CULTURAL  AGENDA  _  July -August 2010

New association for french and francophiles parents

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The nonprofit association EFGH (French Education Greater Houston) was established in March 2010 on Francophone parents’ initiative to provide a French "after-school" program.

EFGH mission is to provide an affordable curriculum of French language and culture. It is designed for children from 5 to 16 years, living in the Greater Houston Area, speaking French, not attending schools approved by the French Ministry of Education.

With this program, children can acquire, maintain and / or deepen their knowledge of language and French culture. Because language is at the heart of learning, our curriculum focuses on oral and written expression and leaves an important place to play activities. Children have frequent opportunities to exchange, share, listen, read and write in French.

EFGH is a rallying point and voice for families sharing the same objectives. Its programs exist only to the extent that they are initiated and organized by parents, to whom EFGH brings its support.

EFGH is lookign for french teachers and assistants, contact them for more information. If you wish to initiate a program or to obtain more information on an existing program or on a project in progress, please contact EFGH

EFGH is undertaking an adventure that promises to be one of the most gratifying possible for any Houston-based Francophone or Francophile family.

L’association EFGH vous invite à participer à la réunion d’information générale, le jeudi 20 mai 2010 à 19h00 au GO-SIP Cafe, 1050 N. Post Oak Rd, Houston, TX 77055.
Les bénévoles de l’association répondront aux questions des parents intéressés par la mise en place d’un programme extra-scolaire d’enseignement du français proposé pour la rentrée de septembre 2010.

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Masters Degree in World Cultures and Literatures - University of Houston

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The Modern and Classical languages departement of the University of Houston has a new Master of Arts in World Cultures and Literatures 

The M. A. in World Cultures and Literatures is an innovative, interdisciplinary graduate program with strong cultural studies focus and in-depth study in one of the target languages and/or cultures. With an emphasis on languages, literatures and cultures, the WCL M.A. program involves a wide range of possible directions as it seeks to meet individual student’s academic and career interests and needs.

The program addresses issues such as modernity, postmodernity, globalization, colonialism and postcolonialism, transnational and transcultural concerns, urban and diasporic studies, and the formation of cultural identities. It incorporates literary, film, visual, media, and gender studies.

Students in language core areas acquire high proficiency in the target language, translation skills, and, in some areas of concentration, training in applied linguistics and second language teaching.

More information about the requirements for admission and the application process here.

Here are the special courses in French.

Deadline for Fall 2010 admission: April 15.

PROGRAMME JULES VERNE

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The Jules Verne program is an exciting teaching initiative sponsored by the French Ministry of Education and the Cultural Services at the French Embassy.

Created in the spirit of the European Erasmus program which promotes cross-cultural exchanges for students of varying nationalities, the Jules Verne program allows fully trained and certified elementary and secondary school teachers from France to live and teach outside of France for a full school year, immersing themselves in the culture, language and civilization of the host country. Through this initiative, teachers can  pursue their love of education by accomplishing pedagogical goals in a new professional environment.

The Jules Verne program was implemented in the United States in the fall of 2009. There are currently several schools located in 6 American states (Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri) hosting 17 Jules Verne teachers for the 2009-2010 academic year. These  teachers hail from 11 French “académies” (Amiens, Bordeaux, Dijon, Grenoble, Guadeloupe, Lyon, Martinique, Nancy-Metz, Rennes, Versailles). The teachers participate in day-to-day life at their schools and are exposed to pedagogical methods popularly used in the United  States, including various teaching devices, grading systems, and theories regarding the orientation and supervision of students.

Through this program, our goal is to encourage international mobility for teachers while at the same time strengthening and developing  international and cultural relations between France and the United States.

Our hope is to develop reciprocal educational exchanges between school districts in France and in the United States so that American teachers can also have the opportunity to teach in France.

Teachers

All program participants will be fully trained teachers certified by the French government to teach at the elementary or secondary level in the public school system. Elementary teachers will be certified to teach general elementary school classes. Secondary teachers will be certified to teach one of a variety of subjects, including (but not limited to) French Language and Literature, History, Geography, Math, Science, etc. All participants will be highly proficient in both spoken and written English (European

Classification Level B2 or higher). Teachers may participate a maximum of two years in a row.

The French teacher’s full salary will be provided by the French Ministry of Education and the host school district in the U.S. will be responsible for the costs of the teacher’s visa and two roundtrip plane tickets.

In cases where a school district reciprocates by sending an American teacher to France for a full school year, the American school district is  responsible for providing the American teacher’s full salary.

Participating Schools

All public schools in the United States are highly encouraged to apply to receive a teacher from the Jules Verne program for the 20102011 academic year. Priority will be given to school districts and states that already have exchange agreements in place with school districts in France and/or school districts that are ready to reciprocate. Immersion schools will also be given priority when placing teachers from France in American schools.

Contact Information: scule.washington-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr


Sponsored by the French Ministry of Education and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy

A top-ranked American University in France
Serving International Students and Working Professionals

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European Students:

European Professionals: American Students:
  • Study abroad in the beautiful and historic Loire Valley of France

Transatlantic relations at Sciences Po College

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Sciences Po College is to open a new regional campus in France, focusing on transatlantic relations between the United States, Canada and the European Union.
The new campus is located in Reims. It will offer the three-year curriculum of Sciences Po’s College culminating in a Bachelor of Arts degree and leading directly to one of the 12, two-year professional Master’s programs at Sciences Po Paris. Students and professors will use English and French in their day-to-day interaction, while courses will be taught primarily in English by U.S., Canadian, and European specialists in the field.
 The multilingual, multicultural, and highly international environment of the Reims campus will be an ideal setting in which students can prepare for their third year abroad at one of Sciences Po’s 80 Canadian and U.S. exchange partners (at the cost of the French tuition fees). The inaugural class of 2010 will include students from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

Applications are open online (http://admissions.sciences-po.fr/en/node/225) and interview sessions will be held in the USA and around the world until early summer 2010.
For more information, visit the website:
http://college.sciences-po.fr/sitereims/node/1 or email: centre.ameriques@sciences-po.fr

ORCA Houston
organisation de séjours linguistiques et culturels en centres américains
organization of cultural exchanges for students between france & the
USA


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ORCA (Organisation de Séjours Linguistiques et Culturels en Centres Américains) is a non-profit association registered in Senlis, France (30 miles north of Paris). Its members are professionals in fields involving the knowledge of American civilization and language (journalists, teachers, travel agents, etc.).

If you need more information or are willing to host a French student, contact Claude Boutin in Houston at (713) 896-7298, or e-mail him at cgboutin@yahoo.com .