Promoting
2009
French Around
the World
Directorate General of Global Affairs, Development and Partnerships
Promoting French Around the World
French is the language of development in many
francophone countries: the language of
fundamental learning, a national language of
communication and the language of regional
integration, as well as a doorway to international
forums.
The expansion of French enhances linguistic and
cultural diversity, a cause strongly defended by
France on the international scene.
Promoting the French language
helps – this will sound bold, but
it’s true – to consolidate balance
in the world! Without being
arrogant, we can fairly claim
that our language is a tremendous
vehicle for freedom and humanist
values. The persistence and
coverage of the French language
are a sign that it is not too late to
counter the monotonous advance
of linguistic and intellectual
uniformity!
© F. de la Mure - MAEE
French is a global language of communication, and a language of culture
and exchange worldwide.
Alain JOYANDET,
Minister of State for Cooperation
and Francophony
We advocate
linguistic diversity
Promoting multilingualism
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs strives
to promote multilingualism, by encouraging its partners to make two languages compulsory in their
education systems, which enables more students to
learn French. un
Encouraging the use of French
and multilingualism in business
The “Yes, I speak French at work” initiative, launched
with the Alliance Française, the Paris Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, and the Francophone Business Forum, aims to encourage French companies
abroad to provide French language training for their
staff.
We support cultural
expression in French
Many contemporary authors and playwrights who
were born outside France or to foreign-born parents
write in French, demonstrating the vitality of the language
for interpreting and depicting the world (including Atiq
Rahimi, Venus Khoury Ghata, Yasmina Khadra, Anna
Moï, Wajdi Mouawad and Marie Ndiaye).
Updates on the French
language around the world
Promoting French Around the World
We work
concretely for French around the world
Through a
worldwide network
Almost 700 linguistic cooperation officers,
working at French embassies with the
network of 596 French and joint Frenchnational cultural facilities (cultural
institutes and Alliances Françaises) are
tasked with promoting the French language around the world.
In addition, the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) oversees 461 French
schools in 130 countries.
There are a further 4,000 bilingual schools
in more than 50 countries across the
continents.
Consolidating the status of
French as an international
language
France and its partners in la Francophonie implement a proactive policy to consolidate the status of French as an official
language and a working language in all
the major international organisations.
Almost 11,000 European civil servants
are taking French lessons as part of
the action plan to strengthen the use of
French in European institutions.
Raising the profile of
la Francophonie
French is the foundational link between
the 70 member countries of the International Organisation of la Francophonie
(OIF) that share the French language.
The Ministry of Foreign and European
Affairs is involved in numerous field
actions in close synergy with its multilateral francophone partners.
The Ministry also supports many decentralised cooperation projects to promote
la Francophonie (books, public readings,
digital technology) and encourages
actions run by associations of Frenchspeaking elected officials (the international association of French-speaking
mayors and the international association
of French-speaking regions).
French, the only language other than English
that is spoken on all five continents
Scott G. American
“I achieved my goal of studying
at the top French universities
and earning degrees that are
recognised worldwide. This has
increased my chances on the
international job market. French
is the key to success!”
Mercedes B. Mexican
“I love this language. It is so rich,
so precise and so melodious that
it’s often called the language of
love! And learning French has also
helped me learn other languages.”
•U
sed by 175 million people, including 115 million as a first language,
French is the second most widely taught foreign language;
•A
reference language for the 56 member states and 14 observer
countries of the International Organisation of la Francophonie
(OIF), which represents more than a quarter of the countries in the
world;
•A
working language at the major international organisations (UN,
Unesco, etc.) and regional organisations (European Union, African
Union, etc.);
•A
network of 700 French officers in charge of promoting French
around the world;
• 7 45,000 French learners in the largest cultural network in the world,
with 596 cultural facilities, including 456 Alliances Françaises
supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Patrice L. Cameroonian
“For exchanging information on
the Internet, French is the most
widely used language after
English. It is spoken by
175 million people on the five
continents. Using French on the
Internet enables me to cross
borders and makes me feel like a
citizen of the world.”
We want
to give young people a taste for French and
contribute to development
To appeal to a young audience who receive many competing offers, the French cultural network runs targeted operations (such as games, competitions, song and drama festivals, and school exchanges).
Every year 150 young learners of French from around the world, selected for their proficiency in French, are invited to
discover Paris as part of the “Allons en France” programme.
