Le Congrès de la Culture Française en Floride
Pièce de Théâtre
Description:
The play must be a scene from a published French play. "Auteur inconnu" is acceptable only with proof that the play was published in French; for example, a copy of the title and publisher information pages. Do not use monologues or dialogues from stories. Only 60 schools may participate due to time constraints. Registration for this event was done with your school registration. Any level student may participate. Spectators are encouraged to attend this event.
Conditions:
A. Any number of students may participate.
B. Use of English will constitute immediate disqualification.
C. No prompting is allowed. In the event that a sponsor or other individual prompts the actors involved in a Pièce, that school will be disqualified from the competition.
D. Reading of lines constitutes immediate disqualification.
E. Props and costumes are encouraged but will not affect point values in evaluation.
F. Students are required to prepare a title card on poster board featuring the name and author of the Piece.
G. Each school introduces the title & author of its play and provides each of the judges with a copy of the Pièce Registration Form, including students' names and level of French and their character names. The door monitor of each room where plays are performed will have extra blank copies of the registration form.
H. The schools to perform will be posted outside each of the designated Pièce rooms and schools will be called in order to wait in the Prep room before their performance. Late arrivals will be placed at the end.
Time Limit: There is an absolute time limit of TEN MINUTES inclusive of set-up, takedown and any summary or introduction. Any play exceeding the time limit will be stopped promptly.
New for 2025: The score will now count for up to 20 points (changed from 10 points) towards the school's total number of points.
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Judging Sheet: Recommended Plays:
Saynète
Description:
For Level ONE students only. This competition is open to all schools. Skits are to be original and may be of any subject matter providing vocabulary and structures are appropriate for Level 1. Spectators are encouraged to attend.
Conditions:
The skit must be original, not taken verbatim from a book.
The language and structure should be appropriate for Level I French students.
No scripts or prompting will be allowed. Any school violating this rule will be disqualified.
Costumes and props are encouraged.
No sponsor will be permitted on the stage at any time. All set-up and take-down must be done by student participants or student helpers.
The schools to perform will be posted outside the designated Scénette rooms and schools will be called in order to wait in the Prep room prior to their performance. Schools will be directed into the competition room in groups of five. Late arrivals will be placed at the end.
Spectators must remain in the room until all five performances have been completed
Time Limit: A Five-minute time limit, including set-up, take-down and any introductions will be strictly enforced.
Criteria For Evaluation:
Pronunciation, intonation & fluency................50%
Memorization...........................................30%
Acting & staging.......................................20%
Saynète Judging Sheet:
Projet
Description:
This competition is open to students in any level of French. A project may be two or three-dimensional displays such as maps, paintings, models, costumes, ceramics, carvings, etc. They must be related to France or the Francophone culture and MUST adhere to the CCFF competition theme. The project must be registered by 5:00pm on the first day. Although the project may represent the effort of a group of students, each school may enter only one project. Only one student should be chosen to represent the project and do the interview with the judges. Judges will conduct a brief interview in English of 3-5 minutes in duration. Students should prepare a short description of how the project was chosen, created and finalized.
Conditions:
1. Due to space restraints, projets may not exceed a footprint of 36" square on a tabletop or the floor.
2. Only one student per school may present the project. This student may or may not participate in another competition.
3. The project should fit in one of the following categories: graphics: drawings, paintings, sketches, maps, charts, and 2-dimensional representations.
4. Crafts: costumes, needlepoint, embroidery, modes, sculptures, weavings, macramé, mosaics, etc.
5. Games/Books: games, game boards, booklets, pamphlets, etc.
6. Multimedia: computer games, computer programs, video, audio tapes, etc.
7. A 3x5 index card must be attached to the project indicating the school number and the category of the project (a,b,c,d from above). The card should also contain a brief description of the project.
8. The projects must be student produced. No kits are allowed.
9. Schools will be awarded 4 participation points for submission of a project, regardless of the score the project receives. In addition, students will be awarded ribbons based on the score earned.
Projet Judging Sheet:
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Projet Judging Criteria Descriptions
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Album
Description:
The scrapbook is a student-produced compilation of photographs, drawings and narratives depicting the school’s French Club and/or French class activities during the past year. Any school may present a scrapbook. The student presenting the album may participate in another competition. The album must be registered by 5:00 pm on the first day.
Conditions:
1. Scrapbooks will be registered in the designated display room at the time that the school checks in
2. A standard album shape is to be used.
3. The scrapbook may only contain activities from the previous Congrès to the present Congrès.
4. No reference may be made to the school name on the cover, in any captions or photographs or in the narrative. Appearance of school name will result in disqualification.
5. All narrative must be written by students and must be in French, with the exception of any newspaper or magazine clippings, which may be in English.
