French Ambassador creates strategy to promote French language, culture

On Conclusion of International week of French Speaking World, French ambassador hosts reception at embassy.

ISLAMABAD: As the figure of French-learning students decreases in Pakistan, the French Ambassador to Pakistan Philippe Thiébaud speaks about the new strategy to revive the culture of learning the language.

On the occasion of the conclusion of the International week of the French Speaking World ‘La Semaine Internationale de la Francophonie’, the ambassador hosted a reception at the French Embassy on Wednesday.

Representatives of educational institutions where French language is taught, teachers of French at the Alliance Française of Islamabad, National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and winners of different competitions got together to celebrate International “Francophonie” Week.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Ambassador Thiébaud said that France is not adopting a new strategy to revive the culture of learning the language in Pakistan. “We are planning on developing series of activities, engaging universities and institutions to not just promote the language but the cultural aspect as well. Promoting the language in high schools is a part of the long term strategy, but cooperation in all areas is essential.”

He added that, “This strategy will take its time from two months to maybe 2 years or even more but as long as it’s begun”.

A teacher, on the condition of anonymity said that with the passage of time, the number of people wanting to learn French in Pakistan is decreasing. The teacher said that it’s just not the same anymore adding that due to security concerns the number of French teachers coming from France has also decreased. “Now the Pakistani students who learned the language have turned into teachers” the teacher added.

The ambassador said that French was important for the development of Pakistan for all those people who want to be working in French-speaking countries and companies abroad that require French as a working language.

Dr Frederic Bessat, counselor cooperation, development and culture at the French Embassy told The Express Tribune that they are targeting to introduce and teach French to high schools. Bessat said that at the moment there were 1,050 students learning French in Aitchison College in Lahore and have a target of 1,300 students by 2014.

The International Organisation of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 75 member states and governments (56 members and 19 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 890 million people, including 220 million French speakers.

Events to Promote French in Pakistan

Different events were organised during March 2012 in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore on the occasion of the International Week of French Speaking World. These events were also an opportunity for the 19 Countries representing Francophonie in Pakistan (Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Greece, Hungary, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritius, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Switzerland, Thailand, and Tunisia) to be part of the French language promotion.

The Alliance Française of Islamabad and the National University of Modern Language (NUML) held a spelling and French poems competition, speech/debate contest and screening of a documentary, games, theatre play, a French song competition and cultural show.

In Karachi, at the Alliance Française organised the showcasing of two French films and in Lahore, the French Alliance of Lahore presented a competition of French poems held between 10 leading Pakistani Universities.