On Friday, 280 students from 11 schools in the London area will gather at the Department of French Studies for the French for the Future local forum. This annual event puts the French language in the spotlight for a day of fun and learning about the advantages of bilingualism in Canada.
“The Local Forum is a celebration of Francophone culture that allows students enrolled in French Immersion, Core French and French First Language programs to link with each other in a positive environment,” said Pier-Nadeige Jutras, Executive Director of French for the Future.
Students will take part in interactive workshops and presentations, which will inspire and guide them, and help them share their passion for the language in their own communities. Workshop animators include Nicholas Moroz, a French instructor at École de langue française de Trois-Pistoles/Cégep de Rimouski; Mario Longtin, Western French Studies professor and director of the French theatre group L’On Donne; Frédérique Arroyas, French Studies professor at the University of Guelph; as well as Western French Studies graduate students and professors.
For almost 20 years, French for the Future has organized more than 15 local forums across Canada each year. Each edition is unique, and considers the diversity and the regional scope of the city where it takes place, thanks to a locally based organizing committee.
The event is sponsored by the Department of French Studies, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, French Immersion School Trois-Pistoles and Smoke’s Poutinerie.
