Our 10-week immersive program provided a dynamic and fun learning environment for kids (ages 3-12) and teenagers (13-17) from beginner to advanced levels to improve their French language skills and explore different facets of French and Francophone culture(s).
Singing, reading, cooking, baking, playing at the park, learning how to share, building relationships with peers and our caring French teachers…this is what a typical day looked like for our students in our immersive Summer in French program! Each week, students explored different themes such as superheroes, animals and their habitats, and comics. Both new and returning students had access to wonderful resources including our new state-of-the-art smartboards, arts and crafts materials, kitchen tools and equipment, and a rich collection of library books. Through creative expression and French language activities, students learned how to articulate their feelings and thoughts, expand their French vocabulary and deepen their understanding of the complex world around them. At the end of each week, our students displayed their projects in a variety of ways - from wearing hand-crafted creations in a fashion show to preparing and performing original plays. They also prepared a variety of sweet and savory dishes, that they proudly brought home for their families to enjoy!
For La semaine du cirque (Circus week) students created their own costumes and stage decor where they performed their unique talents and acts!
Teachers and assistants Nora, Nate, Zelda and Patricia bring their students together at the end of the week to share their weekly project.
Evelyne and Margot are off to the local park with their students.
Our 3-5 year-olds show off their personal style during their fashion show!
Summer in French Teens
Teens - both local and international - joined us this summer to either begin learning French or improve their skills in the morning classes. In the afternoons, they practiced French in a more relaxed and conversational setting through cultural and experiential activities.
With our return to 53 Marlborough Street, I was excited to relaunch and build partnerships in the neighborhood, to offer enriching experiences for our teens that would complement the educational program. Highlights included a painting workshop with local visual artist “A’Key” (Agbokey Denis Abounan), a guided visit to the Wang Theater, a tasting of traditional French cuisine at La Voile on Newbury Street, and a French-language visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. Students also participated in a variety of in-house workshops, ranging from a treasure hunt in the Boston public garden to designing French fashion mood boards and engaging in cooking sessions.
Teens visit the Wang Theater which has architectural influence from the Opéra Garnier and the palace of Versailles with teachers Alan and Margot.
Students learned about A’Key’s art, explored the genre of the paysage (landscape) and painted their unique interpretation of un coucher de soleil through A’Key’s techniques.
At the MFA’s Art of Africa gallery, students reproduce their favorite masks and describe them in French.
Students prepare a French grated carrot salad during Nora’s cooking workshop.
Students enjoy tasting their salade niçoise, quiche lorraine, cake aux olives while the crumble aux fruits rouges and moelleux au chocolat finish baking in the oven.
Three-legged race during the treasure hunt with teachers Liz and Alan at the Boston Gardens.
Alan's recap
These thoughtful collaborations and projects are what make our summer program - and location in the heart of Back Bay - such a unique and welcoming environment. Students are able to learn, practice, build confidence and improve their French while forming new friendships.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of our Summer in French teachers and assistants (Patricia, Evelyne, Nora, Margot, Nate, Liz, Glennie, Zelda, Anja, Julien) for their hard work, dedication, preparation, creativity, as well as their ability to adapt and support each of our students. I would also like to thank our staff members, particularly our education administrators, Clare and Liz, along with our reception team who work diligently behind the scenes to ensure the smooth operation of the program. Finally, I want to extend my thank all of the parents for their collaboration and communication throughout the summer. This was my first Summer in French, and it was truly a memorable and rewarding experience. I encourage our students to continue their French journey by enrolling in our fall, winter and spring sessions!
Summer in French Kids
Singing, reading, cooking, baking, playing at the park, learning how to share, building relationships with peers and our caring French teachers…this is what a typical day looked like for our students in our immersive Summer in French program! Each week, students explored different themes such as superheroes, animals and their habitats, and comics. Both new and returning students had access to wonderful resources including our new state-of-the-art smartboards, arts and crafts materials, kitchen tools and equipment, and a rich collection of library books. Through creative expression and French language activities, students learned how to articulate their feelings and thoughts, expand their French vocabulary and deepen their understanding of the complex world around them. At the end of each week, our students displayed their projects in a variety of ways - from wearing hand-crafted creations in a fashion show to preparing and performing original plays. They also prepared a variety of sweet and savory dishes, that they proudly brought home for their families to enjoy!
For La semaine du cirque (Circus week) students created their own costumes and stage decor where they performed their unique talents and acts!
Teachers and assistants Nora, Nate, Zelda and Patricia bring their students together at the end of the week to share their weekly project.
Evelyne and Margot are off to the local park with their students.
Our 3-5 year-olds show off their personal style during their fashion show!Summer in French Teens
Teens - both local and international - joined us this summer to either begin learning French or improve their skills in the morning classes. In the afternoons, they practiced French in a more relaxed and conversational setting through cultural and experiential activities.
With our return to 53 Marlborough Street, I was excited to relaunch and build partnerships in the neighborhood, to offer enriching experiences for our teens that would complement the educational program. Highlights included a painting workshop with local visual artist “A’Key” (Agbokey Denis Abounan), a guided visit to the Wang Theater, a tasting of traditional French cuisine at La Voile on Newbury Street, and a French-language visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. Students also participated in a variety of in-house workshops, ranging from a treasure hunt in the Boston public garden to designing French fashion mood boards and engaging in cooking sessions.
Teens visit the Wang Theater which has architectural influence from the Opéra Garnier and the palace of Versailles with teachers Alan and Margot.
Students learned about A’Key’s art, explored the genre of the paysage (landscape) and painted their unique interpretation of un coucher de soleil through A’Key’s techniques.
At the MFA’s Art of Africa gallery, students reproduce their favorite masks and describe them in French.
Students prepare a French grated carrot salad during Nora’s cooking workshop.
Students enjoy tasting their salade niçoise, quiche lorraine, cake aux olives while the crumble aux fruits rouges and moelleux au chocolat finish baking in the oven.
Three-legged race during the treasure hunt with teachers Liz and Alan at the Boston Gardens. Alan's recap
These thoughtful collaborations and projects are what make our summer program - and location in the heart of Back Bay - such a unique and welcoming environment. Students are able to learn, practice, build confidence and improve their French while forming new friendships. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of our Summer in French teachers and assistants (Patricia, Evelyne, Nora, Margot, Nate, Liz, Glennie, Zelda, Anja, Julien) for their hard work, dedication, preparation, creativity, as well as their ability to adapt and support each of our students. I would also like to thank our staff members, particularly our education administrators, Clare and Liz, along with our reception team who work diligently behind the scenes to ensure the smooth operation of the program. Finally, I want to extend my thank all of the parents for their collaboration and communication throughout the summer. This was my first Summer in French, and it was truly a memorable and rewarding experience. I encourage our students to continue their French journey by enrolling in our fall, winter and spring sessions!
Alan Gómez
Manager of Youth Programs, Corporate Outreach & Exams
With over a decade of experience in education, Alan Gómez serves as Manager of Youth Programs, Corporate Outreach, and Exams. He holds an A.M. in French Studies from Brown University and an M.A. in Francophone Studies from CSU, Long Beach, and brings expertise in second language acquisition, foreign language pedagogy, and program development.
Prior to joining the French Library, Alan was a lecturer of French and Spanish at Bryant University where he taught language and culture, critical thinking, and writing and composition. Co-author of the innovative textbook, Juntos: French for Speakers of English and Spanish (2015), his recent scholarly contributions include the chapter Intercomprehension of the Romance Languages in the L3+ Classroom [...] (2020).
