KINGSTON, R.I. – July 9, 2014 – French teachers from throughout New England are hitting the books this week at the University of Rhode Island to learn about the latest techniques for teaching the Gallic language.

Forty-three university instructors and middle and high school teachers, including a dozen from Rhode Island, are participating in “Université d’été du Rhode Island,” sponsored by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Consulate of France in Boston and URI’s French department.

There are two special events:

* At 7 p.m. Thursday, July 10, Andrée Madec-King of the Association Brest-Newport will give a special presentation. Open to teachers of French at any level, this event discusses how partnerships are created between Atlantic coastal schools in France and the United States. Her talk will also focus on the arrival of L’Hermione, a reproduction of the famous ship of General Lafayette who arrived with his troops in Newport July 11, 1780. Admission is free; no registration is necessary. The talk will be held in Quinn Auditorium, 60 Upper College Road, in Kingston.

* From noon to 1 p.m. Friday, July 11, Fabian Fieschi, consul general of France in Boston, will visit with the teachers at the Ram’s Den in Memorial Union, 50 Lower College Road, also in Kingston. Born in 1973 in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges in the Val-de-Marne department in France, Fieschi is a graduate of Sciences Po in Paris. He also holds a certificate in International Relations from Sciences Po, where he participated in an exchange program with Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. He started his position in Boston in 2012.

Reporters who would like to speak with teachers or cover Fieschi’s and Madec-King’s talks can contact Lars Erickson, professor of French and director of the French International Engineering Program at the University of Rhode Island: 401-874-4702 or lars@uri.edu.

Photo above: Fabian Fieschi, counsul general of France in Boston.