Known for its home-like atmosphere, la Maison de la francophonie houses students who agree to speak French when they are in the residence and to promote the awareness and appreciation of Francophone cultures on campus. La Maison hosts many Department-sponsored events such as art exhibitions, faculty lectures, film series, concerts, theater performances, recitals, a weekly conversation hour and parties.
Events are open to all students and to members of the community.
In exchange, Dartmouth hosts a student from Fontenay on campus as a Francophone House resident and French-language teacher. Times and places are announced at the beginning of the each term. AT's are responsible for leading five drill sessions a week with small groups of seven to ten students, thus gaining valuable teaching experience and a thorough knowledge of the grammar that they are required to exercize with their pupils. The language laboratory at Dartmouth makes the most advanced technology available to students as an aid to language study, including interactive multimedia programs on CD-ROM and laser disc, language videos, international news broadcasts, interactive tape programs, and news from around the world on the Internet. Sessions in the language lab are an integral part of language instruction at Dartmouth.