Though many assume in a joking way that France is only known for cheese, snails and the Eiffel Tower, some at UB are trying to show next month that there is much more to this historic country.
From Nov. 2-8, the American Association of Teachers of French is organizing a number of events in an effort to make the French language and culture more accessible to students. The seventh annual National French Week hopes to teach and spread awareness about the people, the food and the culture of France.
"It's important to keep the language alive, particularly with Western New York being close to the French parts of Canada," said Linda Kunz, a lecturer from the department of romance languages and literature.
Participating in National French Week, UB is hosting two film screenings on Friday evenings in Clemens 120. "The Chorus" and "A Very Long Engagement" will be shown. They will be in French with English subtitles for those interested in the culture but not necessarily fluent. The screenings are free and open to the public.
The AATF was formed in 1927 and today is the largest organization of its kind, with a membership of over 10,000 teachers. There are 75 chapters across the country, with the Western New York chapter being especially active.
The National French Week is targeted at students in grade school all the way through college and hopes to emphasize an awareness of the language and culture of France.
This is Kunz's fifth year organizing National French Week and although France might seem a long way from Buffalo, Canada is only an arm's length away.
In Canada, French is one of the official languages and one fifth of the population is French.
National French Week was launched in America in 1999, designed with the goal of making French culture and traditions more visible. It is held annually in the fall.
"We urge the nearly 10,000 members of the AATF to take French out of the classroom and into the school and community," said Jayne Abrate, executive director of the American Association of Teachers of French.
The AATF organizes French Week and its regional chapters are responsible for conducting events in the local community.
"The main impetus for National French Week is at the local level. At the national level, we have sought and received each year a message from the President of the U.S. congratulating us on the occasion," said Abrate.
Events are being held at UB, Canisius College and across the city at various locations. There is an interactive French Heritage Day for middle and high school students at Old Fort Niagara, cooking classes by professional chefs for student groups, a French Mass at the Chapel at Canisius College and a trip to see the Buffalo Sabres play the Montreal Canadians. Although aimed at school pupils, many events are open to the public.
"Anyone interested in any aspect of France is welcome, whether to learn more about a specific topic, meet fellow Francophiles or just learn more about the language and culture," said Abrate.
Some students feel that National French Week is beneficial because it is an informative way to broaden students' knowledge of the French culture.
"I like the history and culture of France because it's a really interesting place but not many people actually know much about it," said Timothy Cahaney, sophomore art history and French major.
A portion of the funding for National French Week is provided by the national office of the AATF. They provide members with promotional items like bumper stickers to publicize the event, but Abrate says that word of mouth serves as one of the best sources of information for both the AATF and National French Week.
Abrate says that students who are studying in a college environment are the best tools for spreading awareness about the historical cultures and traditions of the French.
"We believe that the best salespeople for the study of French are the students themselves," said Abrate. "Especially those who are learning the language, because along with the study of the language comes a great deal of knowledge about the culture and history of France, which is what we want the public to learn more about."
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
