Journée de la Langue Française

(French Language Day)

French Language Day, celebrated annually on 20th March, is a celebration of multilingualism and cultural diversity. It aims to sensitize the United Nations (UN) community to the history, culture and achievements of the French language. Over 25 countries speak French as their official language.
The UNESCO General Director best explained the significance of celebrating this day in March 2017 as he wrote “The French language crystallizes centuries of culture and history. … It is in French that Pascal, Voltaire or Rousseau led the fight for tolerance, democracy and human rights. It was in French that Assia Djebar defended the rights of women and that Césaire, Senghor and so many others laid the foundations of modern humanist consciousness. On all 5 continents, hundreds of millions of men and women express their hopes for a better life in French.”

In Saint Lucia, Alliance Française is the primary organisation which promotes the French culture on island. They offer beginners’ French classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, at a cost of $350 for the 3-month term. The next term will begin on 9th April 2018. For more information on Alliance Française services and activities, see their website, or call 452-6602. All are encouraged to embrace the French culture, especially on French Language Day!