Twelve students from the Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem, N.Y. are visiting Dartmouth from June 6 to 15 for a distinctive language-oriented academic and cultural program that is exposing them to College life and the "Francophone" world.
The first consists of the academic and social atmosphere of Dartmouth. The second surrounds students with images of the "Francophone" world where France and French-influenced countries provide them with a unique cultural perspective.
The program is led by Director of Language Outreach John Rassias, who said the program's objective is to stimulate the learning process while discovering another culture and experiencing achievement.
Rassias believes that once a student achieves success in one subject, it can pave the way for success in other subjects, he said. "We want them to leave here with an example of what a person can accomplish when all the senses are ablaze," he added.
The Frederick Douglass Academy is part of a new movement of inner-city schools that focuses on helping promising students who do not have many opportunities. It commenced in 1991 with a 7th grade class of 150 members and is currently expanding to 12th grade.
Ninety percent of the students at the academy are African-American and 10 percent are Hispanic. The school's purpose is "to prepare each student to enter prestigious colleges and universities with an excellent foundation and a sense of self-confidence so solid that the dream of a college degree and a professional career becomes a reality," according to a news release.
"When these students see other black students on campus, it is a good re-enforcement of what they are taught in school," the students' French teacher, Ira Simmonds, said. "It shows them they have the ability go to college and earn a degree."
Participants have completed eighth grade and two years of French instruction. Thus, this program will provide a summit for those who plan to study another language next year and a stronger foundation for those who choose to continue French.
The students are immersed in a full schedule conducted almost entirely in French.
Each morning they attend an instruction class for an hour with a master teacher. Following this, they engage in three hours of drill-and-practice conducted in the world famous "Rassias method."
This method gets students involved through rapid-paced skits that have been known to induce as many as 65 responses per hour from each student and utilizes up to 50 teaching techniques. Its goal is to diminish the reluctance that students feel towards speaking a different language and hold students' attention.
This exercise has had a positive effect on the students involved with the program. "The "Rassias method" makes learning French a lot easier, program participant Kennisha Martin said. "And the fact that its fun makes me very excited about learning French."
Student Corey Richardson added, "I thought the classes were going to be boring, but the way class is taught makes it interesting. I feel like I am learning so much."
Afternoons are spent doing activities which focus on the cultural aspects of French-influenced countries, where some students have ancestral roots; word processing and desktop publishing, to keep journals and create a publication for their parents of program experiences; field trips to farms, museums, etc.; and tours of the Dartmouth campus.
"So far, I have really enjoyed visiting Bennings Farm," student Joseph Moseley said.
Evenings are used for activities such as French singing, preparation and serving of traditional French meals, and rehearsals for the end-of-program production that the students will perform.
This program is the result of a process that began when College President James Freedman began conversing with Dr. Lorraine Monroe, principal of the Frederick Douglass Academy, in 1991 about the idea of bringing a group of students to the College for a special summer language program.
The New York Times Foundation and the Florence J. Gould Foundation provided funding after the project was organized.
