We are a growing and expanding our school, specializing in the learning and study of French and Italian. We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic and talented people to join our team.
– Carpenter (to build the bean bag toss) – Volunteers to work the games – Volunteers to help gather people for the parade – Volunteers to man our materials table, snow cone and popcorn machines The event is from 1pm to 9pm. We will be putting an itinerary together soon.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Opportunities for Sponsorships are still available and needed to defray the costs of the day. Sponsorships for as little as $25.00 will get some recognition for a business. $250 will afford a business the opportunity for promotion in both radio and print.
Vendors If you would like to be a part of our Bastille Day Celebration, booths are available for $75. You are responsible for providing a permit if you are selling goods. We will provide a tent, table, and chairs.
If you are interested in any of the above, please call our office: (518) 346-7096
Dear Reader,
We have an action packed month this month and there is still time to register for our summer camp program for Mommy and Me, and Learn French Summer Camp for Children! We are offering, for the first time, an evening program on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Colonie from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. We are still taking registrations. So come join the fun! Our Fourth Annual Bastille Day Celebration is July 11th from 1:00pm to 9:00 pm, and it will be loads of fun! 101.3 will be broadcasting remote and live from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Pizzazz the Clown will be there to do face painting and balloon sculptures; Deanna from Drama Kids International will move the little ones into an imaginary and fun world of acting. Our very own Jonathan will be mesmerizing the crowd with his fire and flag twirling. Keno the Magician will amaze you! We will be having a parade that you can participate in from 5:00pm to 6:00pm led by Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers, and then they will be playing for us that evening from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. There will be dancing in the street! There will also be carnival games with prizes and several crafts for children. We are having a big 50/50 raffle with prizes throughout the day for adults. There will be snow cones, popcorn and more! The net proceeds from the children’s games and activities of the day will go toward The Language Learning Scholarship Fund which is for children and adults of economically challenged families who could not otherwise afford our programs.
This will be a NOT TO BE MISSED Event! We are looking forward to seeing all of you during the summer!
Best regards,
Nancy Scarselletta Owner/Developer The Language Learning Institute 518-346-7096
This article is a continuation of last month’s presentation on “What is Bastille Day?”. Enjoy!
Bastille day in France is similar to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the United States. Both ended an era of absolute monarchy to give way to a new, democratic government. Today it is celebrated by military parades, festivals, and parties, similar to the Fourth of July in the United States. The parade down the Champs-Elyssées includes not only the French militia, but in recent times has also included the military of France’s allies.
In Paris, there is a celebration both the night before and the day of July 14th. There are many parties and galas which take place on the evening of the 13th. On the 14th itself, the parade is led by the President of France, and is followed overhead by military plans in formation. They march from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, among many others, were beheaded. Later on that night, there are fireworks which take place at the Place de Trocadéro, the building directly across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower and the headquarters of the French military.
We have been asked to bring our programs for children to Colonie. We would love to do that for you but we are in need of a space to rent. We would like to stay at this location year round and have our summer and winter Camps as well as our Mommy and Me classes and After School Programs. If you know of places that would like to discuss renting to The Language Learning Institute, Please e-mail us the contact information to: [email protected]
Why Events?
The Language Learning Institute has, at this time, three scheduled events throughout the year: Bastille Day (or as the French call it “le Quatorze”), St Nicolas Day, and now A Tour of France and Italy through Wine and Cheese. The mission of The Language Learning Institute is to bring not only language to the community in which it has a presence, but also cultural understanding. It is through our events that we bring an experience of authenticity to you. This is the time and place in which we invite all to participate and learn something new and help enrich their lives. These events can show how things are done in different parts of the world and give a better understanding about our relationships with other countries. Bastille Day and St Nicolas Day are community and family events meant to unite the two. Our wine and cheese event is an adult over twenty-one years of age event and will be held yearly as well. It will focus on different wines and their traditional accompaniments depending on the country.
We invite all of you to come out and enjoy our events. In doing so, you also support out programs and the school. We have a very broad vision for the future that I am sure you will enjoy.
These days when we think tennis, we think Wimbledon, the Williams sisters, Andre Agassi, and perhaps even the French Open. What you may not realize is that roots of tennis lay in Europe. The history of tennis dates back several thousand years when the game was created by European monks as a form of entertainment during religious ceremonies. One source, however, speculates the sport originated in not just any monastery, but specifically those of 13th-century France, which became the true precursor of what we know as tennis today. Towards the end of the Middle Ages in Europe, this monastic pastime evolved into a sport adopted enthusiastically by royalty who named the game jeu de paume, meaning “the game of the palm.”
The French influence on tennis has not ceased since the Middle Ages. The first French Open (Tournoi de Roland-Garros) took place at Paris’ Stade de France in 1891. It has since become one of the most prestigious tennis competitions world-wide. And while they are up against fierce competitors, the French have made their mark taking numerous titles and records throughout its history.