Participating in development through
quality education in French
teachers, developing the quality of education and
strengthening the French-speaking environment.
The promotion of French as a tool for development
assistance accompanies the support for education
systems in Africa, which is home to more than a quarter of the world’s French speakers and a third of the
world’s French learners.
The international action of French local governments
also includes promotion of the French language
(French language weeks, scholarships, support for
cooperation programmes between schools and universities).
Almost 20 of the priority solidarity fund projects in
Africa are focused on improving training for French
We support
training for teachers and
teacher associations
The 450,000 teachers of French around the world are
valuable ambassadors for promoting and disseminating French outside France.
Grants for teacher training enable thousands of
French teachers to train in France every year.
Associations of French and other language teachers
participate actively in training and actions to promote
linguistic diversity in education systems around the
world.
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs contributes €10 million annually to their efforts and works
closely with the International Federation of French
Teachers (FIPF), which counts 180 associations from
around the world as members.
New technology and
audiovisual media for
French language
learning
Svetlana T. Russian
“When I speak French, I see the
world differently. I feel like a
different person. By the way, did
you know you can learn French
anywhere because it is the only
language other than English
that is taught on every continent?”
Incorporating information and communication technologies into language teaching
materials puts all the advantages of multimedia into upgrading teaching methods and
giving the language a more modern image.
Supporting the use of the French language internationally helps French businesses to
expand and invest, which is beneficial to French exports and economy.
Developing audiovisual learning aids
To make learning French modern, fun and lively, the Ministry of Foreign and European
Affairs supports the design and distribution of audiovisual aids (such as teaching courses,
video clips, French songs, French films, TV reports and performances).
The Ministry also supports major French-speaking media that offer educational material
with some programmes, such as TV5 Monde’s “7 jours sur la planète”.
Corneliu F. Romanian
“In the major international
organisations, French is both an
official language and a working
language. Being able to speak
French is a major asset for my
career.”
A plan to boost French around the world
To boost the learning of French around the world, the Ministry of Foreign and
European Affairs is allocating €50 million and rolling out five ambitious
initiatives.
1 C
ontribute to the programme to teach French to European civil servants
and develop bilingual teaching with French at secondary and tertiary level
in Europe.
2 C
onsolidate reference teaching centres to train French teachers in the
Maghreb, including 53,000 teachers in Algeria.
Liu C. Chinese
“For me, French is the language
of culture. I can read all the major
works of French literature in the
original language, as well as enjoy
French films, art galleries, fashion
and gastronomy. I can easily visit
Paris, spend my holidays in the
beautiful regions of France and
even travel to 70 other Frenchspeaking countries. Oh, I almost
forgot, I also sing in French!”.
3 Implement a programme to train 10,000 French teachers around the world
(mainly in Africa, Asia and major emerging countries).
4 D
evelop a programme to expand the use of information and communication
technologies (radio, television, Internet, etc.) for French learning and
teaching.
5 D
evelop regional initiatives jointly with the institutions of la Francophonie,
mainly in West Africa to train French teachers, and in South-East Asia to
coordinate actions relating to the French language.
DGM / Direction de la politique culturelle et du français
Sous-direction de la diversité linguistique et du français
The missions of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs are as follows:
• summarize information on the changing global economy and put it into perspective, prepare decisions on the French government’s foreign policy,
• draft France’s foreign policy,
• coordinate France’s international relations,
• protect French interests abroad and assist French nationals outside France.
The creation of the Directorate General of Global Affairs, Development and Partnerships
(DGM) in April 2009, as part of the reform of the Ministry led by Bernard Kouchner,
enables French diplomacy to anticipate, identify and respond to the challenges of
globalisation more effectively.
Confronted with global issues that have a direct impact on the lives of our citizens
and multiple actors, the Ministry intends, through the DGM, to emphasise the need
to tackle global issues, in the firm belief that every major economic, cultural and
societal issue calls for collective action with more outward focus, anticipation, interministerial coordination, responsiveness, interdisciplinarity and a resolutely European approach.
Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes
Direction générale de la mondialisation, du développement et des partenariats
27 rue de la Convention
C591533 - 75732 Paris Cedex 15
www.diplomatie.gouv.fr
© Photos MAEE / P.Troyanowsky; TV5 - Photo ALTO :M. Constantini ;T. Lanié ; E. Audras ; S. Olsson.
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
and the Directorate General of Global Affairs,
Development and Partnerships