French Day 2027

This year’s half-day program of interactive workshops in French celebrates the Bicentennaire de la photographie, with photograph clichés inaugurated in France in 1827 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Intended for students with at least two years of experience in the French language, this immersion program incorporates interactive learning techniques designed to build vocabulary and improve comprehension skills. We will pay tribute to photography by playing with French-English notions of clichés (photographs, overused terms, and cultural stereotypes).
 
To register a school group or to apply for professional development credit, please fill out this form.

Information about schedule and individual sessions can be found below.  

Schedule

9:00-9:15 AM: Welcoming remarks and logistics
9:30-10:20 AM and 10:30-11:20 AM: Presentations (see descriptions below)
11:20-12:10 PM: Lunch. Students should pack a bag lunch or plan to purchase food at one of the on-campus venues. Teachers are invited to attend a luncheon hosted by the Montclair French faculty. Please be sure to indicate how many teachers will attend when filling out the online registration form.
12:15-1:00 PM: Film festival and trophies, closing remarks.
 

Presentations 

Beyond Clichés: Discovering Real Provence
Dr. Pascale LaFountain and Sarah McCaroll
Think you know Provence? Sure, there's perfume, lavender, olive oil, and wine—but there is so much more to discover! Step past the stereotypes and dive into the rich culture, Roman ruins, and Mediterranean beauty of southern France. Join us for a fully immersive, hands-on workshop where we’ll explore the vibrant Provençal lifestyle through all five senses. Together, we will sample and identify the classic aromas of an herbes de Provence mix and fresh olives, learn how to speak—and sing—in the local Provençal dialect, listen to and identify instruments from Renaissance Provençal music, examine Arabic influence on Provençal architecture, and craft your own take-home lavender sachet souvenir! Come ready to explore, create, and experience Provence like never before.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
 
Le Mystère du Photomaton : Autour du monde en 50 minutes
Professor Elizabeth Emery, Maxime Irie Boli, and Cassidy Pry
In this workshop, students “travel” around the Francophone world like Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, racing against other teams to stamp their passports and solve the photographic clues about French-speaking countries contained in their mystery French dossier. Participating schools will also learn about and (if sunny enough) make cyanotopes, a foundation form of photography.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
 
Clichés cousus : 1066, La Tapisserie de Bayeux et le français caché dans l'anglais
Dr. Kathleen Loysen and Alexandra Kologo
Ever wonder why English has two words for so many things? Come discover the hidden history of English as a language woven from many threads … And what does any of this have to do with 1066? Celebrate and learn about the nearly 1000 years of the Bayeux Tapestry, and how cultural narratives get told through images and words.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
 
Modern French Photography (20th/21st centuries): Constructing and Deconstructing Clichés
Izabela Abrahamyan, Ann Stanley-Ayre, and Assane Ka
Do you know the meaning of the word cliché? In everyday French it means “une photo” or an “overused expression," while in English the associations with photography have been forgotten. Let's put them back by exploring Paris through the contrasting lenses of reality and glamorous images. Using the photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassaï, Mohamed Bourouissa and Jean-René (JR), we will discover Paris beyond the clichés of baguette and beret.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
 
Improviser en français : How Did Animals Get Their Proverbial Stripes?
Samuel Dufour
Want to speak French without worrying about getting every word right? Step into the exciting world of theatrical improvisation! Through fun, fast-paced theatre games and creative challenges, you'll invent characters, build unexpected stories, and bring imaginary situations to life — all in French. In this workshop we’ll explore “clichés” related to animal stories told around the world.  
Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Professional Development Credit is available through our co-sponsor, the Institute for the Humanities.