Bonjour chers amis / chères amies!

Return to this page often for updates and information about the upcoming immersion day.

French at UMA and AATF-Maine are once again teaming up to offer our beloved tradition of the in-person French Immersion Weekend. It will take place at the University of Maine at Augusta on Saturday, October 5th, 2024 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with an optional dinner on Friday, October 4th.

We have a wonderful full-day immersion planned for Intermediate level French speakers, but welcome and encourage Advanced and Heritage speakers of French to register and participate as well. Participants will be paired up with similar level speakers for many activities, while mixed level, facilitated conversations will create an authentic immersion experience for all learners. See below for additional information on language levels.

UMA hosted a French immersion day on campus in 2018. This video gives an idea of the activities of the day.

There is also an optional catered dinner on Friday, October 4th (5:30-8:30 p.m.). Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. This will give you an opportunity to meet some of the immersion day attendees and enjoy a nice meal from a Francophone country! After dinner, attendees will have the choice of engaging in conversation (with prompts and support for the intermediate group) or playing games. More information on that below!

group photo
Group photo from “Le français sur le campus universitaire” held on UMA’s campus in 2018.
French Immersion Group Photo 2019
Group photo from “Le Français au Bord de la Mer,” French Immersion Weekend 2019 at Blueberry Cove Camp.

Immersion Weekend Logo

The immersion weekend was featured in the national publication of the National American Association of Teachers of French newsletter, when it was held at Blueberry Cove.

We would love your participation!

This is a rare opportunity and one of the few immersion events in the United States that brings together students, teachers, and community members. Our aim is to have fun while continuing to build our knowledge of the French language and the Francophone world! Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

Activities

We are designing a fun, interactive, and enjoyable experience to help you take your French speaking skills to the next level. Immersion is great because it gives you time to absorb more language and encourages you to find new ways to communicate with the tools and vocabulary that you have used in the past. It also helps you to expand beyond your current knowledge.

You will have the opportunity to choose workshops at your level, and some do not require as much conversation (singing, art, games, etc.).

This year, we will offer hands-on, interactive workshops on topics such as:

  • Crepe making
  • News in French
  • Francophone Africa
  • Songs
  • Games (both card games, etc., and outdoor games)
  • Quebec
  • Puppets
  • Artwork and crafts
  • Franco-Americans in New England
  • Yoga
  • Nature walks

How much French do I need for the immersion day?

We welcome intermediate and advanced speakers of French, whether you are a high school student, college/university student, French teacher, or interested community member seeking the challenge of a 100% French-speaking environment.

We only speak French throughout the weekend, so you will need enough French to participate. This does not mean that your French must be perfect! There will be handouts, supports, and visual aids to help you along. The workshop leaders are experienced teachers and can guide you through and facilitate understanding and communication.

High school students should have completed two years of French study or equivalent and college students should have completed one year of French study or equivalent.

Friday Dinner Details

The Friday evening event starts with icebreakers as people arrive at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:00 p.m. After dinner, attendees can choose to continue with conversation or play games.

Games include: Sept familles (a “Go Fish” type of game in French), scrabble (in French), ping pong, foosball, cornhole, and Molky (a Swedish throwing game with points). Activities could also include a walk on the campus trails.

Lodging

If you wish to avoid traveling home after the Friday evening event (only to drive back in the morning), you can stay in Augusta. We have blocked off rooms at the Senator Inn in Augusta for Friday night. There are single queen bed rooms for $109 and double queen rooms for $149. You will need to call them to get the group rate: 207-622-5804.

You would need to reserve before September 1st to get the group rate.
GROUP CODE: SEN French Immersion Group.

The on-site restaurant opens at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast and the hotel is less than 10 minutes from UMA.

How to Register

Registration is a two-step process. You are not guaranteed a spot until you have completed BOTH STEPS.

STEP 1: Fill out the Registration Form
STEP 2: Make your online payment

If you receive a scholarship, there will be a place to note that during the registration process.

We expect to fill this year as we have in the past. If we have a waitlist, you will be notified if a spot becomes available and you can pay at our online store at that time.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations received on or before September 16th will be refunded at 50%. Cancellations after September 16th will not be refunded.

Cost

Registration cost is $90 for part- and full-time students and $125 for community members.

The optional Friday night catered dinner is $45.

When you register, you can choose to register for the full immersion day on Saturday with or without the dinner. If you are not yet sure about your plans for dinner, you can choose to register later for the dinner.

