28 November 2014

JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE SANDY JACQUARD

L'équipe AATF-SC souhaite un excellent aniversaire à Sandy Jacquard!
Nous profitons de ce Post pour vous rappeler de nous envoyer votre leçon pédagogique préférée pour le CONCOURS SANDY JACQUARD avant le 12 décembre 2014. 

National French Week 2014

Le 9 octobre 2014, de nombreux lycéens, professeurs et francophiles ont célébré National French Week 2014 à Whittier College avec le spectacle Jacques Brel ou l'impossible rêve joué par la Compagnie Caravague.  Merci à nos habitués de participer à ce rendez-vous annuel de l'AATF-SC!

24 November 2014

Bonjour à Tous,

Grace au climat béni de la Californie du sud qui nous permet de savourer encore une chaleur presque estivale, l’automne est pourtant bien amorcé.  Le but de ces quelques lignes est qu’au nom du comité de l’AATF-SC et moi-même, nous  vous souhaitons à toutes et à tous un superbe jour de Thanksgiving. Pour cette occasion festive, je vous souhaite d’être entourés de famille et d’amis. Ce sera aussi une très grande joie de vous revoir nombreux à notre repas annuel de fin d’année au restaurant TAIX, le samedi 6 décembre à partir de 18h30. N’oubliez pas de répondre à Jacki Williams-Jones (323-896-2470).
A très bientôt,

Ines du Cos de La Hitte

19 November 2014

The Grand Concours 2015!

French teachers,
It is time to register your students for the Grand Concours.  2015 marks a special anniversary for Le Grand Concours as we will be celebrating the 80th edition of the exam!  Since 1935, when the Concours began as a local test sponsored, written and scored by AATF Regional Representatives, to 2015 where the Contest reaches nearly 95,000 students all across the country, AATF continues to recognize student and teacher success.  In our 80 years, we have added levels and divisions to accommodate all learners who wish to participate in the Contest and we are continually improving to follow trends in teaching and learning to make sure that we best meet the needs of French students and teachers.

There will be a few changes: over the past several years we have made great strides to include authentic materials in all levels of the Contest, including podcasts from France, Canada, Belgium, etc.  This year podcasts will continue to be featured in Levels 4 and 5; conversations will return to the exam in Level 3.

Here in the Southern California Chapter, you will be able to administer the Grand Concours (Middle and High School) from March 4 – 11, 2015, which I hope will give you as much flexibility as needed.  FLES (Grades 1-6) contest dates are February 14-28, 2015.  As in the past, the test will be administered in your school. As always, arrange for testing in school through a school administrator, guidance counselor or another (non-French) teacher.  French teachers are not allowed to administer the test to their own students.
The Southern CA contest director will send the test materials and proctoring information directly to your test administrator the week prior to the test. The national Office insists that no French teachers be present in the room while their students are taking the test: however, at least one French teacher will need to verify that the CDs actually have the test on them and that no defective CDs will be used. The designated test administrator may be a guidance counselor, a school administrator, or another (non-French) teacher. No photocopies of answer sheets will be scored.

If you are interested in participating in the FLES contest, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements.  If you need information about the specifics of the exams and each level, please visit http://frenchteachers.org/concours/Resources/Resources.html

As with last year, the cost of each student for AATF-SC member is $5.00/ for non-members, the cost is $6.00/student, with CDs at each level available for $7.00.  If you have not yet renewed your AATF-SC membership, there is time!  There are also incentives from the National for those who are joining AATF for the first time and also for current members! http://frenchteachers.org/concours/Resources/gc_membership.html
 
Please feel free to copy and forward this information to anyone who you think might be interested in participating. In addition, please keep me informed of any addition or changes to the French staff at your school.
  
The registration deadline is Friday, January 9.  All registrations must be accompanied by a check (written to AATF-SC) and the student eligibility form.  Contact the Dir. of the Grand Concours for mailing infomation:

Thank you in advance for respecting these deadlines.  The entry form and eligibility sheets are attached.  If you wish to send the eligibility forms electronically, feel free to use the email address above, which also works
  
There are some changes in the awards process!
The names of the awards will be changed for the 2015 contest.  There will be a Platinum medal and plaque awarded to students earning a national first place rank.  Gold recognition goes to students in the top 95th percentile; silver recognition to students in the 85th and 90th percentile; bronze recognition to students in the 75th – 80th percentile and Honorable Mentions for students in the 50th – 70th percentile.  The same number of awards will be handed out, just the names are changing.

Take a chance to win the French Embassy Academic Prize!
For the third time, the French Embassy will award the French Embassy Academic Prize to a student who will enjoy a 2 week stay in France! The winner will be selected by a random drawing among the gold medalists of Le Grand Concours 2015, from Level 3, 4 or 5 (divisions A, D or E). If there is no gold medalist eligible, the Committee will then draw from the pool of silver medalists.