The standard of English of French schoolchildren is often called into question, since it seems to be well below that of their European counterparts. A survey conducted in 2002 of pupils in 7 European countries showed that France’s performance was lower than that of neighbouring countries. For instance, whereas a young Norwegian pupil scores 73.3% for English listening and speaking comprehension and a 82.0% for reading comprehension, a French pupil scores 30.6% and 56.8% respectively (Source: The French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research).
In his capacity as French Minister of Education, Jack Lang once stated, “I am convinced that mastering foreign languages is key to any student’s personal and professional success.”
Teaching foreign languages therefore became a priority for several French Ministers of Education: from Jack Lang and François Bayrou to Claude Allègre and Luc Châtel, the current incumbent.
90% of French schoolchildren choose to study English as their first foreign language when starting secondary school at the age of 11. More recently, following several reforms, languages have also been made accessible to French primary school children. France is therefore following in the footsteps of its Scandinavian counterparts (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, etc.), albeit 50 years later.
There is nothing better for foreign language learners than immersing themselves in the country and culture of the language they are learning. It is a fun, effective and successful way of honing language skills.
Every year, some 130,000 French pupils aged between 10 and 18 set off on extracurricular language courses abroad. The United Kingdom is chosen by a staggering 40% of young people (and their parents), followed by Ireland (28%) and North America (20%). Other destinations such as Spain, Italy, Malta and Australia are less commonly chosen although 9% of children look to combine sunshine and language learning.
In addition to the educational aspect of these 2- to 4-week language courses abroad, the cultural aspect is also very important. Language courses abroad also provide an opportunity to get to grips with a country, revive a love for a language and understand the issues involved in learning a language.
Language learning is a major concern for people of all ages, since 15% of people who take part in this type of programme are over 30 years old! Learning a language while discovering a country and becoming immersed in the culture, is a very exciting way for French people of all ages to bring their language skills up to the level of their European counterparts.
As a leading company for translation and interpreting, CG Traduction & Interprétation strives to promote language learning and language diversity worldwide, with a specific focus on young people.