Bienvenue en français!

Bonjour, 

my name is Mrs. Upham. I teach Introduction to French, French I at Marshwood MS and French I through French IV at Marshwood HS. A native from the south of France, I obtained my degrees from the University of Montpellier (France) and the University of British Columbia (Canada).  After teaching French for 15 years in the Seattle area, English as a Second Language and French for 12 years at the University of New Hampshire, and 2 years online with the Alliance Française de Boston et Cambridge, this is my 3rd year in the district. 

I am passionate about languages as a way to access other people and cultures. To me, teaching is a matter of connections: between all those in the classroom; between one’s language and culture, and the one being taught; between the class content and real life applications. I believe in a dynamic, reflexive, and organized language classroom, in which students engage with relevant material, are encouraged to take risks, are held to solid standards, and discover that their way of being in the world is one of many. 

You may want to watch the 4mn video above to discover how language learning develops students' linguistic and cognitive abilities, their independence and empathy, and sustains their academic and professional success. 

For questions, please contact me at Elsa.Upham@rsu35.org