French, more an asset than an obstacle

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Florence Raynal
IN France you speak French! An obvious fact certainly, but one which might be thought to imply that, in order to get the most out of their course, applicants for studies in France have to have previous knowledge of the language. Nevertheless, says a deputy director of ÉduFrance, "Everyone has now agreed that language skills will not be grounds for automatic rejection. The idea is to select the right applicants and enable them to learn French". To do this, in between making the decision and starting the course at their chosen establishment, students have many months which they can put to profitable use.
In Bangladesh, France has two Alliances Françaises where it is possible to take courses in French as a foreign language (FLE), or indeed, to prepare for qualifications recognised in France, such as the diploma in French language studies (Delf) and the advanced diploma in French language (Dalf). Applicants will be able to continue the learning process in France at one of the many FLE teaching centres, universities, Alliances Françaises or even at chambers of commerce and industry.
French, an international language
But why make all this effort, some will ask, when they speak English and both Great Britain and the United States are very open to foreign students? In addition to pursuing higher education at a lower cost or having the pleasure of knowing a language whose richness is recognised world wide, speaking French provides a number of advantages. First, it gives access to courses whose excellence is proven and which offer genuine opportunities on the international job market. Courses such as those offered by the 'Grandes Écoles' and the medical schools.
Next, and this may seem paradoxical, it is precisely because, unlike English, not everyone speaks French, that mastering it becomes an ace up the student's sleeve for their future career. For let's not forget that French is the mother tongue or second language of 181 million people across the world and is learnt by 82.5 million others. Furthermore, it is one of the official and working languages of the international organisations and main multilateral bodies (United Nations, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Council of Europe, etc.).
It is, moreover, the basic link between the 56 countries that "have French in common" and belong to the international organisation for the French-speaking world (OIF). In this body, the French language has an institution that takes pains to ensure it flourishes and which, furthermore, is driven by the determination that this sharing of a common language is coupled with common values, including the defence of linguistic and cultural diversity.
Anxious to support multilingualism, the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs too has an active policy of promoting the French language, particularly through the network of 151 cultural centres and institutes and 283 Alliances Françaises. The aim is to support French as a major language of international communication which combines culture and modernity. Coming to France does not mean giving up English, or any other language. The university of Cergy-Pontoise (northern Paris), for example, offers a bilingual degree in science and technology. The Angers École supérieure d'agriculture prepares students for an international Master's degree in the vine, wine and soil management. Indeed, ÉduFrance has put on line a catalogue of some 300 English courses offered in a variety of fields (visual arts/design/fashion, law, business, literature, engineering sciences, tourism, environment, etc.) and lists bilingual courses taught in French and English, and in other languages.
Thus, while taking a course in English, students can be immersed in an environment that also enables them to learn French as they go about their daily lives. In this way, they not only gain access to France's great literary and cultural heritage but can also make the most of its celebrated way of life, its rich social and artistic life and discover other approaches to the major political, philosophical, ethical and other issues of today. Finally, since France is at the heart of Europe, what better gateway for getting to know it?
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(The writer is a journalist)