Deadline

Registration for both the dinner and the immersion day will close on September 24th. We anticipate that this event will fill, so you should register well before that date to ensure you get a spot!

Scholarships

Scholarship sponsors for the weekend include French at UMA, University of Maine, and the Maine Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French. See the FAQ section below for information on available scholarship opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

This event is open to intermediate and advanced speakers of French, whether they are high school students, college/university students, French teachers, or interested community members who are seeking the challenge of a 100% French-speaking environment.

We only speak French throughout the weekend, so you will need enough French to participate. This does not mean that your French must be perfect, however! There will be handouts, supports, and visual aids to help you along. The workshop leaders are experienced teachers and can guide you through and facilitate understanding and communication.

High school students should have completed two years of French study or equivalent and college students should have completed one year of French study or equivalent.

We welcome French from around the world and we encourage people who have grown up speaking French or have learned it outside the classroom to attend as well! There are many variations, and we celebrate each one, as they make the language richer. If you grew up speaking French but did not formally study it, we hope you will join us to reawaken your French! We extend an especially warm welcome to local Franco-American participants, as well as to new Mainers from around the world who speak French and wish to continue!

If you are not sure if your level of French is appropriate for the weekend, please contact Chelsea Ray at chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu.

During the immersion weekend, highly skilled and experienced volunteer instructors (many of whom are French teachers) will lead group activities and workshops. You will have the choice of either intermediate or advanced activities.

Yes, French teachers are encouraged to attend, to build your skills and learn new techniques for teaching immersion! Plus, it is a lot of fun, and a great way to make connections with other French teachers and the Francophone community in Maine. Please let us know if you wish to receive a certificate of contact hours.

Yes, there are a number of scholarships available.

French at UMA offers:

  • 2 scholarships for UMA students to attend. Email chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu a paragraph asking for a scholarship. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
  • 1 community scholarship to an individual in the community who cannot afford to attend. Email chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu a paragraph asking for a scholarship. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

AATF-Maine offers 3 scholarships: 1 for a French teacher and 2 for high school students. Please contact Nathalie Gorey for more information: goreyn@link75.org

Yes, you can complete the immersion day on Saturday for college credit by enrolling in FRE 202 at UMA. You are not required to attend the Friday night dinner as part of the course.

This course counts towards the French minor at UMA as well as towards the French certificate at UMA (for early college and non-matriculated students).

Note that the registration fee for the immersion day (which covers meals, workshop materials, etc.) is separate from the tuition for the course.

  1. Contact enrollment services at 1-877.UMA.1234 or email at umaenrl@maine.edu to enroll in the course.
  2. After enrolling in the course, you will still need to go through the Immersion Weekend registration process (filling out the registration form and paying for the immersion day).

For questions about FRE 202, contact chelsea.d.ray@maine.edu. See the FAQ question on scholarships for additional information about financial support for students.

Event Committee and Sponsors

group photo outdoors
The organizing committee from the event in 2023, held at the Penobscot Bay Language School. Left to right: Claire Holman, instructor of French & Spanish at USM, Chelsea Ray, Professor of French at UMA, Nathalie Gorey, AATF-Maine President, Cindy Matthews, AATF-Maine Vice President, Karen Girondel, French teacher, and Amy Ferlato, Board President of the Penobscot Bay Language School.

This event is sponsored by French at UMA and the American Association of Teachers of French (Maine chapter). It is organized by UMA French Professor Chelsea Ray (coordinator), AATF President Nathalie Gorey and a devoted team of teachers who have a passion for language immersion and who work hard to provide these kinds of experiences to students of diverse levels and backgrounds.

French at UMA has been involved in the immersion weekend since around 2010, deepening its involvement by hosting it in 2018 and 2019, as well as during the pandemic on Zoom (2020, 2021). Most recently (2022-2023), the immersion weekend was a program of the Penobscot Bay Language School under the direction of Jared McCannell.

Julia Schulz was the heart and soul of this event for many years as the co-founder and President of the Penobscot Bay Language School. Here is her biography and a brief history of how the immersion weekend came to be.

Forthcoming: we are planning to showcase past photos from previous immersion years, so watch for that!

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Donate to French at UMA!

By donating to French at UMA, you are supporting this kind of French language programming and help ensure that future students receive scholarships to the immersion weekend and other events. MERCI BEAUCOUP!

Please donate to our French Cultural Gifts here