You don’t have to be a professional athlete to enjoy tennis in France; you just have to be sophisticated and rich: the royal claim on tennis is still evident in contemporary society as the sport is generally played in the country club setting as opposed to the local town parks. But when it comes down to it, aren’t all our paumes the same?
Offelle del Palio di Siena – Dried Fruit and Nut Filled Ravioli
The “Palio di Siena”, known to the locals as “Il Palio,” is a horse race held twice each year in Siena, Italy on the 2nd of July and again on the 16th of August. Ten horses and ten riders, dressed in their colors, represent the seventeen districts of the city. The race, which began in the Medieval era, consists of the riders making three loops around the main square and is over in about 90 seconds. The event itself is celebrated with various parades and festivities, often ending at a table filled with delicious food, including these cookies that date back to the Medieval era.
Ingredients
Dough 20 gm softened butter 200 gm flour 20 gm sugar 2 eggs Pinch of salt
Oil for frying Granulated or powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
Method
1. Mix together all the ingredients for the dough. 2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Meanwhile in a bowl combine the dried fruit, nuts, honey and a pinch of each of the spices. 4. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out into a sheet about ¼ inch thick. 5. Place a spoonful of the filling on one side of the sheet and fold over the other, making a small ravioli. 6. Cut and tightly seal the edges around the filling. 7. Fry the ravioli in the hot oil until golden brown, place on a towel to absorb any excess oil. 8. Sprinkle with sugar when cooled
Niger is our monthly Francophone stop. Niger is West Africa’s largest country, but remains one of the least developed on the continent. Niger is a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and French is the official language. Much of the land consists of vast Sahara Desert and plateaus roamed by nomadic tribes. The northeastern and central areas have higher elevations, highlighted by the large mountain range of the Air Massif, which extends into northern-central Niger. The only fertile region is the South in the steppe and savanna country where Lake Chad and the Niger River can be found. Most of the people in Niger live in this region of trees, shrubs and farm land. There are several ethnic groups in Niger, most of them are Muslim. The largest group is the Hausa, who make up 50% of the population. The second largest group is the Djerma-Songhai. Both of them are farmers along the Niger River. The northern deserts are less populated and run by the Touaregs who are nomadic herders. Niger dates back to Roman times when expeditions of that great empire penetrated this region. In the 7th century, the Songhai Empire was founded along the Niger River and was based in Gao. By the late 1870’s the French had begun occupying present-day Niger. They set up a colony in 1922. In 1960, Niger was granted full independence. Since then, Niger has suffered a number of military coups and insurgencies. The biggest issue facing the country in recent years is the serious food crisis that has affected more than 2.5 million people. Next month we will stay on the same continent but travel along the Mediterranean. In the movie Star Wars, the scenes on the planet Tatooine were filmed in this country!
Le Gouvernement et les Nouvelles Françaises d’Amelia
The world turned towards France this past month looking for answers to the disappearance of the Air France flight bound for Paris from Rio de Janeiro. The airplane disappeared off the coast of Brazil on June 1st. This past week, the search continued for the black boxes, as they appear to be the only hope in determining what exactly happened to this Air France flight. On June 23rd, the French submarine, Nautile, was able to detect a weak signal which officials assumed was coming from the black boxes. However, the signal was very weak and the debris from the crash is about 15,000 feet deep and mixed in with trash. The US navy has contributed technology to the French search for the missing pieces.
The signal on these black boxes can only last as long as their batteries do, which is about 30 days. These black boxes (which are actually orange cylinders) can tell us what happened to the airplane because they record pretty much everything going on within the aircraft. It has a voice recorder to pick up what was being said in the cockpit, as well as sounds ranging from a switch being turned on to a loud bang. It has many sensors as well which give information about fuel, speed, wing position, and many other functions of the airplane. In a case in 2007, the black box was located within the 30 day window for the life of the battery, but was not retrieved for eight months. In that case, the data within the black box was still intact once pulled out of the water. We can only hope that search crews will be able to locate the black boxes in order to solve and prevent this terrible tragedy from happening again.
Thank you to all who responded to last month’s “Do You Know?”
Where was the center of political power of France under the reign of Charlemagne?
Answer: Aix-En-Provence
This Month’s “Do You Know?”
The “July Column” is located in the Place de la Bastille in Paris, which commemorates where the Bastille once stood. On the column is a frieze which depicts the story of a historical event which occurred in Paris. What was that event?
Thank you for your interest in our school. Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone who might be interested in learning about the Language Learning Institute and our programs and events.
Best regards,
Nancy Scarselletta The Language Learning Institute, LLC
We have an action packed month this month and there is still time to register for our summer camp program for 
