French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, on a visit to India announced the opening of two new branches: the Alliance française of Jaipur will open a branch in Udaipur, and the Alliance française du Bengale will open a branch in Bhubaneswar.
“It is very important to speak about academic cooperation between India and France. French is a language of opportunities and cultural exchanges. The French language represents a special connection between France and India. French is the most learned foreign language in India, with approximately 600 000 learners across the country,”said the Minister in New Delhi on Nov 2.
Expanding French teaching in India goes hand in hand with France’s goal to welcome 20,000 Indian students by 2025, and 30,000 by 2030. On July 14, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris, France announced the decision to create international classes to ensure smooth integration of Indian students in French academic programmes.
French for all
The “French for All” programme was launched in 2021 by the French Institute in India in coordination with Delhi government schools to offer French classes. For the first time, foreign language classes are being offered in government schools, giving their students the same opportunities as pupils in private schools. It has proven to be a great success with more than 3000 students already opting for these classes. The same programme was launched recently in Telangana, and more are to come.
Francophonie Summit
In 2024, France will host the Francophonie Summit. The “Organisation international de la Francophonie” is an international organisation comprising 88 Member States. Minister of State Zacharopoulou highlighted that the French language does not belong to France alone, but also to a global community of more than 300 million speakers across five continents.
