We are a growing and expanding our school, specializing in the learning and study of French and Italian and the addition of Spanish by the end of February/beginning of March. We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic and talented people to join our team.
February is certainly going out in a blitz of white. I hope that you are all enjoying this magnificently beautiful wonderland that Mother Nature has bestowed upon us! It certainly is stunning…when one is not driving. If you are a skier, Hunter has 7 feet of snow! Enjoy and keep safe!
The month of March will bring the start of Spanish at The Language Learning Institute, and we are very excited to add this language to our offerings. We are starting with Beginning Spanish on March 8th, and are currently taking registrations. If you have experience with the language, don’t hesitate to call us, as we will be forming more advanced courses.
We will also for the first time be offering our After School Program in French to Delmar in March. Our After School Beginning French class will be offered on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00pm at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. We are very excited to be offering this to the families of the surrounding area and beyond. Check out our website for more information and to register your child today!
March 26th and 27th will be our French Immersion Film Weekend in French. Our immersion weekends are film based and have been very well received. We will be showing the film Ridicule. There will be lots of opportunity for speaking and discussion of the film…en français of course! This film is for adults only and we don’t recommend it for teenagers. We are in the process of considering another film for this age group. As of March 15th, a packet of material which will prepare you to get the most out of the weekend will be available, and we will mail it to you upon registration.
We have three classes in Italian and many more already running in French. We invite you to take a look at our site: www.LanguageLearningInstitute.com for our current course selection.
OurLearn a Language and Travel program will bring us to Italy this year for a boutique language and travel program. Keep watching our site for details!
We are getting ready for our Summer Camp Programs. This summer, we are offering our program in French in existing day camps. If your child participates in a full day camp and you would like French offered, please feel free to contact us at 518-346-7096.
We are in need to expand our teaching staff. If you are fluent in French, Italian, or Chinese, and you have some teaching experience as well as computer experience, please give us a call. You can click here for more details. We are in need of teachers who can work during the day, as well as evenings.
I wish you all a wonderful March and I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our Film Weekend!
Best regards,
Nancy Scarselletta Owner/Developer The Language Learning Institute 518-346-7096
Thank you to the businesses which promote the Language Learning Institute!
Ultraviolet Café : Albany, NY (518) 434-0333 Delaware News: Albany, NY (518) 465-4232 Tool’s Restaurant: Delmar, NY (518) 439-9111 Java Jazz Café: Delmar, NY (518) 439-1727 Emack & Bolio’s : Albany, NY Stewarts: Delmar, NY
Stop by and get a good meal, gift, or check out our latest promotional material!
Italian Recipe from Eleonora
Please note: Eleonora will be away this month, so we included an article from one of our archives; a recipe celebrating Father’s Day in Italy! Enjoy!
La Festa del Papà (Father’s Day) Written by Eleonora
Father’s Day in Italy is celebrated on March 19th, to coincide with St. Joseph’s day. Joseph is the patron saint of workers and protector of the poor. He was also declared to be the patron saint and protector of the universal Catholic Church, along with Saint Peter, by Pope Pius IX in 1870. St. Joseph, is therefore considered a father “per eccellenza” and his day was chosen in 1968 as the day to honor all fathers in Italy. And, without a doubt, a special treat is made throughout Italy to celebrate the special day: Bigné di San Giuseppe, a light, deep fried pastry filled with a vanilla cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Bigné di San Giuseppe St. Joseph’s Day Pastries Serves 8 people
Bigné Ingredients
250 gm water
125 gm flour, sifted
60 gm butter
4 eggs
1 pinch of salt
Oil for frying the Bigné
Vanilla Cream Ingredients
500 gm milk
3 tbspns sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tbspns flour, sifted
1 tspn vanilla
