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Alliance Française - Parlez vous Francais?
siddlobo
| 30 September, 2008 11:09
Welcome to the third article in easyexpat’s series on
language and cultural institutes. In this issue, the spotlight is on Alliance
Française, an organization whose main mission is to promote French outside its
own country’s borders.
While most people can manage ‘Bonjour’ or the famous ‘Bon
Appetit’, this wasn’t enough for some French lovers. Set up in 1883 by a group
of eminent men including the scientist Louis Pasteur and the writers Jules
Verne and Ernest Renan, this institution’s aim is to spread the French language
throughout the world. A mission well accomplished with a network of over 1071
institutions in 133 countries, from far the largest in the world! From India
to Australia, UK
to U.S, every year approximately 440,000 students learn a few more French words
at one of its many centres. In fact, so great is its success in spreading the
French language and culture that in 2005, along with the Societe Dante Alighieri,
the British Council, the Goethe Institute, the Instituto Cervantes and the
Instituto Camões, the Alliance
Française was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for outstanding achievements
in communications and the humanities.
Courses offered
There are a number of courses offered and levels vary from
Beginner to Advanced. At the head quarters in Paris,
there are many options available including short, intensive courses or more relaxed
options, evening classes or day courses. General French language courses can be
combined with professional courses, customized courses and workshops.
Professional courses include courses that focus on Business
French, Medical French, Tourism French and Legal French. Or you can opt for a
customized course with emphasis on phonetics, private lessons or self-guided
learning options. Workshops include written, oral and thematic workshops. For
those who’d like to teach French as a second language, Alliance Française also
offers ‘Teacher’s training’ options.
All courses end with tests. Upon successful completion of
these tests, you will receive a certification recognized by ALTE (Association
of Language Testers in Europe). The DELF (diplôme d’études en langue
française) and the DALF
(diplôme approfondi de langue française) are official diplomas issued by the French ministry of education to certify
your command of the French language. These definitely come in handy for those
applying for jobs in a French-speaking country.
Fees and Schedule
Given the wide variety of options available, fees vary
widely. Fees also depend on the size of class and duration of the course. An
Intensive General French Course of 20 hours per week can cost between 160 and
225 euros while an extensive course of 9 hours per week cost between 80 and 100
euros. For a more detailed look at the fees and schedules of the Alliance
Francaise in Paris, log onto http://www.alliancefr.org/
For a listing of some of the other franchises in other
countries, log onto http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_fran%C3%A7aise
For those of you looking to learn French, Bon chance. Give
your local Alliance Française a call.
