Over 10 publicly-funded secondary schools in Hong Kong now offer French as an elective with the support of the Alliance Francaise de Hong Kong, said director of the AFHK Julia Liotard-Vogt in an exclusive interview with The Standard.
This comes under the government's Pilot Scheme on Other Languages for Junior Secondary Students which funds participating schools to teach other languages – including French, Japanese and Korean, among others – over the academic years 2025-26 and 2026-27.
In support of the schools offering French, Liotard-Vogt said the AFHK provides qualified native-speaking teachers for classes that can take place either at the three AFHK centers or directly on the schools' premises, depending on their logistical needs.
For schools offering French as an elective or interest class, the AFHK provides a "modular curriculum that prioritizes communicative confidence," as well as interactive formats such as cooking and comics workshops through which students may learn French culture, said Liotard-Vogt.
As for schools preparing students for the French exam under the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education, she said the AFHK implements a "fast-track intensive program" designed to reach the DELF A2 level required.
Since 2025, the HKDSE French exam has adopted the DELF system which – unlike the previous Cambridge assessment – is the standard requirement for admission to universities in France and other Francophone countries, as well as the official language certification for obtaining French residency or citizenship.
This change benefits HKDSE French takers, Liotard-Vogt noted, as contrary to the single-attempt Cambridge exams, the DELF can be taken multiple times in the two years preceding the HKDSE, with only the highest level and result attained reported on the student's certificate.
She added that French proficiency could be an advantage in career development, especially for jobs in luxury retail, banking, and arts and culture where the language is often used.
