French Department
Events in France
Rendez-vous en France
1 mai Le Jour de Travail
On donne des muguets de bois aux amis
8 mai Victory in Europe, 1945
Allies' victory in Europe marking the end
of World War II
13 mai Festival de Cannes
Une vingtaine de films en competititon pour
la Palme d’Or
13 mai Museums Night
Explore arts, history and heritage after
dark at museums and galleries
14 mai Ascension
17 mai Pentecote
21 mai Jazz à St-Germain-des-Pres
Les concerts, les conferences, les artistes
internationaux et les amateurs – le coeur de
jazz en Europe dans un fameux quartier de
Paris
21 mai Monaco Grand Prix
Historic, challenging, glamourous Formula 1
racecars
1. 24 mai French Open Tennis
Novak Djokovic favored over Rafael Nadal in
mens’ competition
n
30 mai Joan of Arc Festival
Celebrates the famous Rouen resident
and much loved French saint
Try to find these pictures throughout the newsletter. Can you tell which logo describes which event? Bonne chance!
Which event does this describe from the above?
Which event does this describe from the above?
Which event does this describe from the above?
Celebrations and Holidays in France?
It’s the first of May and you are taking a slow stroll along the Seine River. Tra-la-la-la-la.
It is an awesome day to find a sidewalk café, sit down, enjoy une boisson, and people watch!
C’est dommage. Everything is closed because the first of May is a public holiday in France. Everything is
closed, even the schools. Do you know why? Le Premier Mai= May Day, Labour Day en France.
May is a special month because there are six holidays:
1. Victory in Europe Day – le huit mai
2. Mother’s Day- falls on the last Sunday of May, not the second Sunday like in the U.S. and Canada.
3. Ascension Day- a feast celebrated always on a Thursday, 40 day after Easter
4. Pentecost Day- another religious holiday celebrated 50 days after Easter.
5. International Workers Day aka Labour Day-La Fête du Travail –le premier mai
6. May Day- La Fête du Muguet - le premier mai
May Day and Labour Day used to be two separate holidays in France but have now been combined into one.
Labour Day is a public holiday and is the only day of the year
Extra help in French
1. www.quizlet.com - This will help with your listening and vocabulary as well as grammar.
2. www.quia.com- Lots of fun games here to help while you are learning a language- even just to brush up.
3. www.french.about.com- need more of an explanation on grammar? Check out this site!
Insider Tips for Visiting France in May
A Few Highlights in 2015:
- May 16th: Museum Night-- As part of the global Museum Night event, Paris museums will open their doors free of charge to visitors until late until the night. Special events and illuminations await in many of Paris' major museums.
- May 29th-June 1st: Artists' Open House in Belleville Galleries-- This annual event provides an exceptional opportunity to get to know some of Paris' contemporary artists and their work, as well as getting a glimpse of Parisian life from the inside. Nearly 250 artists open their doors to show off their work and spaces, daily from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
- May 19th-June 7th: The French Open at Roland Garros-- Tennis fans should not miss one of France's most exciting and important tournaments. Tennis greats like Steffi Graf made their debuts at Roland Garros, and the French Open continues to host some of the world's unforgettable matches
Summer Scholarships in France
French has wide-reaching cultural and economic influence. As a student of this popular language you might already have an idea of the opportunities studying it can afford, both now and in your future studies and endeavors. If you really love it, as we do, you can get started now improving your skills through summer programs! There are sessions held in the United States and abroad where you can spend some of your summer downtime immersing yourself in all things French.
http://mmla.middlebury.edu/about/student-information.php
http://www.gobroadreach.com/category-interests-foreign-language-immersion.asp
http://www.summerstudy.com/paris/french-summer-immersion-program
Also, if you are planning on enrolling at a college or university and have decided that French is the major for you, there are scholarships available to support you in your pursuits. Check out these links for general and university-specific aid programs:
http://www.afti.org/award_jtg.php
http://www.wooster.edu/academics/areas/french
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/classic_modern/undrgrad/french/scholarships.php
http://www.weber.edu/ForeignLanguages/Student_Resources/Scholarships.html
http://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/languages-linguistics-and-philosophy/languages/scholarships.cfm