Left to Right: Nafisa Asad, Emma Doak, Sophia Di Iorio, and Olivia Di Iorio.
Downers Grove North High students participated in the 8th annual Journée Intensive en Français, an all-day French immersion program uniquely for high school students, held at Dominican University on Saturday, March 5, 2016. Together with 27 neighboring schools and more than 125 persons, everyone pledged to speak only French for the entire day – from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Those who participated included 113 high school students, 14 French teacher-participants, which included Martha Behlow, the president of the American Association of Teachers of French Chicago/Northern Illinois chapter, which sponsors the program, 19 staff members, and two honored guests, Madame Kerith Iverson, attachée aux affaires publiques et gouvernementales de la Délégation du Québec au Midwest et M. Vincent Floreani, Consul de France in Chicago.
The participants ate a French breakfast of chocolat chaud et croissants, passed through customs, played board games, and sang and danced to the beat of djembe, African drums. The Senegalese drummer and singer, Idy Ciss, and his djembe players entertained the students and involved them as well in French African song and dance. Students prepared original skits called “situations” and played word games to further communication in French. Le Temps des Cathédrales and La Joconde, moi! centered on the culture of the francophone world, specifically art and architecture, and Le Mystère au Navire and Mon Coloc Idéal ou Ma Coloc Idéale, communication.
A highlight of the event was a Chasse au Trésor (Treasure Hunt) on the Dominican University campus. Students had to understand and to follow French clues to find the various stations, and then either answer cultural questions or carry out a variety of activities successfully before moving on to a new station. Prizes were awarded to the first two groups that completed the most stations in the time allowed.
Each of these classes and activities helped the participants attain the goal of the program as well as their personal goals of furthering their competence in the French language and of enhancing their knowledge of French culture.
Donna Czarnecki, retired French teacher from Lyons Township High School, directed the program and was assisted by Dr. Sylvie Goutas, French professor at Wheaton College. Dr. Beth Landers, French professor at Dominican University, was the liaison between the immersion staff and Dominican University in River Forest which hosted the event.