TENANTS HARBOR — The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) will co-sponsor the annual French immersion weekend, Le Français au Bord de la Mer, with the Maine Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French, at Blueberry Cove Camp in Tenants Harbor, site of prior immersion weekends, September 27 through 29.

UMA French Professor Chelsea Ray and Julia Schulz, co-founder for the Penobscot Language School, are co-coordinators for the weekend. This is a continuation of a program begun by the Penobscot Language School in Rockland in 1991, and an extension of the successful Le Français au Bord de la Mer and Le français dans les bois that has run for nine years.

During the immersion weekend, highly skilled and experienced volunteer instructors, many of whom are French teachers, as well as native-speaking exchange students attending UMA from l’Université de Bretagne in Brest, France, will lead group activities.

On Saturday, participants have a choice of workshops targeting intermediate or advanced language skill levels.

“Our theme this year is French North America, with a focus on French-Canadian, Acadian, and Franco-American culture, music, and food,” said Chelsea Ray, UMA Associate Professor of French
Language and Literature, in a news release. “One of our aims is to explore together the rich diversity of the French-speaking world.”

This weekend 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. Participants must be able to speak French for the entire weekend.

To be eligible, high school students should have completed two years of French study or the equivalent and college students should have completed one year of French study or equivalent.

For additional information about the weekend, UMA student testimonials, videos of various weekend activities, and to register, visit: www.uma.edu/academics/programs/french/events/

This event usually fills by August and it is filling even more quickly this year, so early registration is encouraged, according to the release.