During the summer, Soki Kinanga, a journalist from the Toronto French radio station CHOQ-FM-105.1, reached out to CPF Ontario for help in spreading the word about a project she is working on called “Antenne-jeunesse”. This project allows participating youth and seniors to work together in producing pre-recorded radio segments that later air on CHOQ-FM as a radio show called Les Jeunes d’hier et d’aujourd’hui.
We shared this exciting opportunity with our members, and were thrilled when we found out that several of them took it on!
Cora Buggea has been a CPF member since 2006 and is one of the founding members of our Toronto Catholic Our Lady of Wisdom Chapter. Her 15-year-old son, Vincenzo, started out in French Immersion with the Toronto Catholic District School Board but now attends a French-language school. “He loves listening to a morning show called Roz & Mocha and he wanted to have the experience to talk on a radio show,” shares Cora.
Vincenzo recorded several radio segments and got to speak about what he says are the topics teenagers are interested in: sports and video games. Asked if he would do it again, the answer is a definite “yes.” (So maybe we can add “talk radio in French” to the list of teenage interests…)
Listen to Vincenzo in action on Émission 1 of Les Jeunes d’hier et d’aujourd’hui.
Mary Tsilka is a member of our Toronto Midtown West Chapter. Her 12- and 7-year-old daughters, Andronika and Marion, are both in French Immersion with the Toronto District School Board. They had just finished a French musical theatre camp when the CHOQ-FM opportunity came along. “I am always on the lookout for activities my children can do in French, especially during the summer,” says Mary, “and participating in a radio program seemed very interesting.”
Andronika and Marion participated in four sessions of Antenne-jeunesse. “They recorded segments with a group of peers, with seniors and with a brain scientist,” explains Mary.
Listen to Andronika and Marion on Émission 2 and Émission 3 (starting at minute 7:58) of Les Jeunes d’hier et d’aujourd’hui.
“The hardest part was to get a “flow” going,” shared Andronika with us by email. “What you were saying had to be interesting for your listeners. You had to talk a little bit differently because it was going to be on the radio (be more expressive when you spoke) but at the same time you had to sound “normal,” like you were just having a conversation.” But once you got that conversation flowing, it was easy to keep it going, explains Andronika.
Marion, who is in Grade 3, found it hard to do everything in French. But like her sister, she found the experience of talking on the radio fun an exciting. Without hesitation, they would both do it again!
Mary says the Antenne-jeunesse project allowed her children to use their French in a different way than they would otherwise.
“Conducting a radio interview is likely one of the most effective exercises to promote fluency,” says Mary. “Not only do you have to research and understand the subject, you must be able to articulate questions and ideas and carry out an extended dialogue with a native speaker under pressure. This is a type of interaction that is not readily available to a French Immersion student in the classroom where most interactions are with peers who are non-native French speakers”
We were thrilled to learn that Mary believes this has been the “most unique and real-life” opportunity her daughters have had to practice their French.
If you are looking for opportunities for your children to practice French, explore our section on Youth Activities and the Events Calendar. Also, if you aren’t a CPF member already, consider becoming one to learn about more opportunities like this one. Finally, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!