March 10, 2015
Dear Foreign Language Teacher(s),
On behalf of Southeastern Louisiana University and the Department of Foreign Languages
and Communication, I would like to thank you so much for your hard work, dedication, and
participation in our Thirty-Third Annual Foreign Language Festival.
Please read the following attached documents carefully:
* Event Program.
* French and Spanish competition schedule (Posted on line)
* Policies and regulations governing the festival and some helpful tips.
Find this information for the festival online:
http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/lang_comm/programs/foreign_lang_fest/i
ndex.html
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?2a=500+W+University+Ave&2c=Hammond&2s=LA&2z=
70401&cid=lfddlink&form=directions
http://www.southeastern.edu/map/directions/
--- for Directions to Southeastern
http://www.southeastern.edu/map/
http://www.southeastern.edu/map/assets/campus_map_2012.pdf
TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME TO READ THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION
CAREFULLY. IT WILL AVOID DELAYS, PROBLEMS, AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS DURING THE
EVENT.
PRINT AND BRING THESE HANDOUTS WITH YOU ON MARCH 20TH.
Notify me immediately by e-mail if you find any discrepancies, errors, or omissions in your
registration. Include all the information. Please understand that we cannot make changes for
individual preferences.
Your cooperation will provide you and your students with a successful and enjoyable day in
our campus.
 Plan to arrive early, no later than 7:30 a.m. Avoid traffic and parking delays.
Competition will begin exactly at 8:00 a.m.
 We will have the D-VICKERS Parking Lot reserved for guest parking (car-van) and
the SGA Carwash lot on Oak Street by the fire fighters station for the BUSES.
 STUDENTS DROP OFF MUST BE DONE IN THE BUS STOP BEHIND D-VICKERS
PARKING LOT. Then, THE BUSES PROCEED TO PARK AT THE DESIGNATED
OAK STREET PARKING LOT. (SEE MAP)
 There will be police officers assisting the participants drop off and parking in the
designated areas. (See map – directions) Each vehicle must display the parking
tag provided.
 When you enter D-Vickers Hall, go to the Main Lobby. Our welcome staff will help
you locate the rooms. Before proceeding to the rooms, the schools coordinator needs
to sign at the school’s table. We request that all the teachers attending the event sign
the sheets and fill in all the information requested to keep our mailing list current.
 Students must be ready at the competition rooms at least ten (10) minutes prior to
their scheduled time, and ten (15) minutes before music or play competitions.
 Students arriving after their scheduled time must wait until all other contestants of
that category/level have completed their performances. Under no circumstances will
late-arrivals be allowed to perform once the next category has begun and scores
completed.
 Please remind the students to be quiet outside the rooms where they are to
perform as a courtesy to other contestants and because there are offices and other
events on that day.
 Students, teachers, and parents are permitted to sit only in the Spanish and French
drama/play competitions. Please instruct your students to be quiet and respectful of
the participants. Students sitting at the plays can leave before or after a presentation,
but no one is to enter or leave rooms during the performance as a courtesy.
 Students may remain inside the building if they are ready to compete. We encourage
the students to sit outside the Student Union, inside in the beautiful sitting areas, or to
attend the Spanish and French Play competitions to avoid the noise around the rooms
that may interfere with other competitions.
 The NEW Student Union has a food court with a good variety of food and drinks
available during the event, as well as for lunch. We would appreciate it if your students
would drop all the garbage from food and beverages into the trash bins provided
around.
 Plan to stay for The Award Ceremony at 1:30 p.m.; it is the closing event and every
year is an exciting and emotional experience. If your school cannot attend, you will be
able to see the list of winners posted on the Web site.
 Southeastern Louisiana University and the Foreign Language Festival are not responsible for
traffic delays, inclement weather, vehicle problems, missed belongings, or any other circumstance
that prevents any student from participating in a particular competition.
 NO STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED IN COMPETITION WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF FEES. NO
PAYMENTS WILL BE RECEIVED ON THE DAY OF THE FESTIVAL.
We are ready and looking forward to seeing and welcoming you on March 20th. If you have
questions, feel free to contact me by e-mail: lescobar@selu.edu
Note: I will be out of my office during the festival set-up on Thursday, March 19th
For problems on your way to the festival or during the event, please call (985) 549-2105
Good Luck to your students in their competitions!
Dr. Luz M. Escobar
Director,
33nd Annual Foreign Language Festival
33ND ANNUAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE FESTIVAL
MARCH 20th, 2015
D-VICKERS HALL
PROGRAM
7:30 a.m.
Doors open. School coordinators register at the table
located in D-Vickers Hall – Main Lobby
8:00 a.m.
Competition starts at 8:00 a.m.
8:00 – 11:45
Competition: French & Spanish
(See final schedules for individual room/time)
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Award Ceremony: Student Union Theater – Access
through the stairs next to the bookstore
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Dissmissal
NOTE: School buses must pick up the students
ONLY from the Friendship Circle. The campus police
will be helping with traffic.
§§§§§§§§
33nd ANNUAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE FESTIVAL
MARCH 20, 2015
REGULATIONS
I.





CATEGORIES IN FRENCH AND SPANISH
POETRY
PROSE
EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING
MUSIC (SINGING)
DRAMA/PLAY
OPEN TO:
LEVEL 1: First year students in French or Spanish
LEVEL 2: Second year students
LEVEL 3: Third year students
LEVEL 4: Fourth year students
NATIVE SPEAKERS OF FRENCH OR SPANISH
II.







