... Alliances françaises
The Foundation Alliance française Paris Ile-de-France
The Alliance Française was founded in 1883 in Paris as an “Association nationale pour la propagation de la langue française dans les colonies et à l’étranger” (National organisation for spreading French language in the colonies and abroad) under the aegis of Pierre Foncin and ambassador Paul Cambon. The Paris Alliance was created the following year by a board of directors featuring illustrious names like Jules Verne (writer), Louis Pasteur (chemist and biologist), or Ferdinand de Lesseps (diplomat). The first Alliance Française abroad was created the same year in Barcelona.
The “Fondation Alliance Française de Paris Ile-de-France” was created by decree in July 2007. It is an officially recognised non-profit organisation.
Today there are 1071 Alliances françaises in 137 countries. From Tierra del Fuego in Argentina to Canada, from the furthest tip of Africa to the North of Europe, across vast swaths of Asia and Oceania, the Alliance truly spans the globe. About 400,000 students take classes at the Alliance française throughout the world.
A universal vocation
For over a century, the Alliance française has been seeing through an ambitious project: spreading French language and culture well beyond the borders of France. A network of associations set up throughout the world have been benefiting from the Alliance’s mark of quality so as to disseminate the French language abroad. The remarkable longevity and vitality of our institution is due in part to the strong bonds we have built with the citizens, the sponsors of our host country and with the French State.
However, the Alliance’s mission does not stop with the work it does abroad. In Paris, an ever growing number of students from around the world attend the Alliance in heart of the French Capital. International students discover French culture thanks to the Paris Alliance, while officials from Alliance committees across France welcome French-learners throughout the country. All of the Alliance’s activities as well as its status as a non-profit association account for some of the ingredients of the Alliance’s current success.
An Alliance is the outgrowth of community-based initiatives and reciprocal adhesion, which have been central to its long term success. The Alliance Française attributes its success to the unwavering loyalty of its public who are impassioned by the French language. Known the world over, the Alliance is present in 135 countries where it has adapted its recipe to over a thousand local committees, each with its very own personality.
Alliance française and the host country
The Alliances françaises are independent associations regulated by local law and bound by a common purpose to the Paris Alliance. The Alliances Françaises are apolitical and nondenominational, which facilitates establishment and long term continuity in numerous countries where it might be otherwise hard to set up shop. And whereas in many of these countries the legal framework concerning non-profit organizations is sometimes inexistent, the Alliance is showing the way. Furthermore, the Alliance’s unique status requires democratic governance, which can serve as an excellent introduction to democratic principles depending upon the country. The establishment of an Alliance abroad is the sole expression initiatives taken by local Francophiles who wish to share their love of French language and culture with their fellow citizens. Internationally, the Alliances do not play a role as a diplomatic representative of France. However, they may sometimes act as conduits of information and help orient those seeking information towards the competent persons in charge at the proper embassy. Furthermore, we most often work closely in conjunction with the city, region, educational institutions or the key cultural players, regardless of the country where we are implanted.
A multicultural crossroad
A pioneer in the teaching of French for foreigners, the Alliance Française launched the targeted system of teaching towards specific foreign languages and learning styles of particular audiences.
Today, the Alliance Française is the uncontested authority in teaching French as a foreign language.
Students benefit from a particularly enriching environment, due to the exceptional multi-culturalism of Paris and permanent contact with differing everyday events. The instructors can also count on constant linguistic immersion to support their aids and to optimize their methods.
Courses conform to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
All our French courses conform to the standards of the CEFR, allowing you to acquire a level of learning recognized on an international level.
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) offers a universal system of assessment of language competence, valid within the European community promoting international cooperation of the instruction of living languages. This coordination allows for the acknowledgement of the individual’s command of any given language no matter their background.
- Level A1 : Breakthrough level
- Level A2 : Waystage level
- Level B1 : Threshold Level
- Level B2 : Vantage level
- Level C1 : Autonomy Level : effective, operational, proficiency.
- Level C2 : Mastery
Go to the page Exams for more details.
Back to top