National French Week

La Semaine du Français

French flag
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Organized by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), National French Week is an annual celebration of French language and francophone cultures. AATF organizations, Alliance française branches, and French departments across the country will join in promoting French and everything that goes along with it with assorted activities and events.

The purpose of National French Week is to increase our community's understanding and appreciation of the francophone world by finding interesting and entertaining ways of looking at how French touches our lives. It's also a chance to learn about the dozens of countries and millions of people who speak this beautiful language.

Activities for National French Week

If you are a French teacher, National French Week is the perfect opportunity to organize in-class and/or extracurricular events for current or potential students. Here are a few ideas.

  • Celebrate! - Have a French-themed celebration.
  • Citation du jour - Discuss quotations by great French and Francophone thinkers.
  • Community - Find other French speakers, students, and teachers.
  • Culture - Discuss French and francophone cultures, literature, art.
  • Dialects - Compare and contrast French spoken around the world, give presentations.
  • Food + Drink - cheese and wine tasting (depending on the age of your students), crêpes, fondue, French onion soup, quiche, pissaladière, ratatouille, croissants, French bread, chocolate mousse, or any number of French foods. Bon appétit !
  • Francophonie - Learn about the French-speaking world, presentations on francophone countries.
  • French for beginners - Help students get started on the right foot.
  • French in English - Discuss the relationship.
  • Games - Have some fun with French.
  • History - Presentations on French/Francophone history.
  • Inspiration - Why learn French, celebrities who speak French, learner's lore.
  • Jobs - Learn about jobs which require French skills.
  • Living + Working in France - Discuss the possibilities.
  • Mot du jour - A quick and painless way to learn a little French every day.
  • Movies - Watch movies for extra listening practice, discuss the plot and language used, have a French film festival.
  • Music - Introduce students to French music, type up lyrics so they can sing along.
  • Posters - Decorate your home, office, or classroom.
  • Proficiency - Discuss proficiency and discover your own.
  • Schools - Discuss study possibilities.
  • Spanish is Easier than French - Dispel the myth.
  • Tests - See how well you do.
  • Today in Francophone History - Important people and events
  • Travel - Discuss past, future, and dreamed of vacations; make travel posters.

And don't forget those all important expressions: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité and Vive la France !

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Team, ThoughtCo. "National French Week." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/national-french-week-1368757. Team, ThoughtCo. (2021, December 6). National French Week. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/national-french-week-1368757 Team, ThoughtCo. "National French Week." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/national-french-week-1368757 (accessed March 19, 2024).