Beaconsfield High School’s Passion Pop Comicon Event Highlights French as a Second Language
by Marilyn Santucci
Passion Pop is a project led by Isabelle Alarie, a French teacher and Student Life Coordinator at Beaconsfield High School. Seeking a creative approach to language learning, Alarie designed Passion Pop to immerse students in a dynamic environment where they can develop their French skills in an engaging and interactive way.
The Passion Pop project is inspired by the Comicon concept. Originally created for comic book collectors, Comicon has evolved into a major convention where pop culture enthusiasts come together to celebrate their interests. Each year, authors, cartoonists, vendors, costume designers, and celebrities from various creative fields participate in these events.
Open to all FSL students, Passion Pop allows participants to showcase their passions through presentations in French. Whether discussing sports, fashion, reading, anime, video games, or cars, students take charge of their topics, making French language learning more engaging, enjoyable, and accessible.
“This event is important because students need meaningful experiences to improve their French language skills. Without a sense of connection or relevance, engagement and motivation fade. An event like this gives them the opportunity to share their passions in French, demonstrating to their peers and community that they can communicate in the language,” says Alarie.
There were many fascinating projects on display. One group shared their enthusiasm for golf, while another expressed their love for karaoke music. A different group showcased their passion for sneakers, and another engaged in a discussion about Pokémon.
“This type of project is important because it shows our peers and community that we are bilingual and that we can express ourselves in both languages. We think it’s important to know both languages. Our project focused on country music versus house music, two genres that we love. Talking about something you love makes it easier and more fun” say students Ava Massouras, Penelope Orozco, and Mia Kerr.
