CANCELLED FOR FALL 2020 DUE TO COVID-19

Sept. 13 - Dec. 11, 2020

About the Program:

The Frecker Program is a one-semester immersion program in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. The program receives funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador under the Federal-Provincial Agreement on Official Languages in Canada in the form of bursaries awarded to the program on behalf of accepted students. During the semester, students take a full university program of 5 MUN courses (15 credit hours) in French at the 2000 level and live with a French family.

The Faculty:

The program is supervised by a Director appointed by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (French division), and courses are taught by the Director and by the instructors of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the Francoforum, a dedicated language training centre situated in the town of Saint-Pierre.

In 1973, Memorial University established the Institut Frecker in Saint-Pierre to provide a way for students of French to live in a French-speaking environment while furthering their French studies. The archdiocese of Saint-Pierre agreed to provide Memorial with the use of a small centrally-located building; the Institut, funded by the university and the federal government, operated there as part of Memorial's Department of French and Spanish until August 2000. The Institut Frecker was named in honour of Dr. George Alain Frecker (1905-1979). Born in Saint-Pierre, he served as Minister of Education and of Intergovernmental Affairs, was a chancellor of Memorial and holder of many honorary doctoral degrees and other awards.

The Site:

The Francoforum is a specialized language teaching facility owned and operated by the local government in Saint-Pierre, and provides a first-class setting for teaching and learning. It is staffed by professional French instructors overseen by a Director. The classrooms are bright and modern and the building itself is airy and spacious. Students in the Frecker Program have access to Internet connections, to a language laboratory, to a resource centre, and to study space. The building is made available during evenings and weekends to our students by arrangement with the Francoforum on a regular basis given sufficient demand.

Accomodations:

Accommodations for Frecker students are arranged by the Francoforum with French families in Saint-Pierre; normally two students share a room. All courses offered are Memorial University Courses, taught by specialist teachers of French as a second language. The Director of the Frecker Programme, a member of the Department of French and Spanish, accompanies the group to Saint-Pierre and teaches two of the courses offered there.

Student Life:

In addition to course work, the program includes a variety of other activities of the sort only possible in an immersion environment. In particular, there is an Atelier de chant with a choir master that allows students to explore both traditional and popular French song, and at the same time to improve their pronunciation and understanding of spoken French. French 2602 includes a theatre workshop which encourages students to immerse themselves in French texts and interpret them while improving their pronunciation and intonation.

Among other typical activities are excursions to l'île aux Marins, and to Miquelon-Langlade, cultural activities at the Centre Culturel, visits to local points of interest such as museums and workshops, films and visits by representatives of the various sectors of economic, cultural and administrative activity in Saint-Pierre and from other Francophone areas.

Admission:

The prerequisite for admission is successful completion of French 1502 with a minimum mark of 65% or permission of the Head of the Department, following written application. Selection for the program is on a competitive basis and takes into account both results in French courses and general university standing.

Funding:

The program’s operating costs are covered in part by funding from the Federal-Provincial Agreement on Official Languages in Canada and from Memorial University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Program participants are asked to contribute a program fee currently set at $2,000*. The program fee, together with the government and university funding, covers all expenses except for spending money and individual extracurricular activities.

Expenses covered include travel to and from Saint-Pierre, room and board, textbooks, cultural activities and excursions (other activities not related to the cultural program may be available at extra charge).

The program cost to each student is $2000 program fee plus tuition fees for 5 courses (Please see Office of the Registrar) for the full semester program. In addition, you will need to pay Student Union Fees and Student Insurance, but not the Recreation Fee.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: May 31, 2020

For more information, contact:

Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures

telephone: 864-7636

(*Program and fees are subject to university approval)