Cultural organization Alliance Française in Hong Kong is one of the largest in Asia in terms of students, with around 5,500 learners per year from adults and teenagers to children, French Consul General Christile Drulhe said.

Drulhe acknowledged Hongkongers’ interest in learning French. They are not only attracted by the French culture and its way of living but also the potential advantages of learning the language.

Currently there are some 350 million people speaking French globally, and Drulhe estimated that there will be 700 million by 2050. It is also the world’s third business language, so it will be useful for doing business in France, she added.

Regarding studying abroad in France, since 2000, the French consulate general has offered the France Excellence Yersin Scholarship to support Hong Kong and Macau students wishing to complete their Master’s degree in France.

The program includes financial support to cover tuition fees, a monthly living allowance for the duration of the programme and individual assistance to help students settle in France. It has no language requirement, but laureates are encouraged to learn French.

DELF Junior, a specially adapted version of the French language proficiency diploma for secondary school students, will be the stipulated exam for French as subject C in Hong Kong’s university entrance exam HKDSE starting this year.

This has created interest and demands from teenagers, according to the Alliance Française, which now has three centers in Wan Chai, Jordan and Sha Tin.

In addition to incorporating officially-recognized language tests into HKDSE, the Education Bureau also launched a pilot scheme subsidizing schools to offer foreign language learning for junior secondary students.

Drulhe, who is committed to promoting the French language in Hong Kong, said these kinds of initiatives by the SAR government would encourage more exchanges with France.

Meanwhile, the School for Excellence in French label accreditation, jointly created by the Consulate and the Alliance Française this year, has just recognized a second local school that offers French language classes which meet a certain standard.

(Jamie Liu)

Oui to French as learning language opens doors