6. Narratives may be proofread by the teacher.
7. Points are awarded to the team for this event.
Criteria For Evaluation:
Scrapbooks will be judged on the general appearance of the cover and layout of pages, organization of contents, and the variety with which club activities are presented and use of the French language. It is preferable that the album cover reflects the current theme.
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Album Judging Sheet:
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Discours-Causerie
Description:
This competition is open to students of all levels. Discours is a timed impromptu speech in front of the judges. This is for levels 1,2, and 3. Students with a French background or FLES training should be marked as 1F, 2F or 3F. Causerie is a timed conversation with the judges about a random subject. This is only for levels 4/4F and COA/COF.
Conditions:
Upon entering the preparation room, the student will pick three cards at random. He/she will choose one of the three topics and will be given paper, pencil and a dictionary. The contestant may NOT use his/her own dictionary or paper. The monitor will write the topic choice on the student’s judging sheets. These will be handed to the judges when the student competes. He/She will have 5 minutes to prepare after selecting his/her topic. There will be no communication with any person other than the monitor during this time. The time limit for preparation will be strictly enforced. At the end of the five minutes, the contestant will return the dictionary and surrender the notes to the monitor. No notes may be used during the speech or conversation. He/she will then present an impromptu speech or begin a conversation depending on the level. The judges may ask questions; a student must be prepared to answer quickly. His/her time will be noted on the judging sheets. Contestants must report to the appropriate area at the time indicated in the program. Tardiness will result in the contestant being placed at the end of the line.
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Criteria For Evaluation:
The contestant will be judged on the following: language usage, vocabulary and structure, pronunciation and intonation, topic relevancy, and fluency and length considering his/her level of French.
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Preparation:
The best method of preparation is classroom conversation on a variety of topics suitable to the grammar and vocabulary of the student level.
French One – Everyday life, using present tense. Time Limit: One minute
French Two – Everyday life, but using present, past and near future tenses. Time Limit: Two minutes
French Three – Social concerns, general cultural information requiring the use of the present, past, imperfect, future and conditional tenses. Time Limit: Three minutes.
French Four – COA and COF: Personal opinions, social concerns, cultural information and anything that may comprise the content of advanced level classes. Time Limit: Four minutes
A quick mind, good vocabulary, and fluency are needed for success. The goal is to communicate.
Discours-Causerie Judging Sheet: Discours-causerie topic list
Déclamation
Description:
This competition is open to students of all levels. Déclamation is recitation of a poem from the approved list. A Liste de Déclamations is included in these webpages. Only these poems are acceptable for presentation at Congrès. Students with French background or FLES training enrolled in Levels 1, 2, 3, 4 or higher should be classified 1F, 2F, 3F, 4F or COF. Spectators are permitted at this event.
Three students may compete at each level.
Conditions:
A. Each contestant will announce his/her school number to the judges.
B. Hand motions are permitted. Dramatic interpretation is encouraged through facial and vocal expression.
C. Stopwatches will be used to monitor the length of the performance, but there will be no penalty if the student has to be stopped.
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Criteria For Evaluation:
Pronunciation, intonation, memorization considering length, oral expression including poise, posture and eye contact. (See judging sheet below)
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Preparation:
1. Choose a poem that complements the student's pronunciation skills.
2. Go through the poem with the student, translating and explaining it. This way the student will understand what he/she is saying. Read the poem to the student or ask a native speaker to do so. If possible, record the poem so that the student may practice at home.
3. Have the student read you the poem and correct pronunciation.
4. Check the student's progress in memorization frequently and set a deadline for completion.
5. Have the student recite the poem in front of the class to alleviate the fear of speaking in front of an audience
Time Limit:
Level 1/1F.............................not to exceed two minutes
Level 2/2F.............................not to exceed two minutes
Level 3/3F.............................not to exceed three minutes
Level 4/4F.............................not to exceed three minutes
COA/COF...............................not to exceed four minutes
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Click here for the déclamation list, rules, judging sheet, and complete texts!
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Declamation Judging Sheet:
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Lecture
Description:
This competition is for all levels. Five students from each school may compete at each level. It is a multiple choice reading comprehension test which may or may not adhere to the Congrès theme. The student will be asked to choose the most appropriate answers to questions based on the reading selection (s). Students should bring #2 pencils and erasers
NEW FOR 2025: Up to 10 students may compete at each level. Only top 2 scores will count.
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Conditions:
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There will be a time limit of 45 minutes.
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Each answer sheet shall be identified by the student’s name and school number only.
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A student who is late will NOT be allowed in the room once Lecture has begun. Late-comers will not be permitted to take the test at a later time.
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No dictionaries or other reference books or papers may be used.
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NO CELL PHONES permitted in the room. If this rule is not obeyed, the student’s test will be disqualified and we reserve the right to take the cell phone at which time any texts sent during the time of testing will be read. If it is determined the cell phone was used to cheat, an infraction will be given to the school resulting in a loss of points.
