Language Learning Institute Set To Celebrate Bastille Day In Schenectady On July 11

ALBANY, NY – In keeping with years of tradition, the Language Learning Institute will hold a Bastille Day celebration on Pedestrian Jay Street Saturday afternoon.

“We want to encourage people to celebrate the freedom of language,” said Nancy Scarselletta, the school’s founder. Last week we celebrated America’s freedom on July 4. This weekend we want to celebrate the birth of democracy in France.”

Scarselletta noted that the French Revolution, which was inspired by our own independence, helped the French people seek their rights under the rule of law. Bastille Day is one of the most important national holidayholidays in France and commemorates the July 14, 1789 storming of the Bastille prison in Paris.

The Fourth Annual Language Learning Institute Bastille Day Celebration will run from 1 to 9 p.m. During the day there will be carnival games and Bastille Day craft activities that will benefit the Language Learning Institute Scholarship fund. Scarselletta says the institute hopes to raise $10,000 in scholarship monies this year.

“When you help people children learn a language, you allow them to open up their minds,” Scarselletta said. “They get to understand new ways to relate to the world. You give them the ability to communicate and take part in the Global Village. We also offer scholarships for people who need to learn English as a second language in order to integrate into our community and live the American Dream.”

There will also be a Bastille Day parade at 5pm starting at Jay and State Street led by Grammy nominated Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers, who will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will also include a wine tasting, snow cones, Pizzazz tThe Clown, flag and fire twirling, and a magician, and an historian who will inform us of the French influence in our region.

“We invite everyone to come down and say, ‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!'” said Scarselletta. “Bastille Day is a wonderful example of how America has helped inspire freedom and equality across the globe!”

Since 2005, the Language Learning Institute has been helping children and adults interested in learning French. By 2006, Italian language classes became available as well. Since then the Institute has helped children learn French and Italian as second languages while also helping adults who need language skills for personal enjoyment, travel or business purposes. The Institute also offers a program for heritage speakers of French.

Scarselletta holds an MA from Middlebury College, has been teaching for more than 20 years and continues to strive to offer the best French and Italian curriculum possible.

What Our Students Are Saying

“The Language Learning Institute is the only venue which teaches more than just conversational Italian, other than enrolling in a college course. I had tried a few Italian language classes from other continuing education places but it was always the same: the class was dominated by those planning a trip to Italy and wanting to have travel vocabulary and phrases under their belts.

The Language Learning Institute teaches Italian as a true language-you learn by listening to Italian, speaking it, reading it and writing it. We have a text book and a workbook, and are tackling all the basics of a language-alphabet, grammar, idioms, the way the Italians think. The price is reasonable, the pace is great for working people, and the staff is extremely knowledgeable.”

— Katherine Better (Loudonville, NY)

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