Ten Colgate students studying French accompanied Mahadevi Ramakrishnan, of the Department of Romance Languages, on an educational trip to the French island of Martinique during spring break 2011.
This experience allowed students to:
• Be directly engaged in viewpoints and lifestyles very different from their own
• Have a better understanding of the history of French presence in the Caribbean
• Learn and understand the history of colonization and slavery in Martinique
• Appreciate the value of the intangible cultural heritage of the people of Martinique.
Their stay and educational experience was facilitated through the International Research Center for Caribbean and American Exchanges at the University of Antilles and Guyane’s Schoelcher campus.
The trip had a three-pronged approach:
Historic
While at the university, the students received 10 hours of lectures covering the following topics about Martinique:
• Geography
• History
• Administrative and political evolution
• Economy and society
• Panorama of Caribbean literature
• Popular traditions, myths and culture
Linguistic
While in Martinique, where the official language is French, the students not only benefited from the French language immersion but also received seven hours of intense Creole lessons at the university to be able to better understand the evolution of French and Créole in the Caribbean diaspora.
Cultural
This part of the experience was derived primarily through 12 hours of guided excursions to the northern and the southern parts of the island and interactions with local residents. Sites visited included:
• Fort-de-France
• Aimé Césaire’s Cultural Center and Theater
• Anthropological Museum of Fort-de-France
• St. Pierre and its surroundings
• Mountains of the south
• Volcanic Mount Pelee and museum
Support for the trip was from the Department of Romance Languages; Center for Leadership and Student Involvement; Dean of Faculty; Dean of Students; Division of Humanities; Africana and Latin American Studies Program
For photos and comments from the participants, please see this blog.