The Robinson French program has faced some challenging times in recent years, with the departure of multiple teachers and the lack of funding from Hillsborough County, making it difficult for the IB French class to garner attention. However, this year, the French program has experienced a resurgence with the arrival of Renee Cheshire as the new IB French teacher. Since Cheshire has arrived at the school, she has taken over sponsoring the Robinson French Congress Club.
“They compete in multiple areas,” Cheshire said. “They do everything from reciting poetry to taking a test in French, on French culture.”
Congress provides a variety of avenues to practice French speaking skills and learn about French culture organically. The program also offers other ways to get acquainted with French culture, such as plays and trivia challenges performed by the teams, along with some ways to reach out beyond the classroom.
“We’ve had a couple of students interview each other now and do a podcast in French,” Cheshire said.
The current IB juniors in the program have done some of these practice episodes with the graduating seniors, where they interviewed them on their French experiences. The revitalization of the French program has begun to create more opportunities to gather French speakers together. The French program also plans on expanding its reach by planning a French National Honor Society at the school, where those in French or know French can gather and volunteer.
“Hopefully, the word will get out that French is really fun, and more students will join us,” Cheshire said.
Students involved in the French program also express their enjoyment of what they have done so far and their possibilities in the future.
“I feel like, of course, learning a second language is obviously a really cool thing to flex. But a reason why people should join Congress, apart from that, is because it is fun to meet so many different people across the state, and you get leadership opportunities,” IB Junior and president of Congress Dillon Colosso (’26) said.
Congress, according to students, helped with collaborative opportunities and helped those who attend cultivate a love for French culture.
The revitalization of the French program at Robinson has allowed for more opportunities for those taking French as a second language to hone their skills. They soon plan to expand even further and try to promote students to come to Robinson by igniting a passion to learn French within them early, and expand their membership in Congress. The evolution of the French program gives students a chance to fall in love with the language and culture, and ultimately see French as not simply a class but a lifetime skill.