Prepare the Bigné 1. Add water, butter, and salt to a pot – heat slowly until the butter is melted in the water and then bring to a boil. 2. Once the water is boiling remove from heat, add the sifted flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth. The mixture will form into a ball and no longer stick to the pan. Remove the bigné dough from the pan and place on a flat board to cool. 3. Once cooled, add the egg yolks one at a time. Stir each egg completely into the pastry before adding the next. 4. Using a large spoon, shape and add small balls of dough to the hot oil. The small bigné balls expand, so don’t place too many in at the same time. Once golden brown place on the bigné on a paper towel to drain and cool. Prepare the Cream 1. In a medium pot, warm the milk, but don’t boil. 2. Beat the eggs and sugar together, add sifted flour and vanilla. Beat until smooth, avoiding any lumps. 3. Slowly add the egg and sugar mixture to the warm milk and stir to combine well. After combining the two mixtures turn the heat up to low-medium and continue stirring for about 10 minutes, or until the mixtures thickens into a cream. 4. Remove from heat and let cool before continuing. Completing the Bigné 1. Cut or open a small hole in the bigné and spoon in some of the cream. OR 2. Use pastry bag filled with the cream to fill the bigné. 3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve
Bonjour, As we experienced our first real snow storms of the winter, let us escape to another paradise in the Indian Ocean! Often referred to as an “intense” island, Reunion can be as different as night and day, depending on where you travel within the island. Not as well-known as nearby Mauritius or the not-so-far-away British Seychelles, little Reunion seems but a speck in the vast ocean, dwarfed by Madagascar, located 500 miles to the west. Reunion Island (in French, La Reunion) is a multicultural society composed of people originally from France, Mozambique, India, China, Madagascar, and the Comores. Although French is the official language, Creole is the language of everyday life. French is generally used in formal situations. Economic and cultural ties are almost exclusively with mainland France; Reunion is officially called “the France of the Indian Ocean”. Since the development of tourism in the 1970s, the image the island tries to project to the outside world is that of a multi colored society where people with different ethnic backgrounds live together peacefully. Next month we will learn more about another French overseas department located on the northern coast of South America. A bientot! Nouara
Like in the United States, the 2010 elections in France will play a pivotal role to the political climate for the duration of the current presidency. French regional elections will be taking place this month on March 14th and 21st. Although typically France has been considered a fairly centralized state, since the presidency of François Mitterrand (1981-1995) regional governments have enjoyed more political independence. Prior to his presidency, the leaders of regional governments were selected by the national government. In 1986, regional representatives were directly elected for the first time. This centralized state differs from our federal state that we have in the United States, which dates back to our founding fathers who gave a reasonable amount of power to the states in order to avoid a tyrannical central government.
There are 36,000 communes in France, which are led by a mayor and a council. These communes are part of 96 départements, which have a conseil général (general council) and a president. The largest subdivision is the région; by which the départements are grouped. There are 22 total régions, which also have a president and a regional council. These régions do not have as much power as states in the U.S. Régions have the right to tax the citizens, and as a result, use the revenue to their disposal. Regional governments have the power to manage departmental employees and land, subsidies for housing and education, and public transportation.
Currently, the Parti Socialist (the dominant left-wing party) controls all but two of the regional governments: Alsace, which borders Germany; and Corsica, and island in the Mediterranean. These two areas are controlled by the party UMP, the party of President Nicolas Sarkozy and the dominant right-wing party. Analysts predict that Corsica could see a change of the party in power; however it is unclear what will happen with Alsace. The former president of Alsace, Adrian Zeller, held his position for many years and was a loyal member of UMP. Unfortunately, Zeller passed away last year and UMP is struggling to find a worthy successor. Analysts predict that the Green party may gain ground in the regional elections. In fact, it is more likely that the Parti Socialist will struggle to maintain their regional domination as a result of the Green party, rather than a threat by UMP.
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 moved to Niskayuna from California in 2006 where my son was enrolled in French 1.2 with no previous experience in French. Nancy tutored him weekly and he excelled. By the end of the year he had an “A” and won a regional merit award. Ronny just completed his 5th year of French and will be attending Northeastern University in the fall.”
