with Native Speaker, Nan Ye

MAY

5    Cena Comune

6    Beginning Italian for Travelers, Day II

6    Beginning French II, Saturday Workshop

7    Maibowle: German Springtime Celebration

12  Russki Uzhin

13  Beginning Russian II Saturday Workshop

13  Beginning German II Saturday Workshop

19  La Petite Soirée

19-21  Italian Immersion Weekend, Intermediate level

JUNE

2-4    Spanish Immersion Weekend, Intermediate Level

9-11   French Immersion Weekend, Intermediate Level

16-18  Chinese Immersion Weekend, Intermediate Level

17      Tuscan Style Italian Cooking Workshop in English

http://www.languagelearning.org/ItalianCooking2005-2006.htm

26-14   Start of weekly & daily summer foreign language classes for adults & children

JULY

8-29   English Immersion Program, July 8-29  http://www.languagelearning.org/english.html#summerenglish

14   Juillet Diner Français: Bastille Day Celebration, July 14

31-3   Teacher Training Seminar, 4 mornings through 8/3

AUGUST

5-26   English Immersion Program, August 5-26  http://www.languagelearning.org/english.html#summerenglish

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To learn more about Penobscot School: http://www.languagelearning.org/about.html

For special language requests, contact Victoria Scott at 975-3316 or vscott@languagelearning.org

For info about courses, special programs and events, we encourage you to visit our web site at: http://www.languagelearning.org/immweekends.html

Professional Development

LANGUAGE COURSES:

Courses taught in Orono:

French:

FRE 101: Elementary French I, 6/26-7/14, M-F 9:15-12:00

 (Session 11)

 FRE 102: Elementary French II, 7/17-8/4, M-F 9:15-12:00

 (Session 14)

 FRE 598: Projects in French II - Québec Institute: Tournée littéraire

de la région de la ville de Québec, 6/25-July 3, Travel Study.

German:

GER 101: Elementary German I, 6/26-7/14, M-F 9:00-1:00

 (Session 11)

 GER 102: Elementary German II, 7/17-8/4, M-F 9:00-1:00

 (Session 14)

Spanish:

SPA 203: Intermediate Spanish I, 6/26-7/14, M-F 9:15-12:00

 (Session 11)

 SPA 204: Intermediate Spanish II, 7/17-8/4, M-F 9:15-12:00

 (Session 14)

Course taught in Farmington:

FRE 477: Topics in French Culture: Tradition orale dans le cinéma et la littérature, 7/24-7/28, times TBA.

Course taught in Belfast (Hutchinson Center):

SPA 403: Cervantes, June 19 - June 23, 9am - 4pm.

SPA 305: Applied Spanish, July 10- July 14, 9am - 4pm

SPA 490: The Latin American Novel, July 17-July 21, 9am - 4pm

 METHODS COURSES:

 Both courses meet one week in Orono, after which projects and assignments will be completed on-line.