Center for the Advancement of Languages, Education, and Communities - CALEC

06/04/2026

05/22/2026

05/17/2026

Heritage, culture, and evolution. What will be left behind by the tides of time, and what will remain? Check out the full discussion now on Youtube!

Thank you to all our wonderful speakers at the “French in Motion” event for their invaluable insights.

05/15/2026

A sneak peek into the lively discussions our speakers shared at the recent “French in Motion” event!

Check out the full recording of the event on Youtube!

05/09/2026

From heritage and identity to education, migration, and multilingualism, our recent conversation at the French in Motion event was an inspiring exchange of ideas on the evolving place of French in the United States.

French is not simply a language inherited – it is something continuously lived, reshaped, reclaimed, and shared across generations and communities.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this meaningful discussion, and to our remarkable speakers and partners for helping to make this event possible.

For all those who want to be part of the discussion, watch the full recording of the event! (Link in comments)

Read our full reflections and key takeaways on our newsletter. (Link in comments)

With gratitude to:
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), French Morning, CALEC – TBR Books, our speakers, and everyone who works to keep our discussions in motion.

05/06/2026

The “French in Motion” event is near! For all those who are unsure of how you could access the event, fret not. Simply use the link in the comments to access our livestream. See you soon!

05/04/2026

The event program will be as follows:

1. Welcome address
2. La Francophonie in the World presentation
3. Panel on French Around Us by esteemed guests
4. Q&A

Thank you to all those who have already signed up to attend, we cannot wait to see you! For those who have not signed up yet, register to attend our livestream so you do not miss out on the thoughtful discussions of our speakers.

05/02/2026

À l’occasion de la parution de La langue française dans le monde (Gallimard, édition 2026) et du livre Le français autour de nous, la francophonie aux États-Unis, héritage et perspectives d’avenir (CALEC), cette rencontre exceptionnelle réunira auteurs, chercheurs, enseignants et acteurs de terrain pour explorer les multiples visages du français aujourd’hui.

De la Louisiane à la Rust Belt, des écoles bilingues aux communautés franco-américaines, les échanges mettront en lumière une langue vivante, en mouvement, qui se transmet, se réinvente et se réapproprie au fil des territoires et des générations.

Retransmise en ligne sur French Morning USA, cette soirée offrira au plus grand nombre l’occasion de participer à une réflexion vivante sur l’avenir du français et la diversité des mondes francophones.

Programme :

Accueil par Son Excellence Michel Xavier Biang, Représentant permanent de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie auprès des Nations Unies

Présentation de La langue française dans le monde (Gallimard, édition 2026), Mohamed Embarki, Responsable de l’Observatoire de la langue française au sein de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) en échange avec Fabrice Jaumont, modérateur de la rencontre.

Panel sur Le français autour de nous :
Claire-Marie Brisson, Ph.D. (Ch.5 La langue française et l’identité francophone dans la Rust Belt, professeure à Harvard University)
Bertrand Tchoumi, Ed.D (Ch.8 Construire une identité francophone dans les écoles bilingues, réflexions centrées sur l’Afrique, directeur d’école)
John Tousignant, MAT (Ch.18 La réappropriation d’un héritage, Directeur du Centre Franco-Américain de Manchester New Hampshire)
Jessamine Irwin (Ch.3 Enseigner, apprendre et vivre en français, professeure à New York University).
Peggy Feehan, directrice du CODOFIL - Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, interviendra au nom des auteurs louisianais de l’ouvrage
Mot de la fin, remerciements par Kathleen Stein Smith, Ph.D

The Center for the Advancement of Languages, Education, and Communities | Centre de la francophonie des Amériques | Représentation de l'OIF auprès de l'ONU - New York | Représentation de l'OIF pour les Amériques - REPAM | Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education

05/02/2026

We are honored to welcome a distinguished panel of speakers for French in Motion. Bringing together scholars, educators, and cultural leaders, the panel reflects a wide range of expertise in language, education, and the Francophone identity. Their work collectively explores how language is transmitted, transformed, and lived across diverse contexts.

Speakers include:

H.E. Michel Xavier Biang : Permanent Representative of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) to the United Nations

Fabrice Jaumont, Author and Editor of Le Français Autour de Nous – Volume 2

Mohamed Embarki : Head of the Observatory of the French Language – International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF)

Claire-Marie Brisson : Author of Ch.5 – The Francophonie is Here: French Language and Francophone Identity in the Rust Belt Professor at Harvard University

Bertrand Tchoumi : Author of Ch.8 – Building a Francophone Identity in Bilingual Schools: African-Centered Reflections of a Black Educational Leader. Charter School Founder

Jessamine Irwin : Author of Ch.3 – Teaching, Learning and Living in French. Professor at New York University

John Tousignant : Author of Ch.18 – A Heritage Recaptured. Director of the Franco-American Centre of Manchester, New Hampshire (FACNH)

Kathleen Stein-Smith : Officier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques. Chair of the AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) Commission on Advocacy. Editor of Le Français Autour de Nous – Volume 2

Peggy Feehan : Executive Director of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL)

Register to attend the event through livestream and gain valuable insights from this exceptional group of speakers.

05/01/2026

Tick tock, tick tock! The launch event is near! This event will take place on May 7th, 2026, 6:00 PM (EST).

Register to attend the event through livestream (link in comment section). You do not want to miss the insights of our diverse and acclaimed panel of guest speakers!

Tic tac, tic tac ! L'événement de lancement approche ! Cet événement aura lieu le 7 mai 2026 à 18h00 (EST).

Inscrivez-vous pour assister à l'événement en direct (lien dans la section des commentaires). Vous ne voulez pas manquer les idées de notre panel diversifié et acclamé d'intervenants invités !