SPECIFIC RULES
TIME: Each participant must be ready at the competition room at least ten minutes before each
individual scheduled time for individual categories and twenty minutes before for the play and
music categories. Participants who arrive late for their competition will not be allowed to compete
if the category has already end and has been scored. Southeastern Louisiana University / the
Department of Foreign Languages and Communication are not responsible or liable for a
participant’s disqualification due to late arrivals for transportation delays, bad weather, vehicle
problems, etc.
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES: Each school may submit one student per level in each language
(Spanish or French). The level of competition must reflect the number of years that the student has
studied the language. Students may enter ONLY ONE event in individual categories. (3 minutes
max. time of competition)
GROUP CATEGORIES: Each school may submit one group per category for each language,
French and Spanish: One solo or a group of a maximum of 3 participants for music (3 minutes max.
time), and one group of a maximum of 15 participants and 2 substitutes for drama/play. (15 minutes
max. time). Setting of props, recorders, and instruments is included in the time frame. Students
must provide their own props, recorders, and instruments.
NATIVE SPEAKERS: A native speaker is defined as a person who has spoken the language since
birth or a person who has attended school in the language. Please do not send native speakers for
other competitions, as they will be disqualified or given the lower score. This is not fair to the other
schools in competition.
Students are not allowed to wear school uniforms, backpacks, pins or any other
element that can identify the name of the school.
Judges are not to ask the students to identify their schools during the competition.
The decision of the judges is final. No appeals will be accepted during the event.
III.
EVALUATION
Students will be judged on pronunciation, articulation, expression, ease of delivery, and appropriateness
of selection. In the case of a tie, memorization is also taken into account, as is live accompaniment for
the music category.
IV.
AWARDS
Please plan to stay for the award ceremony after the competition, which may last until 2:30 p.m.
A. Individual Awards:
During the award ceremony, Trophies, and Prizes will be awarded for 1st. place and Prizes for 2nd places
in each category.
Certificates will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Certificates of participation will be awarded to
all contestants. NOTE: All certificates (participation and awards) will be mailed to the schools no later
than three weeks after the festival.
B. Special awards:
Best School in French – Best School in Spanish
Best overall school:



Tier one: Schools with an enrollment of over 600 students, magnet, or immersion schools.
Tier two: Schools with an enrollment of under 600 students.
Tier three: Foreign Language Immersion schools.
La Communauté française de Belgique will offer a scholarship for a senior student participating in
the category of “French Extemporaneous Speaking 4.”
In order to participate and/or receive this award, the students in this category must (1) be
ready to respond to the question in no more than one minute: Why do you think you deserve
the scholarship, and how you think it will improve your French fluency. Also the student must
(2) be a senior in high school, and (3) be 18 years old.
The Foreign Language Festival will offer an award towards a Mexican Cruise, with a maximum value
of one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars for a senior student participating in the category of “Spanish
Extemporaneous Speaking 4.”
In order to participate and/or receive this award, the students in this category must (1) be
ready to respond to the question in no more than one minute: Why do you think you deserve
the scholarship, and how you think it will improve your Spanish fluency. Also the student must
(2) be a senior in high school, and (3) be 18 years old.
V.
FOOD AND LUNCH
All participants are responsible for providing their own lunch. (There is a food court in the NEW
student Union, close to D-Vickers. The new student Union also provides large and very
comfortable and illuminated sitting areas, where your students can relax while not in competition.
http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSSW/SoutheasternLouisiana- click for campus dining locations.
VI.
INFORMATION
Dr. Luz M. Escobar
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Southeastern Louisiana University
Phone: (985) 549-2266 or 549-2105
Fax: (985) 549-3088
Email: lescobar@selu.edu
ANNUAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE FESTIVAL
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FOR
TEACHERS, CONTESTANTS,
AND JUDGES
 DURING THE COMPETITION STUDENTS
ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR SCHOOL
UNIFORMS, PINS, BACKPACKS, SOCKS,
HATS, CAPS, ID, OR ANY OTHER ELEMENT
WITH SCHOOL IDENTIFICATION OR LOGO
 THE JUDGES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ASK
THE STUDENTS THE NAME OF THEIR
SCHOOLS
 THE DECISION OF THE JUDGES IS FINAL.
NO APPEALS WILL BE ACCEPTED DURING
THE EVENT
IMPORTANT
Please check the webpage
and your
e-mail constantly
before coming to the
event.
New information and
announcements may be
posted and updated as
needed
REVIEW CAREFULLY AND FIND YOUR STUDENTS TIMES,
ROOMS, AND CHANGES. THE FINAL SCHEDULE (NEW) IS
NOW POSTED ONLINE
IMPORTANT
DUE TO THE UNION CONSTRUCTION, THIS YEAR THE FESTIVAL IS
FACING SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE CHANGE OF LOCATION FOR
THE COMPETITIONS, AND THE CIRCULATION INTERUPTED THOUGH
THE UNION MALL.
WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCES. HOWEVER, WE HAVE
DONE OUR BEST TO PUT TOGHETER A WONDERFUL AND
SUCCESSFUL FESTIVAL.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND:
1.
For the French and Spanish Play Competitions (open to the
public) we do not have a theater. We have been able to
schedule them in a large classroom with theater sitting for
one hundred people.
THE ACTIVE AREA TO ACCOMMODATE THE PROPS
AND PRESENT THE PLAY IS ABOUT 29x13 FEET.
2. The Student Union Mall is closed. In order to access the
Union Theater (stairs next to the bookstore) for the award
ceremony, we must walk all around the New Union
building, or you can have access coming from the Friendship
Circle (where the buses will pick up the students after the
ceremony)
3. The New Student Union is fully operational with a large
sitting area and plenty of places to purchase food.
*****