FEBRUARY 7, 2020 — The Alliance Française de San Antonio and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at UTSA have partnered to present Journeé de la Francophonie (French-Speaking Day) at the Main Campus. More than 250 French language students from area high schools have registered to participate in the first “total immersion” French experience of its kind on a San Antonio university campus.
“The idea is to give students a wonderful, motivating experience outside the classroom. It will be as if they stepped off a plane in France, Canada or any other French-speaking country for a day, and they will hear and speak only French throughout the day,” said Charles Matt, Alliance Française’s president.
The Consul General of France, Alexis Andres, will travel from his headquarters in Houston to attend the special event.
—CHARLES MATT, President of Alliance Française de San Antonio
French-Speaking Day, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, is free and open to select San Antonio high school students who are studying French.
The unique day of enrichment has been in the works for nearly a year. French lecturer at UTSA Isabelle Hall is coorganizer of the interactive and diversity event. This partnership has also recruited a slew of French-speaking teachers and volunteers.
The inaugural, daylong event is aimed at Northside Independent School District, North East Independent School District and St. Mary’s Hall high school students. Each participating high school has chosen to represent a French-speaking country or region’s food, customs, practices or economics. For example, John Jay High School will represent Morocco, Marshall High School chose Algiers and Taft High School chose Senegal. The grand vision is to expand this francophonic program to include other districts in the years to come.
The students, Matt said, “will be participating in a variety of competitive events, including video making, sight reading, singing, poetry reading and diction. There will also be noncompetitive events for students, such as pétanque.”
The outdoor game pétanque is similar to Britain’s lawn bowling or Italy’s bocce. Pétanque is played in French-speaking countries around the world, including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, India and many others.
⇒ For more information, contact Charles Matt via email or by calling (210) 831-4157, or send an email to UTSA’s Isabelle Hall.
The French-themed events will take place inside and outside of the McKinney Humanities Building. Students will also participate in noncompetitive events such as karaoke, a photo booth and a scavenger hunt inspired by a popular French television game show called Fort Bayard.
Alliance Française’s Matt will also play the starring role of Pére Fouras, who will provide participants with clues to help them find a hidden treasure chest. Fort Boyard was built by Napoleon Bonaparte in the 1800s. It has served as a garrison, a prison and now the location for the French TV game show.
Houston-based Sweet Paris Créperie, which opened its first San Antonio location in La Cantera recently, will also hold crepe-making demonstrations and sponsored the event.
The opening ceremony is scheduled at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the McKinney building. A breakfast for volunteers is at 8 a.m. on the third floor and will be the information center for competition results throughout the day.
All visiting students and volunteers are advised to use only Employee A and B and unmarked student commuter spaces. All other parking spaces are off limits and will be monitored by UTSA officials on the day of the event. Lot BK5 is reserved for 15-passenger vans and unaffiliated school/shuttle buses.
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