French embassy, group sign agreement to promote language, culture, education

THE French embassy and the Alliance Francaise de Cebu (AFC) signed a deal last Saturday on the promotion of French culture, language and education in Cebu and the rest of Visayas and Mindanao.

The signing was held in the QC Pavilion Building on Gorordo Ave. It marked the AFC’s inclusion in the worldwide network of Alliance Francaise centers, a non-stock and non-profit organization that already has more than 1,000 centers worldwide.

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AFC is the official French cultural center and the only official European cultural office in Cebu and the Visayas.

French Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota said the agreement will give a new impetus to the cooperation between AFC and the French Embassy in promoting the French language, France-Philippines cultural exchanges and in providing assistance to Filipino students.

Mozota said AFC will provide French lessons in its premises as well as partner institutions. He assured language professors of continuous training, especially on teaching French in high schools.

Mozota told reporters they will pilot the teaching of French in 13 public science high schools in Luzon and the Visayas for the school year 2010-2011.

The decision came after the agreement was signed between the Department of Education and the French embassy last Sept. 28.

The agreement aims to strengthen the foreign language program in public schools, prepare students for a linguistically and culturally diverse workplace and develop understanding and appreciation of cultures.

Six science schools from the National Capital Region (NCR) and seven in Central Visayas were selected in the pilot phase of the language program. The science high schools in the NCR include Quezon City, Makati, Manila, Caloocan, Mandaluyong and Muntinlupa.

Those in the Central Visayas are the science high schools in Cebu City, Mandaue City, Minglanilla, Toledo, Medellin, Science and Technology Education Center and Tagbilaran.

In May 2009, selected teachers from the participating schools underwent a month-long intensive training program at the Alliance Francaise in Manila and Cebu. The teachers are currently in the second phase of their training, which runs until March 2010.

The Alliance Francaise in Manila and Cebu serve as long-term support centers for the continued training of more Filipino teachers.