She welcomes 2000 students each year to teach them the French language and inspire a desire to discover our culture. She stands as a pillar of excellence in the educational landscape, particularly in Nice. Her local director for the past 3 years, David Vandevelde, explains the reasons for her growing success.
First of all, for those who don’t know, what is the Alliance Française?
It’s a global network that comprises no less than 900 establishments worldwide. There is an Alliance Française in every major city. It is also a vast cultural network, the most important across all languages and nationalities. Our mission is primarily the dissemination of the French language and culture. We are partners with the State and linked to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yet we operate as a non-profit association.
What types of courses do you offer?
We have several course options, including intensive courses and evening sessions for those who work during the day. With 2000 students annually, we must offer different frequencies. We have also created integrated preparatory courses, in partnership with the University of Nice Côte-d’Azur. When a student completes their year here, they can automatically be admitted to a bachelor’s or master’s program according to their specialty. This is why university professors come to teach alongside ours. It’s a comprehensive learning experience, and it works very well. The success rate is almost 100%.
How do you teach French at the Alliance?
Here, we want to implement a communicative approach, with the primary goal being to speak. Pronunciation and grammar are learned indirectly as we emphasize practical usage. All skills are taught collectively; we don’t give lists of verbs to memorize. If we look at France, we spend nearly 3000 hours studying English, yet the majority of people are not bilingual.
What are the school’s profits used for?
The money is reinvested in our cultural activities offered to students. We try to make what they learn useful by organizing lectures. For example, we had a theme on Victor Hugo and another on the ascent of Everest! We are always looking for competent and qualified individuals who can relate to the students. The goal is to spark a debate where everyone can express themselves. We also organize visits to Monaco and old Nice, and soon I hope, a weekend skiing trip!
You have been the director for 3 years; what are your ambitions to develop the Alliance?
From a pedagogical point of view, I would like us to break a certain image of the French language. That of romanticism and literature. Of course, that’s a very important aspect, but we want to teach the everyday language. There is also the language used in various fields like law or economics. On a completely different note, I took over a wonderful school but found it lacked a campus spirit. On January 7th, we’ll open the Alliance café, which will be a real place of life for students and teachers.
