French New York: A Field Trip

On April 5, 2024, Montclair students studying French discovered the pétanque courts of New York City’s Bryant Park. With its garden designed in the classic French style, and its abundance of games, statues, restaurants, and picturesque spots for relaxing in the shade of the Empire State Building, Bryant Park is a quintessential destination for French speakers. Coached on the finer points of the game by Pierre, a volunteer member of La Boule New-Yorkaise, students honed their language skills while conversing in French.

Complementing physical activity with intellectual and gustatory exploration, the group explored the New York Public Library and its “Treasures” exhibition – including a Gutenberg Bible, original copies of J.J. Audubon’s Birds of America, and Charles Cordier’s busts of Vénus africaine and Saïd Abdullah – before capping off the day by indulging in Mont Blanc, the signature concoction of Pâtisserie Angelina Paris.

“It was wonderful to have the experience of playing pétanque for the first time in New York City and to walk through the biggest library I’ve ever seen,” said graduate student Isaac Kpoka, who grew up in Togo. Graduate Assistant Imane Nayyar, who planned the details of the trip with Kpoka, commented that “The walls, designs, and treasures [of the New York Public Library] created an impression unlike any other!”

Throughout the excursion, students from various levels of French practiced what they have learned in class. After French New York, Professors Emery and Loysen, the trip chaperones, think they’re ready to head to French-speaking Québec, Paris, and Dakar!