The American Association of Teachers of French has designated this week, Nov. 5-11, as National French Week, and a variety of events celebrating French cooking, music and dance as well as French accomplishments in science, technology and the arts will be held in the Southeast as in other parts of the country.

“French is very much alive,” William Griffin, chair of the Department of Foreign Languages at Kennesaw State University, told GlobalAtlanta. “In Atlanta we have a very active Alliance Française and the consulates of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland and, of course, France are very supportive.”

Dr. Griffin serves as treasurer of Georgia chapter of the American association, which has organized National French Week programs over the past three years.

For this year’s finale, Cobb County’s high school French teachers are planning a French language contest to be held at Kennesaw State on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“Judges will be evaluating many different kinds of events, such as skits and recitations,” he said.

Middle and high schools with French language programs are to hold events throughout the week, and a French film festival is to run at Kennesaw State from Monday through Thursday, Nov. 5-8.

Included among these activities are an Immersion Day on Thursday, Nov. 8, organized by Northview High School and Peachtree Ridge High School to be held at Northview High in Duluth. Also on Nov. 8 the Atlanta International School is to feature a program of the Theatre du Reve, a theater group of American actors who perform in French, on the use of threatrical norms in the classroom.

For more information about National French Week in Atlanta, call Kristin Hoyt, assistant professor of French and Foreign Language Education at Kennesaw State at (770) 423-6449 or send an email to Khoyt3@kennesaw.edu