French Immersion Day & Quiz Bow

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By Jessica Dunn

 

Just one week after the UConn ECE Italian Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl, we held the French Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl on November 9th. Coordinated and hosted by Dr. Florence Marsal, UConn ECE French Faculty Coordinator, the day was set up in a very similar manner to the Italian event. The French Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl is the longest running UConn ECE student language event, dating back to 2001. Since its creation, several hundred students have participated from dozens of our partner high schools across the state. This year UConn ECE Instructors brought about 80 student participants, representing Lewis S Mills High School, Daniel Hand High School, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Granby Memorial High School, Cheshire High School, Nathan Hale-Ray High School, Tolland High School, and Edwin O. Smith High School.

 

UConn ECE Students attend this event annually to participate in immersion sessions in the morning facilitated by UConn French Teaching Assistants, and to compete in a head-to-head, jeopardy-style Quiz Bowl in the afternoon. It is evident that the students are passionate about learning French and their Instructors have prepared them well for when they step on stage for the main event. Rules and expectations of the competition have been adjusted throughout the years, but some of the long-standing rules of the Quiz Bowl include:

  1. Teams are open to all registered ECE students with up to 4 students per team.
  2. The questions are set ahead of time: they have to do with history, literature, culture, grammar.
  3. The questions are read in French, and the answers are given in French. Only understandable answers will be accepted.
  4. When you press your buzzer first and it lights up after the end of a question, your team has 10 seconds to answer. If no answer is given, the other team has 10 seconds. If no answer is given then, another question is read.
  5. The first team who totals 5 good answers moves on to the next round. For the final game, the first team who totals 10 good answers wins the quiz bowl.
  6. Audience prompting is not allowed. Cheering yes, prompting no.

     

    This year, Nathan Hale-Ray High School came out on top, bringing home the first-place trophy. Second place was awarded to Daniel Hand High School, and third place went to Edwin O. Smith High School. We commend all students who participated and appreciate the passion and enthusiasm the Instructors and students bring to learning the French language and competing in this event. We are always amazed by the student talent exhibited throughout the event and how the students continuously challenge themselves to reach the next level of language mastery.