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Click here to view past lecture texts, questions, and answers.
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Casse-tête
Note: We are accepting only 16 casse-tête teams this year! The first 16 teams to register will compete at the March conference. Please check your school registration number on your receipt to assure that your school is eligible to participate in casse-tête.
Description:
A fast-paced question and answer elimination game played in 5 rounds between two high school teams. A team consists of three players. Speed and accuracy are essential. Since this competition is conducted entirely in French, it is advised that advanced students be on the Casse-tête team. A maximum of 16 schools may participate, selected by pre-registration. Students participating in this event may also compete in other individual events at their level. Spectators are encouraged to attend.
Conditions:
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Competition will consist of 13-question matches per round.
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Points are scored by correct answers to questions asked by the moderator(s).
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Two types of questions will be asked: toss-ups worth twenty points and bonuses worth ten points each.
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Any player from any team may answer the toss-up question.
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The player who signals first must wait to be recognized. Once recognized, a prompt answer is expected. No conferring will be allowed.
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If a player answers the toss-up correctly, his/her team earns twenty points and is given a chance to answer a bonus question.
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Team members may confer up to five seconds on a bonus. A predesignated team captain will give the team's answer. A correct response is worth ten points. An incorrect response to the bonus question results in the moderator's reading the next toss-up question.
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On toss-ups and bonuses, the first response given is the one that counts. In the event that a player gives more information than is needed, the judges will decide whether the player's response can or cannot be accepted. THE DECISIONS OF THE JUDGES ARE FINAL.
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lf the moderator believes an answer is correct but incomplete, he/she may ask the answering player to provide more information.
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If a player answers a toss-up incorrectly, the question is turned over to the other team. The question will be repeated in its entirety and the answering player must signal to be recognized.
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Players will be given 5 seconds from the time the reader has completed the question until someone must signal. If there is a no response, the moderator will move on to the next toss-up.
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If a player responds without being recognized, his/her team will be penalized 5 points. The moderator will then proceed with the next question.
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A player may signal before the moderator has finished reading the question. However, an incorrect response will result in a 5-point penalty and the question will determine the final result.
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If a match ends in a tie, a sudden-death toss-up question will determine the final result.
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Casse-tête Clarification:
1. Only students who are classified in the “A” category can compete in Casse-tête.
2. No student who is classified as an “F” student can be a member of a Casse-Tête team.
This rule is to maintain fairness among all competing teams.
3. Students who meet the following criteria will be placed in the F category: (See Classifications below***)
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***CLASSIFICATIONS
​COF (CLASSE OUVERTE FRANÇAISE), 4F, 3F, 2F, 1F: There are seven criteria to determine if a student belongs in this classification:
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A native speaker of French
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Attended or attends a school where the primary language of instruction was/is French after age of 12
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The student spent one to four semesters in a school where the language of instruction was French between the ages of eight and twelve.
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The student has completed a FLES program in French prior to high school or middle school
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Between his/her eighth and twelfth birthday, the student lived in a French speaking country for one year or more.
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A student who has not attended a French speaking school, but whose parents or guardian speaks French all or most of the time.
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A student who has had consistent and repeated exposure to the French language outside the academic setting (ie summer vacation; church, etc.)
COA (CLASSE OUVERTE AMÉRICAINE-level 5 or above) 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A: for students who are enrolled in French classes, but who have no significant French training outside the classroom.
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Chance Aux Chansons
Program and t-shirt design
Program Cover and T-shirt Design Rules 2025
Program cover:
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Must relate to 2025 theme: La cuisine du monde francophone
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Must include the name of our organization--Le Congrès de la Culture Française en Floride. PLEASE BE SURE THE SPELLING (INCLUDING ACCENTS) IS CORRECT.
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Must include the year 2025
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Must be submitted in electronic format approximately 8 ½ x 11 vertical design
T-Shirt design:
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Back of shirt design only (front will be our logo in the upper left chest). May include sleeve design.
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Must relate to 2025 theme: La cuisine du monde francophone
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Must include the name of our organization--Le Congrès de la Culture Française en Floride. PLEASE BE SURE THE SPELLING (INCLUDING ACCENTS) IS CORRECT.
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Must include the year 2025
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Must be submitted in .jpg, .jpeg, or .png format max file size 5 MB
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Must easily transfer to a t-shirt (limited details, no shading, etc.)
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Limit 3 colors
Email designs to ccff.president@gmail.com with the subject line “Program Cover Design” or “T-shirt Design” by Friday, January 10, 2025 at 11:59pm. No late submissions will be accepted. Include your first and last name and school name.
Students whose designs are selected will receive an award certificate and a check for $50.
The CCFF Board may choose to adapt the design slightly based on cost restrictions or other factors.