Orientation!

Bonjour tout le monde !

Time for an update!

Yesterday, as you all will remember, was our very first official meeting together. Although much of the day was spent on official business and question and answer sessions, the instructor team and the stagiaires had the chance to work together and enjoy several fun activities.

One of the activities we did involved a display of the stagiaires artistic skills. In groups of two or three, each stagiaire was asked to draw a picture of what their partner looks like, one interesting thing about them, and their goal for the program. After they finished, we all toured the gallery, having each partner explain what they drew so that we could all learn a little more about them. Here are a few pictures from the process:

Another activity was the very treacherous crossing of a large river of molten Nutella with the help of a few magical crêpes. The main goal of this activity, aside from preparing the stagiaires for the high number of treacherous Nutella rivers and magical crêpes that they will undoubtedly encounter in St. Brieuc, was to underline the importance of teamwork and stress the fact that, while abroad, everyone will be, at one time or another, either in need of or in the position to give support to someone else. Some pictures from the activity can be seen below:

Lucy and Reba lead the way for their group!

Aaron takes a risky step!

JZ safely leads his group across the river

After the teams got to a certain point, they were stricken with Nutella-related illnesses:

Anne-Therese temporarily loses her eyesight
and is helped along by Lucy and Rachel 

Sarah and Jessica, now joined at the wrist,
try to help the blind-stricken Reba across
a dangerous section of the Nutella river

After our activities, the stagiaires had some time to use their French skills (with which all of the instructors were quite impressed!). In four groups, we discussed many things such as, "si j'étais un animal, je serais..." (if I were an animal, I would be...), the importance of circumlocution (basically, trying to describe something using vocabulary you know instead of resorting to the English word for it), etc.

Following our French time, we discussed some more official business, such as how to deal with host family problems and how to best maximize the time spent in France, and also heard from two program alumni. At the very end, we had some time to brainstorm a slogan that we will when we're in St. Brieuc to help us remember that, even if things aren't always going well, we are all in France and part of an amazing and unique program - something that we need to take full-advantage of during the short time we have. After some great suggestions, such as "Utilisons les crêpes magiques" (let's use magical crêpes), etc., we decided on one, wrote it on a sheet of paper, and had everyone sign it to show their support for the slogan and the program in general:

The instructor team holding the "contract" with our slogan:
Tout va mieux à Saint-Brieuc
(Everything is better in Saint-Brieuc)

Well, that's all for now. Only a little over a month left before our departure! We look forward to seeing everyone again soon and starting our amazing journey!

À bientôt !

-Team St. Brieuc

Meet the instructors!

Meet Team St. Brieuc!

Ryan Hendrickson

My name is Ryan Hendrickson and I will be teaching the linguistics course this summer. I will also serve as the student coordinator, which means I will generally be the first point of contact if anything arises concerning the students, either abroad or at home.

I am currently working on my PhD in French Linguistics at Indiana University, where I have been studying for 4 years. I finished my B.A. in French at the University of Kentucky in 2008. Some of my interests include the dialects of different French-speaking regions, French culture - specifically that of the region of Brittany, cuisine, and films. I look forward to exploring all of these interests with your students over the summer!

Larry Komrower

Salut, tout le monde !

My name is Larry Komrower and I've just finished my first year in the MA French linguistics program at Indiana University. After receiving my BA in French with a minor in theatre from Ithaca College in 2009, I worked for two academic years as an English language assistant first in Annecy, France and then in Almansa, Spain. I've also spent the last four summers working for the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy on the residential staff and as a French teacher.

I love to travel, to explore new places and cultures, and to speak different languages. When I'm not studying (as if that ever happens!), you will probably find me singing or baking (or some combination of the two). Some other things I enjoy are grammar, Modern Family, going to the gym, and making lists.

Amber Panwitz

Bonjour tout le monde !

My name is Amber Panwitz and I’ll be the culture instructor for this summer’s program. I am originally from a farm in Nebraska, and I attended the University of Wyoming for my B.A. in French. I have a second Bachelor’s degree from the Université de Rouen in Normandy where I studied linguistic sciences and French language instruction, and finally I have just earned my M.A. from Indiana University in French linguistics.

I am currently a PhD student in French Linguistics and in my years studying French, I have been able to live, work, and study in France for over three years. I love being able to teach and share all of the things I’ve learned about the culture that are strangely different or surprisingly similar. As you can see from my picture, I am in the process of taking a bite (of some very stinky cheese). Eating and trying new foods is one of my favorite pastimes, so I might be the one encouraging your students to eat snails. I’m very excited to get to know all of you, and to start our adventure this summer!

Jamie Root

Bonjour à tous! My name is Jamie Root and I am currently an MA student in the French Linguistics program at Indiana University. Although I live in Indiana now, I am originally from Buffalo, New York and earned my BA at the University at Buffalo with a double major in French and Linguistics and a minor in Theatre. Outside of the academic scene, I really enjoy spending time with friends, playing euchre, reading, watching various television series, going to the cinema, going to the theatre, and traveling.

While in St. Brieuc, I will be teaching the communications course. I will also be taking on the role of Public Relations Coordinator, which means that I will be the one keeping up with this very blog, contacting local media, and planning the farewell show, among other tasks.

I'm really excited to be working with our amazing team of instructors and eagerly await the opportunity to help instill an appreciation of the French language and culture in each of the students!

-Team St. Brieuc

Bienvenue!

Welcome to the blog for the Indiana University Honors program in St. Brieuc for summer 2012! Here, you will find frequent updates concerning the progress and many exciting adventures that await your stagiaire.