Lac du Bois
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Lac du Bois means "Lake in the Woods" and comprises the French language and culture program at the Concordia Language Villages based in Minnesota.
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[edit] Locations
[edit] Permanent Site
The permanent Lac du Bois site is located on a lake with several other Language Villages (Skögfjorden, Salolampi, El Lago del Bosque, Waldsee) near Bemidji, Minnesota. It contains the most modern and extensive facilities, including electricity, indoor plumbing, a professional kitchen, and a permanent, modern office. The site is designed to be as authentically French as possible, with authentic French architecture, including two sets of cabins named Bretagne and Provence and with architectural details the reflect the appropriate region of France. The cabins themselves are named after major cities within those provinces. The main building is, of course, called Paris. There is also a regulation petanque or boules court, and a small store that sells authentic European candy and treats.
During their stay, members of Lac du Bois enjoy home-cooked food as well as entertaining shows, while learning French during the day. A picture of one of these shows is included to the right.
A new addition to the Bemidji site is a traditional African Round House, called a "Boukarou". This is an Concordia Language Village Evergreen Award presented to a Dean for 25 years of service.
[edit] Leased Sites
There are other Lac du Bois sites that are not permanent (the current temporary site is at Camp Holiday). These consist of rented campsites around Minnesota as well as one in Savannah, Georgia. These lack the authentic architecture, but nonetheless provide a valuable French cultural experience.
[edit] Camp Holiday
Located near Hackensack, Minnesota, Camp Holiday is the oldest site still being leased by Concordia Language Villages for its summer French programs. The Camp Holiday site was originally a camp for girls built in the 1930s and many of its buildings still date from that era. The pristine lakes and traditional camp feel of Lac du Bois, Hackensack (as the program is sometimes called) offers a home to many villagers and staff summer after summer.
The geography of Camp Holiday includes two hills (previously known as, and sometimes still referred to as, Senior and Junior hills) which are called respectively France and Franco. The cabins on France correspond to cities in France and those on Franco correspond to cities in the greater French-speaking world. It is located between Man and Baby Lakes with part of the main road separating the two by just a few yards. Of all the Concordia sites, it has the most waterfront.
The program at Hackensack is known for its emphasis on Francophone cultures, particularly those of West Africa as well as a heavy emphasis on nature, pioneering the Aventure Nature program which incorporates canoeing and outdoor living skills as well as French language curriculum.
Lac du Bois, Hackensack-Holiday is the longest running French site of Concordia. It has also hosted the early Italian Program "Lago del Bosco".
[edit] New Ebenezer Retreat Center
The Savannah, Georgia location which features full air-conditioning and a swimming pool. Lac du Bois, Savannah creates a full village experience, holding mayoral elections and running a camp newspaper.
[edit] French Abroad
French students may also choose to study French abroad in France as part of Concordia Language Villages' French program.
[edit] Winter Weekend Program
Hosted at Skogfjorden's permanent site outside Bemidji, Minnesota, the French language program maintains a weekend program for French students to enjoy when the summer program is not in session. The weekend program is an abbreviated version of the summer program with fewer staff and fewer activities which gives students a taste of Lac du Bois. French teachers and chaperones are also allowed a glimpse at the program.
[edit] General Program Content
Lac du Bois tries to teach the French language and all its aspects in a global sense, which include the cultures of France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (Quebec), sub-saharan Africa (ex. Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Senegal), Northern Africa (Le Maghreb), the United States (Louisiana and Maine), Vietnam, the Caribbean (Haiti), and the Pacific Islands (Tahiti). Music, sports and games, traditions, film, clothes, and food from all these places are experienced by villagers. A villager might listen to rai music from North Africa, eat boeuf bourgignon, play in a "world cup" soccer game, learn to play the African drum tambour, make fondue, and participate in a Mardi Gras celebration, all in French.
French surrounds the campers, or villagers, all day. Everything from putting on bug spray (antimoustique) re-enacting the French Revolution, and learning about world hunger and the European Union through simulations takes place entirely in the French language using techniques from the Full Immersion language acquisition philosophy. Because villagers are not native speakers and English is not used, art, stories, drama, film, song, gestures, and props are used extensively to help language learners understand, grow, and help the village run smoothly.
All staff members at Lac du Bois are at least bilingual in French and English, although many speak three or more languages. Many are college students or full time language teachers. Lac du Bois staff come from all over the United States and the French speaking world. They are fun and professional, and are responsible for the day-to-day running of villages, all in French and live in cabins with their villagers. Business and meetings within the village are conducted exclusively in French. Since all staff members are successful second language learners themselves, whether they are native French or English speakers, they are able to provide an empathetic, patient, and supportive, yet challenging environment for villagers who may be struggling to learn their first foreign language.
Most villagers stay for a two week session, but older students may stay for four weeks and earn either the equivalent of one year of high school French or one class of college credit. These intensive courses are somewhat non-traditional since they are conducted in a camp environment and the time is highly condensed. All teachers for the credit programs are accredited, as is the curriculum itself. All credit classes are conducted in French, even for beginners.
When a villager arrives at Lac du Bois, they receive a passeport that contains important information about them, such as how they are returning home and how much money is in their camp account. The villager chooses an authentic Francophone name, including African and Caribbean names that is used during their stay. They exchange U.S. dollars for authentic euros (at an exchange rate fixed at US$1 = €0,75) that they may use at the store.
